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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-07-19 Daily Xml
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SAFEWORK SA INSPECTORS

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Can the minister provide details about the various activities conducted by SafeWork SA inspectors during the past year?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:49): In addition to its compliance and enforcement role, SafeWork SA undertakes a range of proactive and strategic industrial relations and occupational health and safety interventions, projects and activities. These activities contribute to safe and fair workplaces; assist with reducing workplace injury, illness and death in South Australia; and support the achievement of South Australia's strategic plan targets.

One of these projects is 'Forklift Safety in the Grocery and Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Industries', which is a national project that has been led by South Australia throughout the past year. This project involved the provision of safety information, followed by workplace audits of targeted sites by occupational health and safety inspectors. In South Australia, 25 work sites were audited and a number of compliance notices were issued relating to the condition of forklifts. An outcome of this project is the preparation of guidance material, which is currently being developed and will guide the development of a national code of practice for forklifts.

In addition to this project, SafeWork SA occupational health and safety inspectors are currently involved in targeted intervention strategies addressing health and safety and fair work issues in the poultry industry, and emergency preparedness at petrol stations as a result of the unique risks imposed upon this industry involving dangerous substances and the general public. These are just a few examples which highlight the diversity of work being undertaken by SafeWork SA, and the critical nature of that work.

Injury data shows that the strategies implemented by SafeWork SA are achieving results, with the nationally comparative performance measure showing that South Australia achieved a 36 per cent reduction in the income maintenance claim rate for all employers to December 2010. South Australia leads all other state, territory and commonwealth jurisdictions in progress towards the national injury target.

At a local level, SafeWork inspectors were again on hand at many of South Australia's major events. There is no denying that safety is paramount at all our major events, and the SafeWork SA inspectors ensure compliance with legislative requirements associated with worker and public safety at major events by providing advice and assistance and, where necessary, by using compliance and enforcement action.

Over the past year, SafeWork SA inspectors attended the Royal Adelaide Show, the Mount Gambier Show, Schützenfest, the Tour Down Under, Tunarama, the Big Day Out, Carnevale, Clipsal 500 and the Oakbank Racing Carnival. SafeWork SA staff also assisted organisers with pre-event planning for the Adelaide Fringe, WOMADelaide and the Garden of Unearthly Delights.

The operation and management of amusement rides; event management as it relates to public and workplace safety; public safety, including crowd control, access and egress and emergency assistance, stands, seating and scaffold safety; as well as safety management systems are just some of the areas that are checked by inspectors to ensure the safety of workers and the public at these events. SafeWork SA has also participated in a number of strategic industrial relations interventions, projects and compliance activities towards the achievement of fair workplaces in this state.

During 2011-12, SafeWork SA delivered several federal industrial relations programs, including the Dentists, Orthodontists and Medical Rooms Audit. SafeWork SA delivered a range of information and education sessions for employers in this sector in both metropolitan and regional South Australia. The audit aimed to ensure compliance with the ordinary rates of pay, penalty rates, loadings and allowances of the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2010 and related provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009. Other key rights and obligations in the workplace were also covered, including the requirements for keeping time and wage records and long service leave. Preliminary findings indicate a number of contravention types, including incorrect classifications, incorrect payment for Saturday work and general underpayments.

SafeWork SA continues to administer the national industrial relations laws on behalf of the Fair Work Ombudsman. From 1 July 2011 until 31 May 2012, more than 1,800 transitional education visits, which are designed to assist employers to transition to the national system of industrial relations, have been undertaken. During the same period, over 300 audits were completed and over 700 investigations commenced towards the achievement of its service delivery targets under the national system.

The latest information made available to SafeWork SA by the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman is that, from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2012, SafeWork SA had recovered more than $920,000 in underpayments for all employees. In regard to state industrial relations, I can advise that, from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2012, SafeWork SA inspectors have finalised almost 200 investigations, which has led to the recovery of over $430,000 in underpayment of wages.

This government remains committed to assisting all South Australians to enjoy a safe, fair and productive working life. It is through a range of interventions, projects and compliance activities, such as those I have mentioned, that this commitment is being realised.

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