Work Health and Safety Advisory Council
The Work Health and Safety Advisory Council (the Council) met on Monday, 20 November 2023. The following items were discussed:
Work Health and Safety Activities of NT WorkSafe Inspectors in Mining Industry
The Council considered the Regulator’s update on NT WorkSafe inspector’s activities in mining and related industries. A Resources Committee was established by the Council to consider and ensure that NT WorkSafe is adequately resourced to administer the WHS legislation in this sector. The Committee will be chaired by Council Deputy Chair, Mr Mark Davies from EHS Essential Services Pty Ltd. Other members of the Committee are Lloyd Pumpa from the National Tertiary Education Union and Lucas Hemsley from the Community and Public Sector Union.
The Committee has scheduled to have its first meeting in March 2024 and report back to the Council on its considerations on this issue.
If you are interested in joining this committee to assist with this piece of work, please contact Council’s Secretariat at NT WorkSafe.
Injured Workers and Family Forum Recommendations
Guides on supporting sudden loss and grief; and an assistance guide for injured workers have been approved and published and NT WorkSafe will be arranging for the development of animations to assist families of victims of fatalities in 2024.
Local Work Health and Safety Focus - NT WorkSafe
The Regulator provided the Council with an update on topical and regulatory matters being raised nationally and locally on work health and safety issues:
- New Electricity Safety legislation for the Northern Territory in 2024
- Solar batteries – concerns with compliance of installations
- Finalisation of Draft Guide to Heavy Vehicle Fatigue Management
- Draft Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards to be published for consultation: https://worksafe.nt.gov.au/forms-and-resources/news-and-events/news/2023/consultation-open-for-managing-psychosocial-hazards-at-work-code-of-practice
NT WorkSafe planned activities
Inspectors at NT WorkSafe have been trialling the use of body worn cameras (BWC) as part of their worksite visits. The trial period is coming to an end. There has been a general positive response to the use of BWC by NT WorkSafe Inspectors both internally and externally and it is likely that BWC will become part of the resources available to NT WorkSafe’s inspectors for their daily activities in 2024 and beyond.
Prosecutions
NT WorkSafe currently has 11 prosecution matters before the Local Court, an appeal against sentence matter before the Supreme Court was recently dismissed and one other prosecution was finalised by way of a plea.
A NT WorkSafe Electrical Inspector was assaulted in the course of his work duties at a worksite inspection by a third party. The Regulator / Work Health Authority has commenced a prosecution against the third party arising from this incident under the WHS legislation.
The newly established Resources Committee will also revisit Recommendation 16 of the Best Practice Review of Workplace Health and Safety in the NT (“the Lyons Review”).
Mental health concerns
Advice has been received of an increase people accessing and seeking assistance with mental health concerns that indicate an increase in the frequency and severity of work related mental health issues. There has been an increase in the number of safety concerns reported to NT WorkSafe regarding psychosocial hazards since the amendment to the regulation that came into effect on 1 July 2023.
The Council will review relevant de-identified statistics for the last six months with respect to notifications relating to work related mental health concerns and psychosocial hazards at its next meeting.
Next meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for 27 March 2024.
Please contact Council’s Secretariat via email AGD.NTWorkSafeAdministration@nt.gov.au if you have any enquiries.