Workplace Health and Safety Services
Goal, output, Division, alignment
Divisional structure
Context
Description of services
Key outcome measure(s)
Action on strategic priorities
Performance
Resources
Looking ahead
Divisional structure
Context
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) is responsible for developing and regulating workplace health and safety standards in Queensland and providing advice on workers’ compensation policy and legislation. Together with the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Board, it provides strategic leadership across Queensland and coordinates efforts to improve workplace health and safety performance.
In working towards the long-term goal of work-related injury and illness reduction, WHSQ faces a number of challenges including:
- labour market changes – continued labour market and population growth, increasing the number of people working and entering workplaces; changes in labour market demographics and increases in labour hire, part-time and casual workers and an increased number of mature age workers placing additional pressure on occupational health and safety systems
- national harmonisation – achieving harmonisation of workplace health and safety regulation has been a key priority of the Queensland Government for some time and greater national consistency will continue to be a driving force in shaping the occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation landscape in Queensland and around the country
- growth industries - manufacturing, construction, transport and business services are likely to grow at a faster rate than the total Queensland economy. To manage the unique risks of these industries, and achieve the targeted reduction in workplace injury and illness, additional inspectors and resources will be focused in these areas
- public safety - public expectation of health and safety standards is also expanding. The government and the public have an expectation that WHSQ will play a role in ensuring public safety, including areas such as adventure tourism
- skilled inspectorate - the range of industries in Queensland is expanding and as a result, specialist inspectors will need to be recruited and existing inspectors retained. The current skills shortage in specialist and trade areas presents a recruitment challenge to WHSQ.
Description of services
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland develops and implements legislative, compliance and enforcement strategies and education and awareness activities to improve workplace health and safety in Queensland, and provides policy advice on workers’ compensation policy and legislation. Client groups include employers, workers, self-employed people, insurers and the community.
Activities include:
- strategic policy advice to the Minister on workplace health and safety and workers’ compensation matters
- development of the legislative framework and standards for workplace health and safety and workers’ compensation
- inspection, advisory and enforcement activities to promote compliance with workplace health and safety laws and standards
- information, education and awareness activities to assist industry, employees and the community reduce the risk of work-related injury and disease in the workplace
- support for statutory industry bodies including the Workplace Health and Safety Board and Industry Sector Standing Committees
- management of registration, approval and accreditation systems required under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995.
Key outcome measure(s)
The Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004-2012 has set aspirational targets as a step towards achieving its vision of Queensland workplaces free from death, injury and disease. These targets are also reflected in the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy 2002–12.
The targets are to:
- sustain a significant, continual reduction in the incidence of work-related fatalities with a reduction of at least 20% by 30 June 2012.
- reduce the incidence of workplace injury by at least 40% by 30 June 2012.
Ongoing implementation of the Queensland strategy has seen a reduction of 15% in the incidence of work-related fatalities1 between 2003-04 and 2005-06. Over the same period, the incidence of work-related injuries2 increased by 1%. However, there has been a decline in the more serious injuries which is reflected by the fact that the incidence of injuries resulting in more than three months absence has declined by 15% between 2003-04 and 2005-06 and the average duration of workers’ compensation claims has declined by 10% from 42 days in 2003-04 to 38 days in 2005-06.
The increase is mainly due to an administrative change in WorkCover Queensland’s claims management process. WorkCover Queensland implemented a fax fee initiative3 in July 2006 to encourage short timeframes between the time of injury and access to both compensation and appropriate rehabilitation services.
The potential impact of the fax fee initiative on claims lodged was to increase reporting of shorter duration or medical expense only claims. There is also the one-off impact of earlier reporting of claims, which previously would have been lodged in the following reporting year.
1. Includes accepted claims from employees and eligible self-employed workers, all on-duty claims and on-break claims at the place of work. Excludes mining industry. Data current as at May 2007 and subject to change with further development.
2. Includes accepted claims from employees and eligible self-employed workers, all on-duty claims and on-break claims at the place of work, non-fatal injury, disease and musculoskeletal disorder claims resulting in permanent or temporary impairment with a duration of 7 calendar days or more. Excludes mining industry. Data current as at May 2007 and subject to change with further development.
