Industrial Manslaughter Laws Proposed for Victoria

As of May 2018, Industrial Manslaughter laws have been proposed in Victoria.  Made as an election promise for the November state election, Victoria could be closely following Queensland in implementing these new laws.

The proposed changes bring safety to the forefront of businesses as the stakes are raised. Employers whose negligence leads to death would be facing up to 20 years in jail and be criminally charges with workplace manslaughter. Businesses could be fined up to $16 million.

Unlike the Queensland laws, the regulations proposed by Premier Andrews would apply to not only workers but will “cover a visiting supplier…a routine maintenance worker or three innocent people walking down a busy street”.

Mr Andrews says that the aim of the proposed laws is to change the way businesses view their safety responsibilities. It’s important that with these proposed changes, businesses assess themselves to determine whether they are adequately controlling the risks present. 

From our experience in safety, we have seen that those who take safety seriously are constantly looking to improve and stay up to date on their obligations. If you’re not 100% sure that you’re ready for the proposed manslaughter charges, you need to assess your business again.

Contact us for more information about how we can help you do a gap-analysis to identify your risk areas.