SafeWork SA recently announced that it has undertaken a workplace audit of the South Australian Parliament House and issued a number of WHS improvement notices as a result.

The compliance inspection focussed on the health and safety risks arising from psychological hazards, including sexual and discriminatory harassment, in the parliamentary workplace.

Two SafeWork SA inspectors conducted the audit, which was launched in response to recommendations by the Commissioner for Equal Opportunity.

SafeWork SA issued six WHS improvement notices under the Work Health Safety Act 2012.

Issues identified in the notices included:

• Failing to demonstrate that an adequate hazard identification and risk assessment targeting all psychosocial hazards had been undertaken at the workplace.
• Failing to demonstrate the provision of a system of work for managing and resolving grievances or complaints associated with third parties who enter the workplace to undertake work-related duties.
• The absence of an approved system of work for managing the hazards associated with alcohol and/or drugs in the workplace.
• Failing to demonstrate that workers who undertake or act in leadership roles had been provided with adequate information and training about their duties and responsibilities under work health and safety legislation.
• Failing to provide duty holders with information, instruction and training specifically relating to the duties prescribed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), Section 27 Duty of Officers.
• Failing to demonstrate that all persons who enter the workplace to undertake work related duties are provided with adequate information, instruction and training in the work health and safety systems implemented to manage risks to physical and psychological health and safety.

Five of the six improvement notices issued at Parliament House have associated timeframes of 10 or 12 weeks, while the other notice is scheduled for the first half of 2025.

The review of harassment in the South Australian Parliament Workplace was requested by both Houses of the South Australian Parliament and was conducted by the Commissioner for Equal Opportunity, who made 16 recommendations.

The first of these required a centralised HR function to be established to provide services across the parliamentary workplace to support consistent policy and practice.

It also recommended that the people and culture section develop and implement strategies, policies, procedures and training programs.

Recommendation 14 of the review required that a Parliamentary Workplace Harassment Compliance Audit be undertaken by SafeWork SA.

Changes to Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA) to help workers and employers manage the risk of psychological injuries and illnesses in the workplace came into effect on 25 December 2023.