WHS activities and outcomes

For: Employers and managers Information seekers

Comcare has released the annual Work Health and Safety - Year in Review 2021 (PDF, 6.4 MB).

The report highlights Comcare’s regulation and engagement activities conducted in 2021, including supporting safe and healthy work throughout the pandemic.

Work health and safety year in review 2021

Regulation and engagement activities

Our annual employer survey found that 88% of workplaces realised improved work health and safety (WHS) outcomes because of a visit from a Comcare inspector and Comcare’s inspections had a 95% satisfaction rate.

Despite the ongoing pandemic disruptions across much of Australia, Comcare was able to maintain our strong approach to serious incidents and fatalities, and we conducted:

283 provide information and advice activities – proactive inspectorate activities that provide information and advice to duty holders about compliance with the WHS Act.
1313 monitoring compliance activities – inspections, verifications, and investigations.
3406 approvals and authorisations – HSR/EPH course approvals, high-risk notifications, high-risk work licences, and plant authorisations.
2683 WHS helpdesk enquiries – were received and responded to.

In addition, Comcare worked closely with the Australian Public Service Commission, Safe Work Australia, the Heads of Workers Safety Authorities and the broader work health and safety jurisdiction to deliver online training and practical COVID-19 related guidance material, made available on our coronavirus webpage.

A key focus in 2021 was Workplace Sexual Harassment awareness and prevention, with guidance and education and training products produced under the ‘Never part of the job’ series, along with the successful Workplace Sexual Harassment National Forum held in November.

Regulatory Priorities and Work Activity Programs 2019-22

Comcare identified four regulatory priorities through an extensive process of engagement, consultation and analysis of our regulatory intelligence, injury and work health and safety (WHS) data.

The four priorities are:

Psychosocial impacts relating to organisational change
WHS management systems
Transport industry body stressing
WHS contractor management.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, initial benchmarking activities were deferred to the first half of 2021. In March 2021, targeted PCBUs were invited to participate in the program. Our plan was to conduct face-to-face inspections, however due to COVID restrictions, inspectors conducted desktop reviews.