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Federal push for employees' roles in safer workplaces

Media release

- 19 Mar 2010

Federal workplace safety regulator Comcare is entering a new phase of a national campaign to ensure Commonwealth employers are consulting with their employees in improving workplace health and safety.

As the next step in this campaign, Comcare will conduct a proactive safety improvement review to ensure public service agencies in the Comcare jurisdiction have engaged with their employees to put health and safety management arrangements in place.

Comcare’s General Manager Assurance Neil Quarmby said that following amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991, employers within the Comcare jurisdiction were now required to have health and safety management arrangements in place – and this was going to be tested.

“The legislation is clear – and we want to ensure that employers in the Comcare scheme are following through with their responsibilities to involve employees in drawing up these workplace agreements that describe how health and safety is to be prioritised.”

“It’s important work that all Comcare scheme employers have to undertake.”

During March 2010 Commonwealth public service employers within the Comcare jurisdiction would be engaged about the development, consultation process and review mechanisms of their arrangements.

Mr Quarmby said guidance material about health and safety agreements could be found on the Comcare website at www.comcare.gov.au.

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Media inquiries:
Ph: 1300 366 979 or 0419 445631
Email: media@comcare.gov.au

Media release - Federal push for employees' roles in safer workplaces [pdf]