ARTICLE · 01 OCTOBER 2009

National Harmonisation: Model OHS Laws Released

Norton Rose Fulbright Australia

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The highly anticipated draft Model OHS Laws were released on 28 September 2009 after agreement from the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council (WRMC) on 25 September 2009 giving us our first glimpse of what the harmonised regime may look like.

AustraliaEmployment and HR

Michael Tooma (Formerly With Norton Rose Fulbright Australia)

Alena Titterton

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The highly anticipated draft Model OHS Laws were released on 28 September 2009 after agreement from the Workplace Relations Ministers' Council (WRMC) on 25 September 2009 giving us our first glimpse of what the harmonised regime may look like.

When COAG formally committed to occupational health and safety (OHS) harmonisation in its Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in OHS in July 2008, it did so with the fundamental objectives of enabling uniform, equitable and effective safety standards for all workers, addressing the compliance and regulatory burdens for employers with operations in more than one jurisdiction and creating efficiencies for governments in the provision of OHS services.

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