3. Since July 2006, WorkCover Queensland has encouraged the early lodgement of claims through their fax fee initiative. WorkCover Queensland has implemented an administrative process through which they pay a $10 fee to doctors when the medical practice faxes the injured worker’s application form, medical certificate and invoice to Work Cover Queensland. Doctors are usually the first point of contact for an injured worker, so this initiative ensures the claim is lodged with WorkCover Queensland as early as possible, allowing for earlier rehabilitation intervention.
Action on strategic priorities
Continue to implement the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004–12 and the supporting action plans to reduce the incidence of work-related death, disease and injury.
The Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004 -2012 is an integral part of the government’s commitment to reducing the human and economic cost of work-related injury and illness. The Queensland strategy and the underpinning industry action plans have had a positive effect on WHSQ by focusing on evidence-based decision-making and targeting high risk industries and injury mechanisms.
The department has been working with stakeholders to develop new industry action plans for 2008-2010. In addition to the five existing priority industries, new industry plans will also be developed for the retail and hospitality industries.
Contribute to the national consistency agenda for workplace health and safety and workers’ compensation.
Queensland has been actively cooperating with other state and territory jurisdictions and the federal government to develop a core document to drive development of nationally consistent standards, codes and guidance material through the Australian Safety and Compensation Council.
Under the agreed 10 Point Plan endorsed by the Council for the Australian Federation, Queensland worked closely with New South Wales, Victoria and other states and territories to:
- harmonise occupational licensing requirements for high risk work
- allow for mutual recognition of construction induction
- develop common procedures for the recognition of plant and machinery and the design of plant and machinery
- ensure consistent compliance approaches relating to supervision, fencing, electrical and amenities in housing construction
- use common guidance material for employers to help them improve workplace safety compliance (for example, Queensland adopted the NSW Guide for Slips Trips and Falls).
In relation to workers’ compensation, implementation of the 10 point plan has resulted in:
Consolidate and improve our evidence-based approach to decision-making to ensure we effectively direct and measure the impact of interventions.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland's business continues to be driven by an evidenced- based approach to ensure that prevention resources are directed at the areas of greatest need.
The development of the revised industry action plans has been driven by detailed analysis of population, injury/illness and fatality data. This analysis has identified that in order to reduce the rate of work-related injuries, musculoskeletal injuries must be a primary focus of the prevention effort over the next three years.
Strengthen focus on communication, education and information.
In 2006-07, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland continued to use a range of strategies to promote improved workplace health and safety outcomes. This included extensive use of internet and telephone advisory services, advertising and publicity, newsletters and other printed material, seminars and workplace visits.
Work Safe Week 2006 incorporated the announcement of winners of the inaugural Work Safe Awards, which were developed to encourage high standards of workplace health and safety in Queensland workplaces and align with Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (OASCC) Safe Work Australia Awards. This resulted in more than 20 entries, with two winners, Australian Country Choice and the Environmental Protection Agency, going to Canberra to represent Queensland at the national Safe Work Australia Awards.
In addition, the state-wide mass media advertising campaign danger lurks in every workplace, communicated the message to be alert and careful in the workplace. The advertising successfully conveyed that workplaces are potentially dangerous places, but could be made safer with the aid of the government and by being careful at all times.
Continued focus on occupational health and the prevention of work-related diseases.
In 2006-07 Workplace Health and Safety Queensland developed an Occupational Disease Strategy 2007-2010. The Occupational Disease Strategy will support implementation of the industry action plans by providing a framework for reducing the incidence of occupational diseases in Queensland.
Appoint additional inspectors to respond to the growth in industry and new asbestos management regulations.
Inspectors continued to manage workplace asbestos issues and administer licensing and compliance of the new asbestos requirements during this period. The department continues to assist industry in the implementation of the National Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces and the revised National Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of Asbestos.
Implement a framework for improved injury prevention and management in the public sector.
The department has continued to work with government agencies to assist them implement injury prevention strategies. The Safer and Healthier Workplaces Strategy was recently released and sets a framework for future improvement programs across the public sector for the next five years.
