Work, Health and Safety

Harmers Workplace Lawyers is widely recognised as having one of the premier work health and safety practices in Australia.

We work closely with our clients to develop and implement systems for best practice management of their work health and safety obligations. Our approach is aimed at minimising the risk of injuries in the workplace and the potential for reputational risk and criminal prosecution of our clients.

We have also been involved in the investigations and prosecutions relating to some of Australia’s most significant safety incidents.

The services we provide in this area include:

• conducting compliance audits (including in respect of the  harmonised work health and safety laws);
• developing and implementing risk management strategies and procedures into workplaces, including unionised workplaces;
• providing strategic advice and staff training programs on a range of safety issues, including in relation to the management of injured and ill employees; rehabilitation and return to work programs; drug and alcohol policies and testing; and educating directors, other officers and employees on their duties under work health and safety laws;
• conducting and assisting with workplace investigations into safety incidents and complaints, including in respect of serious incidents and fatalities in the workplace;
• developing and assisting clients in the implementation of critical response and defence strategies in relation to major safety incidents; and
• acting in safety-related prosecutions, litigation and coronial inquests at a federal and state level.

Our experience

• Acting for a leading global company in the fast food industry which faced health and safety prosecutions including in respect of the fatality of an employee.
• Acting for one of Australia’s largest metal product manufacturers in relation to more than 10 health and safety prosecutions.
• Acting for a transport management company in relation to two fatalities which took place in separate jurisdictions.
• Conducting numerous legal compliance audits for corporate clients to assess compliance with the harmonised work health safety laws and best practice management.
• Acted for Kosciusko Thredbo in the coronial inquiry after the landslip.