Friday, 1 February 2019

Master Builders welcomes the announcement by the new Minister for Workplace Safety Jill Hennessy to establish an implementation taskforce for the introduction of workplace fatalities laws, together with a Workplace Fatalities and Serious Incidents Reference Group to look at a broad range of reforms to improve health and safety. Master Builders is encouraged by the Victorian State Government’s desire to consult with a broad range of stakeholders and develop pragmatic safety solutions across our community.

“Master Builders agrees that one workplace fatality is too many,” Master Builders Victoria CEO Rebecca Casson said. “As the Minister has highlighted, the construction industry is a high-risk and complex industry and it is therefore rightly an important area of focus for developing better safety outcomes.”

“Master Builders considers that existing laws such as reckless endangerment, and the penalties attached to that offence, remain appropriate for penalising serious safety offences. Therefore, it is vital that a range of solutions is considered by the taskforce and that any solutions developed through the taskforce will result in practical and fair safety outcomes for all industries and our community,” Ms Casson said.

“Master Builders is committed to improved safety outcomes in the building and construction industry. We will continue to collaborate with industry, government and WorkSafe to develop practical and meaningful education and compliance tools towards improving safety outcomes,” she said.

“Master Builders therefore looks forward to working with the taskforce and stakeholders across our community to be part of a fair and pragmatic safety solution,” Ms Casson said.

Media enquiries: Leanne Edwards, General Manager Marketing, Policy & Communications, (03) 9411 4515, 0413 450 254, [email protected] Peter Sackett, Media and Communications Adviser, (03) 9411 4534, 0466 777 059, [email protected]