The Work Health and Safety (Review Recommendations) Amendment Act 2024 implements law reform recommendations made by the Independent Review of SafeWork SA.

The Independent Review was conducted by respected former WorkSafe Victoria executive director Mr John Merritt in 2022, and included dozens of meetings with different individuals and groups involved in work health and safety.

The Independent Review made 39 recommendations of which the Government has accepted 36 in whole, in part, or in-principle.

Significant changes made by the Act include:

• Giving the state’s independent industrial umpire – the South Australian Employment Tribunal – a greater role in resolving health and safety disputes, including the power to order employers to fix safety issues on a worksite.
• Reforming restrictive confidentiality rules and enabling SafeWork SA to share more information with people affected by health and safety incidents, including victims, their families, and their representatives.
• Establishing the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee as a permanent forum to build a stronger relationship between the regulator and key stakeholders such as business groups, trade unions, and safety professionals.

Prohibiting insurance contracts which purport to indemnify employers against serious criminal penalties for breaches of workplace laws, such as for industrial manslaughter offences.