The introduction of industrial manslaughter offences under the Victorian OHS Act 2004 will come into effect on 1 July 2020. However, even before the legislation has commenced, a significant change has been passed by the government which increases the penalty from 20 years to 25 years imprisonment.
This change was instigated by The Crimes Amendment (Manslaughter and Related Offences) Bill 2020, which was passed by parliament and increases the maximum imprisonment penalty for offences related to manslaughter. As industrial manslaughter is a criminal offence, the charges for this offence under the OHS Act have also been increased to reflect the same penalties.
This is a timely reminder, as the first industrial manslaughter prosecution in Queensland was handed down on 11 June 2020.
WorkSafe has published a useful webinar to help business owners understand these new penalties, which can be viewed here. The VACC OHS&E Unit is also available to all members. The team is a phone call away and ready to offer compliance advice and services in order to help members run better businesses.
For more information, contact:
VACC OHS&E Unit
P: 03 9829 1265
E: ohs@vacc.com.au