Questions asked during Safe Work Month Webinar on 30 October 2020 have been compiled along with the department's responses. Commencement When did the Work Health and Safety Act receive assent? The Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WHS Act) was assented to by the Governor on 10 November 2020. However...
Health monitoring is the monitoring of a person’s health for the purpose of identifying changes in the person’s health status resulting from exposure to a hazardous chemical. Health monitoring enables the Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) to identify any potential adverse effect on health from...
Reforming WA's accident towing industry - outcome of consultation. The consultation report summarises what stakeholders told us about problems with Western Australia’s accident towing industry and options for regulating the industry.
This page contains frequently asked questions about vaping. Is vaping hazardous? Yes, vaping can be hazardous. The nature of the hazard will depend upon factors such as the liquid used in the e-cigarette and the health status of the individual. In 2019, there were 2290 cases of lung injury...
Restaurants and cafes that charge a surcharge on certain days do not need to provide a separate menu. However, the menu or pricing display must include wording that ‘a surcharge of [percentage] applies on [the specified day or days]’ . This statement must be displayed in a transparent and prominent...
Consumer Protection has a number of policies which articulate the principles that underpin our work. These policies guide our approach to promoting fair trading and consumer protection, whether we are providing information and advice, helping consumers resolve disputes or investigating complaints...
Status: CLOSED, Submissions closed at 5pm on 28 October 2019 Background In late 2018, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) commenced a Regional Services Review to improve service delivery to our regional customers. DMIRS staff and State and Local Government stakeholders...
Following the 12th fatality in 12 months in the Western Australian agricultural industry, WorkSafe Commissioner Darren Kavanagh announced an Inquiry and appointed an Independent Inquirer . The Inquiry will consider a range of issues and recommendations on matters that affect the safety performance...
Under the Australian Consumer Law, a business that provides a house sitting, pet sitting, baby sitting or cleaning service must meet service guarantees . Customers are likely to ask for independent references for these services – former customers whose contact details are provided to prospective...
LP Gas cylinder safety in bush fire prone areas Guidelines on the storage of LP Gas cylinders on properties in bush fire prone areas. LP Gas cylinder safety in bush fire prone areas brochure The guidelines aim to help residents reduce the risks associated with LP Gas cylinders should a fire...
Quad bikes in workplaces guide outlines the legal requirements for those operating or in charge of workplaces where quad bikes are used and will assist riders, as well as managers, to ensure they are...
This checklist has been developed to provide information and assistance to employers, self-employed persons, persons having control of workplaces and employees working on farms. This checklist will...
This document provides essential information to assist you with your Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards submission. Further information 2023 Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards - Terms and...
On 11 January 2021, the Department received a report of an incident at a mine site where an electronic cigarette (vape) battery spontaneously ignited in a worker’s pocket while he was travelling in a...
Employers are required to ensure that where fitted respirators are required to protect health, these are correctly fitted. Examples of fitted respirators (also called respiratory protective equipment...
The Digital DMIRS Strategy seeks to improve the department’s operations and service delivery through the effective use of technology. Some goals of the strategy are to modernise digital systems and...
Why are reforms being considered? Following a vehicle accident, drivers can easily be taken advantage of as they are often highly vulnerable and in shock. Serious concerns about the accident towing...
This compliance letter is provided to Consumer Protection by the Better Regulation Unit (BRU) of the Department of Treasury. The BRU is responsible for assessing Decision Regulatory Impact Statements...
New fitness code published The Fair Trading (Fitness Industry Code) Regulations 2020 (WA) (that contain the new Fitness Industry Code) were published on 29 September 2020. This mandatory code comes...
The department's mental health and wellbeing inspectors have developed a series of resources on workplace mental health and wellbeing. The concepts presented may assist workplaces to discuss, consult...
Rand Transport (1986) Pty Ltd was handed a $45,000 fine and a $2900 costs penalty in the Perth Magistrate Court following serious ammonia gas burns to a contract worker. Rand, a cold storage food distributor, pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace where contractors were not exposed to hazards. On 11 December 2014, during the construction of a dividing wall within a...
FGS Contracting Pty Ltd and the Director Ryan Wayne Franceschi, were fined today in the Perth Magistrate Court in relation to serious injuries caused to a 17 year old worker in Esperance. FGS Contracting Pty Ltd was fined $225,000 for failure to meet their duty to provide a safe workplace and for failing to ensure the correct high-risk work license. Additionally, Franceschi as the Director was...
Axedale Holdings Pty Ltd, trading as Shaw’s Cartage Contractors, was fined in relation to the deaths of two labourers. The deaths were caused by falling concrete tilt-up panels at a Perth construction site. Axedale, among three parties charged, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of workers, and that failure causing the death of Joseph McDermott and Gerard Bradley. The fine totalled $...
Building and Energy (formerly EnergySafety) and WorkSafe have issued a reminder on the importance of understanding and avoiding the electrical hazards in roof spaces, with new regulations coming into effect on Monday (14 May 2018). Director of Energy Safety Ken Bowron today cautioned homeowners to be mindful of the electrical hazards in roof spaces. “Homeowners may need to access the roof space...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard If you pay for goods or services by card, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a ban on excessive payment surcharges which applies to all businesses across Australia as of 1 September 2017. The new law limits the amount that a business can charge customers for use of payment methods such as EFTPOS (debit and prepaid), MasterCard (credit, debit...
With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard We're in a new financial year and Consumer Protection has considered previous complaint trends and emerging issues to help decide priorities for the 12 months ahead. It's not always possible to predict problems that will arise in the marketplace, however in a number of areas there are some obvious pointers we can act on. We call this...
WorkSafe has issued a warning to keep children out of hazardous workplaces – particularly farms – during the school holidays. WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said today workplaces were not the ideal places to take children, especially potentially hazardous ones like farms. “What needs to be kept in mind is that a farm is a workplace that frequently contains plant and machinery that can be...
With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Scammers are carrying out research into people at various organisations and either hacking computers or impersonating email accounts in a fraud known as a ‘man in the middle’ attack. Consumer Protection and WA Police Major Fraud Squad warn anyone making payments to third parties to be aware of the increased frequency in attempts to...
With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Consumer Protection has noticed that anytime there is a change in the economic climate there will be some business closures as a result. It is often difficult to spot telltale signs of financial distress but, as consumers, we need to be aware of the risks involved when paying for goods or services in advance; even the purchase of...
On 12 August 2014, the Minister for Commerce, Hon Michael Mischin MLC announced that a Western Australian version of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) bill would be introduced shortly into State Parliament. This will be in the form of a green bill, which will be released for a consultation period of three months. More information
