In a bid to address rising workplace incidents, SafeWork South Australia has launched a series of industry-specific compliance campaigns to eliminate potential hazards.
SafeWork SA’s new campaigns will roll out across a range of sectors to combat safety issues that contribute to workplace fatalities.
Under the initiative, employers are being asked to keep on top of appropriate maintenance of plant and equipment, follow safety procedures and not take shortcuts, and ensure workers take regular breaks to maintain concentration and reduce fatigue.
In a statement, the SA body said “employers have been put on notice that the most serious health and safety breaches now carry significant penalties…”.
Employers or officers of the business face up to 20 years in prison or fines of up to $18 million if they are found to have caused the death of a worker through reckless or grossly negligent conduct.
“Fatigue, short cuts and poorly maintained plant and equipment are all possible killers, but the associated risks can all be eliminated or appropriately managed through a strong commitment to safety,” SafeWork SA executive director Glenn Farrell said.
“Workplace deaths leave a painful and permanent scar on families, work mates, the community and the business itself.”
Farrell said SafeWork SA was requesting employers, sole traders and those in control of work activities to take their “responsibilities seriously and make safety in the workplace their highest priority”.
“People are the most valuable asset to any business and more needs to be done to ensure they are not exposed to harm,” Farrell said.
“We’re inspecting work sites more often and where we find non-compliance there will be consequences.
“Businesses have a work health and safety obligation to put the safety of their people first and we will not hesitate to issue notices or take further action for unsafe practices.”
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