SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA OPERATIONAL PLAN - 2011-2012

    Safe Work Australia is an inclusive, tripartite body representing the interests of the Commonwealth, the States and Territories as well as workers and employers in Australia. Safe Work Australia is a reform-focussed body with the power to make recommendations directly to the Ministerial Council.

    This operational plan is based on the outcomes of the Safe Work Australia Strategic Plan

    2010 – 2013. It provides the activities that are to be undertaken by Safe Work Australia in performing its functions during the year, and the total budget for 2011-2012. The main focus of Safe Work Australia since its establishment has been the development of Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation. The development of the Model WHS Regulations and Priority Codes of Practice will be completed in 2011-2012, with the package provided to the Ministerial Council for consideration early in the financial year. Safe Work Australia continues its focus on providing high quality nationally significant data and research findings to inform the development of new policy. Safe Work Australia is also developing a National Work Health and Safety Strategy to replace the current National

    Occupational Health and Safety Strategy 2002-2012 and implementing the Workers’

    Compensation Action Plan 2010 – 2013.

    STRATEGIC OUTCOME 1: Work health and safety is regarded as a key community issue. Strategy 1.1 Stakeholder engagement through a range of mechanisms to elevate the importance of work health and safety.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Item 10]

    Activities

    i. Implement and evaluate the agreed external communication strategy.

    ii. Deliver and review the annual Safe Work Australia Awards.

    iii. Cooperate with relevant bodies to facilitate regular knowledge transfer

    and elevate the importance of work health and safety.

    iv. Undertake a program of work to understand the drivers of safety leadership

    and the capacity of leaders to elevate the importance of work health and

    safety.

    Strategy 1.2 Deliver a consistent national message on the importance of work health and safety.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Item10]

    Activities

    i. Promote work health and safety as a key community and industry issue

    through:

    a. Safe Work Australia Week

    b. sponsorship of events and activities

    c. the development and dissemination of key messages on the importance of

    work health and safety, in particular a uniform message on the

    harmonisation of work health and safety legislation, and

    d. developing materials and templates to assist industry groups to conduct

    their own awards program.

    ii. Promote improved organisational level work health and safety reporting.

    iii. Develop nationally consistent guidance material to assist in delivering key

    messages through both national and jurisdictional channels.

    Strategy 1.3. Develop and widely disseminate national publications on key strategic objectives and work health and safety and workers’ compensation matters.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 1, 9, 10 and 11]

    Activities

    i. Develop and publish work health and safety and workers’ compensation data

    and statistical analysis and reports as part of the agreed Data Action Plan 2009

    – 2012.

    ii. Develop and publish the annual comparative reports on workers’ compensation

    arrangements and performance.

    iii. Review the annual comparative report on workers’ compensation

    arrangements.

    iv. Develop and publish work health and safety and workers’ compensation

    research as part of the agreed Research and Evaluation Plan 2009-2012.

    v. Develop and publish work health and safety research on nanotechnology as

    part of the nanotechnology work health and safety program.

    vi. Develop and implement a process for translation of research findings into

    policy interventions.

    STRATEGIC OUTCOME 2: Work health and safety is improved through understanding what influences Australian workplace cultures and then putting in place mechanisms to effect change.

    Strategy 2.1 Identify champions of work health and safety nurture and maintain effective relationships.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Item 10]

    Activities

    i. Chair and CEO to engage with key stakeholder groups.

    Strategy 2.2 Develop and maintain collaborative Australian and international partnerships on work health and safety.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 1, 9, 10 and 13]

Activities

    i. Cooperate with key national agencies to promote work health and safety

    matters across government portfolios.

    ii. Promote work health and safety through building relationships with key

    organisations in the private sector.

    iii. Collaborate and cooperate with other agencies, employer and employee

    representatives and regulators to establish Australian Government positions on

    key international instruments and programs of work promoting work health

    safety.

    iv. Develop and implement an engagement strategy to determine appropriate

    international representation.

    v. Contribute to the development of work health and safety capability in Asia

    Pacific Region through the development and implementation of an Asia Pacific

    Engagement Strategy.

    Strategy 2.3 Undertake research to identify the factors that positively influence workplace

    culture and organisational behaviour.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 7 and 8]

    Activities

    i. Develop a Research and Data Strategy to underpin a range of work to provide

    a national picture of work health and safety.

    ii. Support or undertake and publish relevant research.

    Strategy 2.4 Coordinate, monitor and encourage innovative strategies to improve work health and safety outcomes.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 7, 8 and 10]

    Activities

    i. Monitor and report on the relevance and effectiveness of Australian and

    international work health and safety strategies and interventions.

    ii. Develop mechanisms to elevate work health and safety awareness among

    secondary school students transitioning to the workplace and vocational

    education students.

    iii. Develop mechanisms to promote work health and safety awareness among

    vulnerable workers - those in precarious work; Indigenous Australians,

    migrants; and young workers.

    STRATEGIC OUTCOME 3: Australia has uniform work health and safety laws complemented by consistent compliance and enforcement policies which contribute to provide improved safety for all workers.