The coordination of agency network meetings that informs agencies of legislative, policy and operational issues that relate directly to occupational health and safety activities and the management of workers’ compensation claims continue to be priority. These forums are held bi-monthly and give the opportunity for agency representatives to network and raise occupational health and safety concerns. Similar agency network groups are now planned for regional areas.
The department has developed a web-based hazard and incident reporting information system and assisted in the piloting of this project in two government agencies with a view to having the product available for use by government agencies.
Performance
Policy and legislation
In May 2007, the Industrial Relations Act and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2007 amended the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 and Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 with the aim of advancing greater national consistency.
The amendments demonstrated the government’s commitment to harmonising self-insurance requirements by more closely aligning the criteria for self-insurance with other states and territories.
The amendments also enabled inspectors under the Industrial Relations Act to enforce the requirement for an employer to hold open an injured worker’s job for 12 months, where they have an accepted work-related injury. Queensland has one of the best durable return to work rates in the country, and this requirement plays an important part in this success.
The amendments also provided an additional independent, transparent and efficient dispute resolution process through the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for dealing with union right of entry disputes on workplace health and safety grounds that are complex and unable to be resolved at the workplace level.
Designers and project managers in construction work were given greater flexibility by removing the legislated reporting arrangements introduced in new workplace health and safety obligations previously inserted into legislation. These changes took effect on 1 July 2007 after extensive consultation with industry.
Information and advice
The provision of information is essential to the prevention of workplace injury and disease. In addition to information and advice provided by inspectors, in 2006-07 Workplace Health and Safety Queensland provided information through:
- over 133,000 telephone enquiries
- over 3,000 email information services
- almost 770,000 website visits
In addition, a number of codes of practice and guides were developed or reviewed to assist employers in preventing workplace injuries. The following codes of practice were developed in 2006–07:
- Tower Crane Code of Practice 2006
- Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2006
- Children and Young Workers Code of Practice 2006
- Forest Harvesting Code of Practice 2007 (PDF, 1 MB)
- Tunnelling Code of Practice 2007
- Risk Management Code of Practice 2007
There were also a number of guides produced to assist employers address workplace health and safety issues including the guide to prevent slips, trips and falls; and a shearing guide.
Compliance
Enforcement and compliance activities play a key role in achieving the outcomes of reducing workplace death, injury and disease as detailed in the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004-2012.
Inspectors investigated 25,741 workplaces and issued 17,603 notices. In addition, a total of 2,966 investigations were conducted and 2,079 of these investigations were into incidents that caused grievous bodily harm or bodily harm. The majority of these incidents involved slips, trips and falls and objects colliding with parts of the body.
The use of prosecutions as an effective compliance and deterrent measure continued, with 122 prosecutions finalised, resulting in fines totalling over $2.9 million for 2006-07. In addition, 12 enforceable undertakings were accepted in the same period. These undertakings, which are legal agreements under which an organisation agrees to carry out specific activities to improve worker health and safety and deliver benefits to industry and the broader community, contributed over $3.128 million in 2006-07 towards improving the health and safety in Queensland workplaces.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland continued its annual compliance program through national, state-wide and regional campaigns. These campaigns are primarily directed at areas where evidence suggests there is a high incidence of, or potential for, severe injuries. The annual compliance program conducted in 2006-07 included state-wide campaigns in the areas of:
- high risk large dangerous goods locations
- large mobile plant at civil construction sites
- labour hire in food processing
- sugar mill maintenance
- safe use of plant in high risk manufacturing
- amusement devices
- slips, trips and falls.
Regional campaigns targeted areas such as:
- child care centres in Brisbane North
- funeral industry in Wide Bay
- occupational diving industry in North Queensland
- cattle yards in Central Queensland
- manual tasks in process workers in South West
- clubs and pubs in Brisbane South and the Gold Coast.
Building and construction initiative
Queensland’s construction industry initiative continued to provide a coordinated approach to improving workplace health and safety under the Construction Industry Action Plan. Since the introduction of the plan in 2004, the industry’s injury rate has declined by 4% and the fatality rate by 38%, the biggest decreases across any industry sector. The number of workplace assessments conducted on construction sites has increased from under 8,000 in 2004-05 to almost 11,600 in 2006-07.
