Workplace health and safety (WHS) is expected to be a key focus area of the Queensland government in the coming year, with today's Budget including $4 million for increased compliance activities.
Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton says 22 new WHS inspectors will specifically target the construction and building industry as outlined in the government's recently released WHS strategy.
Funding allocated to the Department has increased by 10% to $87.8 million, which Barton says will provide support for safer work environments.
More than 18,000 notices requiring improvements to health and safety were issued in 2003/04, with more than 200 prosecutions in the past two years netting fines of more than $3 million.
Fines of $1.5 million for 95 prosecutions have been finalised up to the end of March.
Additionally, a specific small business strategy will be developed that will include specific information for the sector, identifying methods to engage small businesses and implementing audit campaigns across high-risk industries.
"Compliance and enforcement activities will be beefed up across the state with $930,000 for an expanded industrial inspectorate," Barton says.
Other key elements of the Department's Budget statement are:
- funding to the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union for an equal remuneration case for dental assistants under the Pay Equity Grants Program
- investigation of more than 8,000 complaints under the Industrial Relations Act 1999
- more than 130 on-the-spot fines and more than 450 prosecutions under the Act
- 70% of prosecution matters under the Workplace Health and Safety Act started within nine months of the incident.