The new industrial manslaughter laws come into effect in Victoria on the 1st of July 2020 and WorkSafe aren’t holding back on their advertising.
By: WorkSafe Victoria
Tougher laws. Safer workplaces. – From July, workplace manslaughter will be a jailable offence. If you fail to do your job, we’ll do ours, and make sure you face the law.
We’re enforcing tougher laws to ensure safer workplaces
Putting people’s lives at risk in the workplace will not be tolerated. It’s every employer’s responsibility to make sure their employees stay safe at work and return home every day. If you fail to do your job, we’ll do ours, and make sure you face the law.
Who can be charged with workplace manslaughter?
A person, a body corporate, an unincorporated body or association or a partnership, including government entities and officers of these entities (but not employees or volunteers), who owes applicable duties to ensure the health and safety of another person in the workplace, can be charged with Workplace Manslaughter.
However, in certain circumstances, officers of organisations may be charged if their organisation owes applicable duties:
- directors and secretaries of companies
- partners of a partnership or joint venture
- the trustee of a trust
- persons who participate in the making of decisions that affect a substantial part of the organisations business
- persons who have the capacity to affect significantly the organisations financial standing.
Penalties
If convicted of workplace manslaughter, the following maximum penalties apply:
- A maximum of 20 years imprisonment for individuals
- A maximum fine of $16.5 million for body corporates