POPULAR WORDS

A special unit within New South Wales (NSW) WorkCover will be established to investigate whether criminal charges will be placed over workplace deaths. State Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca made the announcement at a safety summit being held in Bathurst after calls from unions to increase criminal liability for directors. NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson says the manslaughter unit will determine if the current criminal code deals with workplace safety adequately or whether a separate crime of industrial manslaughter is needed. "What is clear is that criminal prosecutions of negligent employers would be the single biggest way to change the culture of workplace safety," Robertson says. Most states and territories are looking at forms of criminal industrial manslaughter legislative changes, with a Victorian Bill currently stalled in the Upper House. Queensland is expected to introduce draft legislation by the end of the year, which is likely to pass due to the number of seats the Labor Party holds. Federal Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott last week confirmed the Commonwealth will not consider any similar legislation.