If your business operates in both South Australia and interstate, there are important updates to Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws you may not be aware of.
The harmonised WHS Acts and Regulations were introduced in most states and territories between 2011 and 2012. The exceptions were Western Australia, who passed the bill to harmonise their legislation in October 2020 and Victoria, which is now the only state still to harmonise.
Since the harmonised WHS laws came into place, different jurisdictions have amended their legislation over time. This means that although the WHS management principles remain aligned, the compliance requirements across borders may no longer be identical.
Penalties for non-compliance can run to the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, and potentially include lengthy jail terms.
If you operate your business in South Australia or any other Australian State or Territory and you have not recently updated your WHS management system, it may be appropriate to undergo a thorough review of your WHS policies and procedures to ensure they meet current jurisdictional requirements.
A Model WHS Act cross-comparison table can be accessed here.
Developing, reviewing, and revising your WHS management system can be daunting and time consuming for any business, particularly those who do not have dedicated internal WHS or HR personnel and even more so where multiple jurisdictions are involved.
The South Australian Business Chamber have specialist WHS Consultants available to assist you to develop or update your systems, ensure compliance, and minimise risk.
For WHS information, advice, or assistance, please call the South Australian Business Chamber on 8300 0000 or fill out this form and one of our Consultants will be in touch.
