Workers’ input on safety ‘vital’

THE value of employee participation in workplace health and safety has been hotly debated before a parliamentary committee.

At a transport and industrial relations select committee meeting on the Health and Safety Reform Bill yesterday, several unions implored the Government to ensure workers got more responsibility for their own safety.

The bill, introduced to Parliament in March, is the biggest health and safety overhaul in 20 years. It will put more onus and legal requirements on managers and company directors to keep workers safe, and require more worker involvement in health and safety practices in the workplace.

Stronger penalties and enforcement tools will also be introduced.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said claims that giving employees more control over health and safety would be detrimental were ludicrous.

The most dangerous industries – including forestry, agriculture and construction – had historically weak employee representation on health and safety practices, Kelly said.

‘‘We know that workers have a critical role to play in making workplaces safe.’’

Forest Owners Association policy analyst Glen Mackie told the committee the industry welcomed the bill but was concerned about several aspects. Under questioning about forestry’s poor safety record, Mackie said the media tended to focus on negative aspects, while most of the industry was responsible.

It was important there were limits on worker involvement in health and safety, so the power could not be abused, he said. Lumping responsibility for safety on forestry owners, rather than the contractors they hired, was also unfair.