Criminal Offence for Industrial Manslaughter
Work Health and Safety Amendment (Industrial Manslaughter) Bill 2024
1st House
2nd House
Law
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
Business owners and officers face up to 25 years in prison or $20 million in fines for causing a death through gross negligence
Volunteers are exempt from industrial manslaughter charges
Prosecutors can start industrial manslaughter proceedings at any time; there is no time limit
A company can be found grossly negligent by combining the actions of multiple people; no single person needs to be responsible
Regulators cannot accept written undertakings to settle industrial manslaughter allegations
Courts can find a person not guilty of industrial manslaughter but guilty of a lesser health and safety offence
These rules only apply to conduct that happens after the law starts