- Changes to the Work Health and Safety Regulations will be gazetted today
- Some of the transitional arrangements in the regulations are being extended to allow industry more time to comply with the WHS laws
- WorkSafe will continue to take a supportive and educative approach to low-risk contraventions of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020
A year after the introduction of harmonised laws, the State Government has decided to extend the transitional arrangements for specific regulations in the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
The McGowan Government has recognised that by introducing the new regulations some specific workplaces would need time to adjust to the new regime.
At the end of this month, the transitional arrangements for some specific work requirements will be extended, with revised regulations for these extensions gazetted today.
WorkSafe has been taking a supportive and educative approach to low-risk contraventions of the new laws while still taking enforcement action in cases of serious risk or harm.
New requirements under regulations covering training of asbestos removal workers, asbestos clearance inspection and air monitoring for asbestos will be delayed until 31 March 2024.
Transitional arrangement regulations covering requirements to reduce the risk of falls will be extended until 30 March 2025. Similar regulations covering material hoists, concrete placing booms and reach stackers will be extended until 30 March 2024.
As stated by Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston:
“We have always recognised that some workplaces would need time to adapt to the new regime, so WorkSafe has continued to take a supportive and educative approach in workplaces.
“We also appreciate that some areas need even more time to adapt to the new requirements, so the regulation changes being gazetted today have provided industry with extra time to ensure they can provide safer workplaces for their workers.
“Now that we have been working with the new laws for almost a year, we would expect the level of compliance to be high.”