    Strategy 3.1 Develop Regulations, Codes of Practice, guidance material and compliance and enforcement policies.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 2, 3, 5 and 6]

Activities

    i. Finalise a package of model WHS Regulations and priority model Codes of

    Practice for approval by the Ministerial Council.

    ii. Finalise a national compliance policy and a national enforcement policy for

    submission to the Ministerial Council.

    iii. In consultation with the National Mine Safety Framework finalise drafting of

    model WHS Regulations for Mining.

    iv. Development and consultation with relevant stakeholders, including road

    testing, of model Codes of Practice and guidance material for matters required

    to support model WHS Act and Regulations.

    Strategy 3.2 Implement, monitor and evaluate the harmonised national work health and safety framework.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 6, 7 and 8]

    Activities

    i. Determine and report on the consistency of jurisdictional Acts and Regulations

    with the model WHS legislation.

    Report on and respond to implementation issues, case law developments and ii. other legal issues regarding the model WHS legislation.

    iii. Finalise development and commence implementation of the model WHS

    legislation evaluation plan.

    iv. Develop a training model for health and safety representatives and entry permit .

    holders.

    v. Lead the development of model work health and safety training including the

    development of specified competencies particularly for asbestos removal,

    licensed asbestos assessor and high risk work.

    Strategy 3.3 Identify and recommend areas for improvement related to uniformity, efficiency, equity and the standard of safety provided.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 7 and 8]

    Activities

    i. Commence national reform of explosives legislation.

    ii. Develop and finalise Regulation Impact Statements for the WHS Regulations,

    the core mining regulations, codes of practice and any proposals arising from

    reviews of identified matters.

    iii. Review aspects of the regulatory framework agreed by members.

    iv. Identify potential safety gaps in the WHS legislative framework relating to

    stevedoring.

    STRATEGIC OUTCOME 4: National work health and safety and workers’ compensation policy is developed informed by knowledge and evidence, understanding and prioritisation of emerging and existing issues.

    Strategy 4.1 Collect, analyse, monitor and report on data and research to inform national work health and safety and workers’ compensation policy development and evaluation.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 7 and 8]

    Activities

    i. Maintain, improve and make accessible national datasets for work health and

    safety and workers’ compensation statistics.

    ii. Undertake and publish a range of research on exposures, risk and health

    outcomes as part of the agreed Research and Evaluation Plan 2009 – 2012

    with a particular focus on measurement and exposure and occupational

    disease risk burden.

    Strategy 4.2 Identify and understand issues which require accelerated progress and develop associated policies.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10]

    Activities

    i. Explore opportunities to improve work health and safety literacy and skills

    among workers.

    ii. Continue to raise awareness of the importance of design for safety in the

    workplace.

    iii. Examine and address issues for the agricultural sector.

    iv. Seeking consistent incorporation of competencies in professional and

    vocational education and training work health and safety qualification

    programs.

    Strategy 4.3 Identify, assess and report on emerging and current work health and safety and workers’ compensation issues.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 1, 7, 8 and 10]

    Activities

    i. Undertake surveillance and report on nationally significant current and

    emerging work health and safety and workers’ compensation issues.

    Strategy 4.4 Strengthen the capacity of governments in all their roles to influence work health and safety outcomes.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 1, 9, 10 and 13]

    Activities

    Investigate the redevelopment of Safe and Sound as industry specific guidance i.

    material.

Strategy 4.5 Continued implementation of the National OHS Strategy 2002-2012.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Item 9]

    Activities

    Review the National OHS Strategy 2002-2012. i.

    ii. Monitor and report on the characteristics of industry sub sectors and priority

    industries.

    Strategy 4.6 Finalise development of the new National Strategy. [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 9 and 12] Activities

    i. Finalise the development of the National Work Health and Safety Strategy.

    STRATEGIC OUTCOME 5: Opportunities for greater improvements in workers’ compensation arrangements are identified and assessed and policy proposals developed.

    Strategy 5.1 Undertake policy research on high priority workers’ compensation arrangements, particularly for employers with workers in more than one jurisdiction.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 10 and 12] Activities

    i. Implement the work program agreed by Strategic Issues Group – Workers’

    Compensation (SIG-Workers’ Compensation) as part of the Workers’

    Compensation Action Plan 2010-2013:

    Strategy 5.2 Provide evidence to inform and evaluate workers’ compensation policy and

    performance.

    [Safe Work Australia Act Part 2, s6 Items 1, 11 and 13] Activities

    i. Implement the work program agreed by SIG – Workers’ Compensation as part

    of the Workers’ Compensation Action Plan 2010-2013.

    Strategy 5.3 Communicate effectively on nationally significant workers’ compensation matters.

    [Safe Work Act Part 2, s6 Items 7 and 8]

    Activities

    i. Develop and implement an Engagement and Communication Strategy as part

    of the Workers’ Compensation Action Plan 2010-2013.

    2011 – 2012 BUDGET

    The total funding provided for Safe Work Australia for 2011 – 2012 is $18.245m.

    50% is from the Commonwealth and 50% from the States and Territories.