Both houses of the Tasmanian Parliament have now passed Labor’s Work Health and Safety Amendment (Safer Workplaces) Bill 2024, which will make industrial manslaughter a criminal offence under our Work Health and Safety Act.

And it's thanks to the commitment of the Tasmanian union movement, our members, the Tasmanian families who have campaigned with us for many years, and community supporters, who stood up and said: we can, and we must, save lives.

What does the new law mean?

In brief:

1. Workers in Tasmania are now protected by industrial manslaughter laws, like the rest of Australia. 
2. For employers complying with work health and safety law, nothing changes.
3. Substantial penalties have been introduced where an employer’s negligent or reckless conduct causes a workplace fatality, which means that workplace deaths are treated with the same seriousness as other deaths in our community. Penalties include a maximum penalty of 21 years jail for an individual or up to $18 million in fines for a body corporate.
4. Whilst nothing can bring back a loved one killed at work, we hope these laws will provide a greater measure of justice to families.

You can read the full text of the bill here.

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