Comcare Releases WHS Year in Review 2021 Report

Workplace sexual harassment forum and $1.5 million enforceable undertaking among key highlights of the report.

Federal WHS regulator Comcare has released the third Work Health and Safety Year in Review report.

Comcare said the report highlights' compliance and enforcement activities that promote and enable safe and healthy work across the Commonwealth jurisdiction.'

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

In November 2021, Comcare hosted a national forum on workplace sexual harassment. More than 1000 people attended the forum.

"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.

"Our ongoing enforcement work resulted in important outcomes in 2021."

The Department of Defence was fined $1 million under federal work health and safety laws after a soldier died during a training exercise in the Northern Territory. Comcare also accepted a $1.5 million enforceable undertaking from a Melbourne laboratory.

"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.

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