Happy Holidays from Terry Muir – Epar: What To Look Out For in 2021

I’m pretty confident I’m not alone when I say that in 2021 most of us are hopeful of a return to some sense of normality.

As we say goodbye to 2020 I have no doubt this year has highlighted your ability to problem solve when things get tough. I hope epar played a role in some of your EHS successes this year.

I’ve written a summary of a number of EHS issues we will be monitoring and for you to keep on your radar in 2021. In the meantime, I hope you have a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

What you can look forward to in 2021 and what epar will be keeping an eye on

COVID-19 VACCINE ROLLOUT

The Australian Government is aiming to have as many people vaccinated against COVID-19 as possible in 2021. The first vaccinations will likely be rolled out in Australia in March 2021. New workplace policies regarding vaccinations will be in demand.

ENERGY BILLS COULD GO UP

An increase in energy prices is predicted from early 2021 but as Australia emerges from the pandemic, governments are looking at the role that renewable energy could play in repairing the economic damage. As a result, the end of 2020 has seen a flurry of new announcements from state and territory governments, who recognised the significant opportunity of using renewable energy to lead their economic recoveries from the pandemic.

This was most notable in NSW, which made a commitment to support new generation worth $32 billion and deliver 12GW of new renewable energy generation and 2GW of energy storage, and Victoria, which made big commitments to expand the Solar Homes program, develop renewable energy zones and push ahead with VRET 2. Not to be outdone, Tasmania legislated its 200% renewable energy target and many other states and territories allocated substantial funding to support the ongoing development of renewable energy projects in their budgets.

As part of epar’s 2021 “Get SMART” Sustainability project, we’ll be looking closely at the power of energy management in the workplace.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

The Australian Government has made mental health a national priority, with an unprecedented $5.7 billion to be spent on mental health in 2020–21. The number of Medicare-funded psychological services doubled in 2020, from 10 to 20 through the Better Access Initiative, announced in the 2020 budget. The government also announced subsidised telehealth services, including mental health services, would be extended into 2021.

NEW WHS INDUSTRIAL MANSLAUGHTER LAWS FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Industrial manslaughter provisions with maximum penalties of 20 years of imprisonment for an individual come into effect in WA in 2021 as workplace safety will come under a single Act that covers all WA workplaces.

The new laws will offer greater protection to Western Australian workers, capturing modern employment relationships, such as subcontractors or casual workers, not just the classic employer/employee relationship. The new legislation includes criminalising industrial manslaughter – this includes a maximum penalty of between five and 20 years of imprisonment for an individual and a maximum $10 million fine for a body corporate.

Other new aspects include increased penalties, prohibiting insurance coverage for WHS penalties, and the introduction of enforceable undertakings as an alternative penalty. Keep an eye out for epar updates and Stand-UP Talks on this issue.

NEW ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS FOR VICTORIA

The Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 (Vic) (EP Act), (an overhaul of environmental laws in Victoria) is now set to commence on 1 July 2021. The GED is a cornerstone of the new EP Act and introduces a broadscale, obligation to proactively prevent and minimise risks of harm to the environment and human health from pollution and waste.

A list of actions that need to be undertaken to comply with the GED is contained in the new EP Act and includes:

• Use and maintenance of plant and equipment in a manner that minimises risks of harm to human health and the environment;
• Use and maintenance of systems for identification, assessment, and control of risks of harm to human health and the environment; and
• Providing information, instruction, supervision, and training to any person engaging in an activity to enable compliance with the GED.

Failure to comply with the GED will be an offense that may attract civil penalties of up to $1.6 million. Intentional or reckless contraventions of the GED may attract civil penalties of up to $3.3 million and criminal penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment.

Keep an eye out for epar updates and Stand-UP Talks on this issue and our apps ( Equipment Training App; Risk Register App; and Training Academy App) to address the GED.

SILICOSIS AND DUST MANAGEMENT

Safework Australia is working on:

• finalising the review of the workplace exposure standards;
• finalising the agreed strategy to address occupational lung disease, including silicosis;
• continuing the implementation of a national WHS prosecutions database and an enforceable undertakings database.

In NSW, “The NSW Dust Strategy 2020-22 will be the NSW Government’s roadmap to stamp out illness, injury and death caused by dust and ensure that workers are protected.”

The process of tracking, responding to and preventing deadly occupational dust diseases such as silicosis and asbestos has been vastly strengthened following the passage of new laws through the NSW Parliament. Silicosis, asbestos and mesothelioma will now be notifiable diseases and if acquired through workplace exposure they will be placed on a new Dust Diseases Register. Under the changes, these occupational dust diseases become a scheduled medical condition, requiring doctors and nurses to notify NSW Health of identified cases, who in turn will provide this information to SafeWork NSW.

Once SafeWork NSW has these notifications our inspectors can target their compliance and enforcement efforts based on each diagnosed individual’s current or previous workplaces and ultimately prevent further cases.

Epar’s partner ESP has specialist Occupational Hygienists and they will be providing information and Stand-UP Talks on these matters through 2021.

EPAR “GET SMART” SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT

Epar will be launching this sustainability project to score and visually present the sustainability efforts of our customers. In January we will welcome Alex and his UNSW Masters sustainability project to epar. Working under the management of Madeline, this exciting project will examine vulnerability to climate change, sustainability reporting, and climate change readiness.

Once Alex receives formal registration of the project from UNSW we will be underway.

THE EPAR STORE

epar has developed an extensive library of environment, health, and safety documents that include SOP’s, SWP’s, EHS Forms, EHS Registers, Policies, Procedures, Checklists, EHS Inspection Protocols, and workplace and chemical risk assessments. User names and passwords for Epar customers will be sent out early in the new year.

For more information and to contact Terry Muir directly click here