Released today: Work Health & Safety Year in Review 2021 report
18 March 2022
The Work Health and Safety Year in Review report for 2021 details compliance and enforcement activities that promote and enable safe and healthy work across the Commonwealth jurisdiction.
Psychosocial work health and safety risks beyond the pandemic environment were a significant focus. Comcare is establishing a new psychosocial inspectorate stream to proactively support the jurisdiction with managing and responding to issues including workplace bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.
Comcare hosted a national forum on workplace sexual harassment in November 2021 that was attended by more than 1,000 people. The forum had a theme of influencing positive change, focussing on raising awareness of workplace sexual harassment and developing best practice regulatory responses. This was accompanied by a suite of guidance and education and training products to assist employers and workers.
Our enforcement work delivered important outcomes in 2021 including a record penalty under the WHS Act, and a $1.5 million enforceable undertaking that will improve safety at CSIRO’s laboratories and across the research sector.
Comcare will continue to support our diverse jurisdiction of more than 400,000 workers and 200 employers with nationally consistent, targeted and risk-based regulatory activities.
