NSW will introduce industrial manslaughter laws threatening corporations with severe penalties for placing life at risk, in an effort to reduce workplace deaths.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Under the laws a corporation can be held liable for the death of a person caused by their employees within the scope of their work.
The move brings NSW in line with other states and territories, most of which already have industrial manslaughter laws either in place or before parliament.
Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey said the change was well overdue.
"Workers' lives aren't a commodity, and this law sends a clear message - if you neglect your duty of care to your employees, there are severe consequences," he said.
The state government intends to introduce a bill to parliament in the first half of next year following further consultation.
Similar laws passed by the ACT in 2021 carry a potential 20-year jail term for individuals and a $16.5 million penalty for corporations.
Work Health and Safety Minister Sophie Cotsis says she hopes the penalties act as such a strong deterrent no one ever needs to be prosecuted.
"We must prevent fatal injuries in the workplace," Ms Cotsis said.
"These penalties acknowledge the significant pain and suffering of families and loved ones of workers who have died in preventable workplace incidents."
Up to 263 workers lost their lives on the job in NSW - more than any other state - in the five years leading to 2022, Unions NSW said.
SafeWork will begin an extensive consultation process including work health and safety experts, business groups, unions, legal stakeholders and families of people who have been killed at work.
Australian Associated Press
