Comcare Releases WHS Year in Review 2021 Report

Comcare Releases WHS Year in Review 2021 Report

Workplace sexual harassment forum and $1.5 million enforceable undertaking rank among key highlights of the report. Federal WHS regulator Comcare has released its third Work Health and Safety Year in Review report, giving safety professionals a clear snapshot of national compliance activities.

What Does the Report Cover?

Comcare said the report highlights compliance and enforcement activities that promote and enable safe, healthy work across the Commonwealth jurisdiction. It covers regulatory outcomes, workplace incidents and progress on psychosocial risk management across federal workplaces.

"Psychosocial work health and safety (WHS) risks beyond the pandemic environment were a significant focus for Comcare in 2021," Comcare CEO Susan Weston said.

National Forum on Sexual Harassment

In November 2021, Comcare hosted a national forum addressing workplace sexual harassment. More than 1000 people attended, reflecting strong interest from employers seeking better management approaches to this issue.

"Part of the Australian Government's response to the Respect@Work report, the forum had a theme of influencing positive change, focusing on raising awareness of workplace sexual harassment and developing best practice regulatory responses," Ms Weston said.

Enforcement Outcomes in 2021

"Our ongoing enforcement work resulted in important outcomes in 2021." Below are the two major enforcement actions detailed in this year's review:

• The Department of Defence copped a $1 million fine under federal work health and safety laws following a soldier's death during a training exercise in the Northern Territory.
• Comcare accepted a $1.5 million enforceable undertaking from a Melbourne laboratory, reinforcing accountability within its regulatory system.

Supporting a Diverse Jurisdiction

"Comcare will continue to support our diverse jurisdiction of more than 400,000 workers and 200 employers with nationally consistent, targeted risk-based regulatory activities," she said. Ongoing management of psychosocial hazards, alongside robust enforcement, remains central to Comcare's broader safety system strategy.

For organisations reviewing their own compliance frameworks, aligning internal policies and procedures with Comcare's expectations helps strengthen workplace safety management overall. Businesses can also benefit from comparing findings against SWA's key WHS statistics report to understand broader national trends.

Why This Report Matters for Safety Professionals

Every worker across the Commonwealth jurisdiction benefits when regulators publish transparent enforcement activities. This year's review demonstrates how a coordinated management system, backed by nationally consistent regulatory activities, supports safer outcomes across federal workplaces.

Safety managers should also review the independent review of Comcare laws for further context on how federal regulatory frameworks continue evolving. Strengthening your organisation's management system through tools like a management review meeting report can help translate these findings into practical action.

Download the Work Health and Safety Year in Review 2021 report here.

Related Resources

• Explore our WHS document finder for templates supporting your compliance management needs.
• Review conformance reporting tools such as the Conformance Report – NZ.
• Access hazard reporting resources including the Hazard Report Form – NZ.