LIBERALS MUST RETHINK STANCE ON NEW SAFETY LAWS AFTER CITY BUILDING ACCIDENT

2 December 2011

SA Unions says the Liberal Opposition's delays to the new Work Health and Safety Bill are seriously endangering people's safety, after a devastating workplace accident in the city this afternoon.

Secretary, Janet Giles says a man in his late 40's is in a serious condition in hospital after falling four metres on the Kyron Group construction site on Franklin Street, while working on the 17 storey apartment and office complex.

"We are now waiting anxiously with this worker's colleagues, his family and friends to see how seriously injured he is."

Ms Giles says the Liberals oppose the Bill and have now delayed any further debate until February next year - which is too late for the man who was injured today.

"Safety at work should not be turned into a political football - lives are far too important."

Ms Giles says the proposed new laws allow for clearer responsibility of employers to ensure a safe workplace, much tougher penalties for breaches of safety, and the right for union officials to inspect worksites for safety issues - a right that applies in every other state in the country.

"What we want is simple - safer workplaces - so that no family ever has to go through the terrible tragedy of seeing someone they love injured - or worse, dying - in a workplace accident."

"Unions have been negotiating for three years to improve the safety of people at work, which is especially important in dangerous places like construction sites."

Ms Giles says that in the past year, ten people have died in their workplace in South Australia and thousands more have been injured.

"The Liberals want to weaken safety laws instead of strengthening them, allowing big corporations to get out of their safety obligations by buck-passing to their subcontractors, leaving them vulnerable to legal action, which will mean big corporations will never be able to be prosecuted or held accountable for workers' death or injury."