MICK Gentleman has announced reforms intended to ensure ACT employers provide proper care and support for injured workers.

“The Territory has seen significant improvements in work safety,” Mick said.

:Lost time injuries have reduced by eight per cent, and the number of workers’ compensation claims occurring, are at record low levels.

“Unfortunately, despite these improvements, large employers and employers that conduct high risk work are still likely to experience lost time injuries. Where these injuries occur, it is important for employers to work closely with the injured worker, the workers’ compensation insurer and health professionals to assist the person to recover at work or to return to duty as soon as medically possible.

“To ensure large employers are best placed to provide this assistance, the Government intends to legislate a requirement that all employers paying a premium of $200,000 or more per annum must appoint a trained return to work coordinator.

“A return to work coordinator’s role includes liaising with insurers and treating medical practitioners in the preparation of return to work plans, monitoring the progress of an injured worker’s recovery and identifying strategies within the workplace to improve return to work outcomes.

“The Government will also legislate to harmonise the powers available to WorkSafe inspectors for entering a workplace to conduct education and awareness or compliance activities under both workers’ compensation and work safety laws.

“Currently, differences in inspector right of entry powers make it difficult for a WorkSafe inspector to address workers’ compensation and safety issues in the course of a single workplace visit, even though they regulate both sets of laws. Addressing this will increase the reach of the inspectorate and assist it to target compliance issues such as sham contracting.

“This is just one more step in the modernisation of WorkSafe’s compliance model, which commenced with the Government accepting all of the recommendations from the Getting Home Safely construction safety inquiry report. Other measures have included the appointment of additional WorkSafe inspectors, creation of a range of new on the spot fines to re-emphasise the importance of safety and the establishment of an Industrial Magistrates Court.

“The investment in a new approach is already paying dividends, with the number of work injuries in the construction industry reducing by 27 per cent in the first year following the acceptance of the Getting Home Safely recommendations,” Minister Gentleman concluded.