There has been a noticeable rise in the number of
highly-publicised workplace fatalities in Queensland since
mid-2016.
The fatal incidents at Dreamworld, a Brisbane racecourse
development and on the set of a music video have ignited public
outrage1 and created the political impetus for a review
of the existing workplace health and safety (WHS) regime.
In this climate, it is not surprising that Work Health and
Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has taken every opportunity to show it is
prosecuting employers who breach the Work Health and Safety Act
2011 (Qld) (the Act). WHSQ head Dr Simon Blackwood has
released a number of statements on its website, including:
"Since July (of 2016), we have successfully completed 21
prosecutions in the courts, leading to fines totalling three
quarters of a million dollars.
