Page 3008 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 23 September 2014
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I would also at this stage like to point to the interventions by this government, and in particular by the ACT Work Safety Commissioner and the asbestos task force, to ensure the safety of construction workers who may be exposed to asbestos while at work. I commend the Chief Minister and my predecessor, Minister Corbell, for their initiatives to address this issue, including the mandating of asbestos awareness training for all workers in the ACT who may be exposed to asbestos while at work. Raising awareness through its workers can only minimise the risk to those in the industry.
I have recently asked the ACT Work Safety Commissioner to take responsibility for the asbestos awareness course, including the licensing of registered training organisations to deliver the course. I have asked the commissioner to make a formal announcement of this new arrangement as soon as the administrative arrangements have been finalised.
As members will be aware, Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker was appointed as the ACT’s first industrial magistrate to oversee legal proceedings which relate to work health and safety. I can report that two cases have now been referred, including charges against a company director where a worker was electrocuted while unloading his truck, and against a New South Wales maintenance engineering company for its part in the failure of a concrete placing boom, resulting in a fatality on the Kingston foreshore. It is indeed tragic that these events have occurred and I hope that greater focus afforded by the industrial magistrates court will strengthen the commitment and diligence of industry to eliminate risk from ACT workplaces.
I am pleased to say that I and the government remain committed to and focused on eliminating health and safety risk from ACT workplaces and to leading initiatives and improvements for the health and safety of all ACT workers. I present the following paper:
Getting Home Safely: Inquiry into compliance with work health and safety requirements in the ACT’s construction industry—Implementation update—Ministerial statement, 23 September 2014.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Crimes Amendment Bill 2014
Debate resumed from 7 August 2014, on motion by Mr Corbell:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (10.13): The opposition will be supporting the Crimes Amendment Bill 2014. This bill came into being as a result
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