Several submissions to Australia’s OHS harmonisation process were very critical of the lack of attention provided to the occupational diving industry. It seems that the Queensland Government has been listening as it has introduced into Parliament a Safety in Recreational Water Activities Bill 2011 alongside its State-version of the model Work Health and Safety Bill (WHS). The safe diving bill is an example of the additional State-level OHS legislation that the harmonisation process has always allowed for, and may pave the way for “specialist” OHS laws in other States. The Queensland process is slightly different from how the New South Wales government has approached its OHS legislation.
The bill, as outlined in Hansard, uses model WHS bill language:
“Now I turn to some of the specifics. The Safety in Recreational Water Activities Bill includes the following key elements:
- a primary duty of care requiring persons conducting a business or undertaking to, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure the health and safety of the Continue reading “Queensland’s Work Health Safety Bill in Parliament”