In 2006-07 the initiative:
- developed and finalised guidance documents regarding consultative arrangements for construction work
- initiated a project to identify where non-English speaking background people are working in the construction industry and to allow for translation of safety information into different languages
- coordinated over 100 audits in relation to the national moving plant in civil construction compliance campaign. Primary issues assessed included: workers being struck by mobile plant on civil construction sites; workers being struck by traffic adjacent to site; and pedestrians adjacent to site at risk from civil plant.
Small business initiative
Implementation of the small business program continued, with 820 workplace consultations conducted during 2006-07. Small business advisors also conducted 140 information sessions and 153 networking activities. Relationships with industry associations continue to be strong and provide leverage for the program.
In 2006-07, 10 industry associations entered into partnerships with Workplace Health and Safety Queensland through grants totalling $341,009. These grants allow for the development and delivery of information products and services to small business operators through industry associations or groups.
Psychosocial initiative
As part of its psychosocial initiative, the department continued to provide hands-on assistance to employers in implementing risk management strategies for psychological hazards. Specific interventions included occupational stress risk management workshops for public and private sector employers with related claims experience, presentations on risk management for psychosocial issues, and the development of written and web-based information products.
In 2007, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the University of Queensland and the University of South Australia were awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant to the value of approximately $550, 000 to conduct research that will assist in achieving improvement in employer capacity for managing psychological injury at work.
The People at Work Project will consider how a range of different workplace characteristics influence employee health and wellbeing. The project has a number of objectives including:
- developing a reliable and valid risk assessment tool for psychological injury that is freely available to industry
- assisting Queensland organisations implement a risk management process for psychological injury and assessing its outcomes
- collecting reliable data on risk factors, incidence, and intervention outcomes for psychological injury.
Work also continued on a range of projects including implementing a training plan for departmental staff in professional psychosocial skills development; developing information products for the internet; and identifying psychosocial hazards and control measures in a number of target industries.
Inspection activity
Workplace Health and Safety inspectors undertake field activities in three categories:
|
2002 - 2003 |
2003 - 2004 |
2004 - 2005 |
2005 - 2006 |
2006 - 2007 |
Assessments1 |
11,188 |
13,251 |
17,023 |
23,344 |
22,775 |
Advisories2 |
1,203 |
1,232 |
894 |
2,835 |
2,264 |
Investigations3, 4 |
5,576 |
8,364 |
4,045 |
2,874 |
2,966 |
TOTAL |
17,967 |
22,847 |
21,962 |
29,053 |
28,005 |
Notes
1. Total assessments irrespective of assessment type or number of site visits as part of the assessment.
2. Total of advisories irrespective of how many sites were visited as part of the advisory.
3. Investigations may cross financial periods. Accordingly, if the investigation was commenced during the period under review, it has been attributed to that period. The number does not take into account the number of site visit activities recorded against the investigation.
4. The recent decrease in the number of investigations is due to the current practice of assigning less serious investigations as ‘assessments’.
Definitions
An 'assessment' is an activity undertaken where compliance against legislation is measured by an inspector, where the visit to the industrial or construction workplace was not directly prompted by a happening at a workplace (an event).
An "investigation" is the process followed to determine causes of incidents (events) or to verify the validity of complaints about health and safety conditions, and to take appropriate enforcement action so as to prevent a reoccurrence of the event.
An “advisory” is an activity undertaken where an educational, or industry information activity is undertaken by a Small Business Advisor or an inspector.
