Review of Sentencing OHS Offences in Victoria
Written by Sarah Martin
The Sentencing Advisory Council is currently conducting a review on how courts sentence occupational health and safety (OHS) offences in Victoria, and will advise on possible reforms.
Some interesting facts are:
- 1. There are almost 400,000 Victorian workplaces.
- 2. Of the 40,000 annual WorkSafe inspections, Victorian courts sentence around 75 cases of OHS offences each year.
- 3. OHS offences are most common in construction (36%) and manufacturing (30%) industries.
- 4. The average fine in the last 10 years was $69,000.
But… by far the most interesting part of this review has revealed that only 67% of fines are fully paid, resulting in $10.5 million in unpaid fines. Companies that have been wound up are much less likely to pay their fines. I guess this begs the question, how can the current sentencing practices be changed to better achieve there intended outcomes?
Have your say by completing the survey at Engage Victoria: Sentencing Occupational Health and Safety Offences in Victoria | Engage Victoria
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