The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce is warning the next state government to block industrial manslaughter laws.
The landmark legislation which means companies could be subject to criminal offences like corporate manslaughter and negligence causing harm, recently came into effect in Queensland.
While the sunshine state is the first state to make the move, the VACC’s chief executive Geoff Gwilym says the onus is misplaced.
“Such legislation shifts the focus from proactive prevention to reactive retribution,” he says.
“There is no evidence that increasing the severity of penalties corresponds or correlates with a reduction in workplace deaths and/or injury.”
Gwilym and the VACC urges the next potential Guy Liberal or Andrews Labor government to think about the “expensive legal disputes” such laws would cause.
“The resources of the Victorian Court system and WorkSafe Victoria will be overburdened as the level of litigation is increased in response to the magnitude of penalties and liability,” he says.
“It will also serve as a serious disincentive for business to invest in Victoria.”
The VACC says it “acknowledges that workplace safety is a serious issue, necessitating appropriate safeguards” but “recommends that careful consideration should be given before imposing the strong hand of the law instead of focusing on education and prevention.”
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