Number of Investigations Commenced (by type)
These statistics are a subset of the investigation statistics above.
|
02-03 |
03-04 |
04–05 |
05-06 |
06-07 |
Type 1 |
364 |
371 |
306 |
324 |
349 |
Type 2 |
1,838 |
4,555 |
2,268 |
1,971 |
1,730 |
Type 3 |
2,292 |
2,891 |
1,324 |
468 |
687 |
Type 4 |
1,082 |
547 |
147 |
111 |
200 |
Definitions from the WHSQ Enforcement Framework:
Type 1: Death and grievous bodily harm
Type 2: Less serious injuries, and dangerous events
Type 3: Complaints involving significant risk
Type 4: Other Complaints
Notices Issued (prohibition, improvement and infringement) |
|
Number |
|
02-03 |
12,694 |
03-04 |
18,391 |
04-05 |
15,603 |
05-06 |
19,164 |
06-07 |
17,603 |
Enforceable undertakings |
||||
|
Number of Applications Received |
Number Applications Accepted |
Mean Value |
Costs |
03-04 |
30 |
4 |
$84,156 |
$23,336 |
04-05 |
21 |
10 |
$162,852 |
$51,661 |
05-06 |
15 |
10 |
$171,399 |
$105,842 |
06-07 |
13 |
12 |
$113,6581 |
$67,117 |
- The mean value was calculated once the value of one application (amounting to $1,579,500) was eliminated. This exceptionally high amount would have skewed the average value to $260,702. This would provide an exaggerated view to the average value of enforceable undertakings.
Resources
Workplace Health and Safety Services receives approximately 60% of its funding through a Workers’ Compensation Regulatory Authority (QCOMP) grant paid by the workers’ compensation scheme under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 for the prevention of injuries to workers.
WHSQ has had increased funding over recent years. In 2005 – 2006, additional ongoing funding of $1.2 million has been provided to the department to continue work in addressing the unacceptable cost of workplace injury and disease by targeting priority health and safety issues.
This included injury prevention programs in the building and construction industry, small business compliance with workplace health and safety legislation and strategies to manage psychosocial injury.
Looking ahead
The 2007-08 year will see Workplace Health and Safety Queensland continue to focus on the successful implementation of the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004-2012. In particular:
- The new three-year industry action plans will be launched in 2007-08. The second phase of the industry action plans is crucial and the initiatives implemented over the next three years will have a direct impact on our ability to achieve the desired reduction in work-related injuries and fatalities. A key focus will be a reduction in the rate of musculoskeletal injuries.
- Implementation of the Musculo-skeletal Disease Framework 2007-2010 across all industry sectors to focus efforts on the prevention of these disorders and address the most significant cause of work related injury in Queensland.
- Education and raising awareness of priority workplace health and safety issues is a key objective of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s business plan, and fits with harmonisation of workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety schemes. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland will adopt the successful Victorian-made Homecomings advertising campaign to support its efforts to change workplace behaviour to reduce work injury and death. The campaign will form part of a comprehensive communication strategy to assist in changing attitudes and behaviour and includes promotion, media and marketing.
- Queensland will continue to demonstrate its willingness to achieve national harmonisation for occupational health and safety, and to the extent it can be achieved, workers’ compensation arrangements.
- Implementation of a renewable and photographic licensing system for prescribed high risk occupations to align with the National Standard will be a key project in 2007-08. In addition to issuing new licenses under the national scheme, around $1.4 million existing certificates held by 735,000 individuals will require migration from paper-based licences to the new system.
- A review of the current Workplace Health and Safety Enforcement Framework and Prosecutions Strategy will be undertaken in 2007-08 to ensure the current framework remains relevant and that it continues to provide the necessary deterrence to breaches of Queensland’s safety laws.
- Under the requirements of the Statutory Instruments Act 1992, subordinate legislation expires on the 10th year anniversary of its making. As such the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 is due to expire on 1 September 2008, and its review and remaking will be a key project in this period.
- The strong focus on workplace interventions in response to injuries and complaints and regionally identified inspection targets will be maintained. Queensland workplace health and safety inspectors will deliver a range of state-wide and local compliance campaigns and other interventions, developed using evidence-based data to reduce the risk of injury or illness in the five priority industry sectors.
- Work will commence on addressing issues arising from the development of the draft National Standard for the Control of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals. The standard does not distinguish between dangerous goods and hazardous substances. Currently, Queensland is the only Australian jurisdiction that separates responsibility for dangerous goods and hazardous substances across two portfolios.
- Worker’s compensation for injured workers will be enhanced through improved benefit arrangements and an increased focus on positive rehabilitation and return to work strategies.
Last updated 21 July 2009
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