NSW Government plans to implement industrial manslaughter laws

NSW Government Plans to Implement Industrial Manslaughter Laws

The NSW government has announced plans to present a bill in parliament that aims to establish an industrial manslaughter offence. NSW now has a clear pathway toward some of the strongest industrial manslaughter laws in the country.

Under the proposed industrial manslaughter laws, the offence will carry severe consequences. Individuals face a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment, while body corporates may be subject to fines of up to $20 million.

Consultation Behind the New Offence

Officials say wide consultation shaped this new industrial manslaughter offence before it reached the table. The government has stated that it extensively consulted various stakeholders within the community, including work health and safety experts, business groups, unions, legal stakeholders and families of those who have suffered fatal workplace incidents.

This feedback has been carefully considered and woven into developing the offence and its penalties. Similar reform has already progressed elsewhere in Australia — read more about how NSW approved legislation on industrial manslaughter and how South Australia criminalised industrial manslaughter in earlier reforms.

Minister's Statement on Workplace Safety

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said the bill will enhance safety conditions in the workplace.

"Every worker deserves to go home to their loved ones at the end of the day," Ms Cotsis said. "No government should ever want to have to use these laws."

Why This Matters for Safety Professionals

For businesses operating across construction, manufacturing and healthcare, this bill signals a shift toward greater accountability for workplace safety failures. Organisations should review their safety management systems now, rather than waiting for the state to finalise the legislation.

Robust safety documentation remains one of the clearest ways to demonstrate due diligence. Explore SafetyDocs resources covering construction safety management plans, chemical safety management plans, and asbestos safety management plans to strengthen compliance across high-risk sectors.

Manufacturing and industrial employers can also benefit from reviewing an industrial and manufacturing WHS management system, alongside task-specific documents such as the sewing machine industrial operation work method statement, to ensure work practices align with emerging obligations.

These developments build on broader national momentum for safety reform, including findings discussed in the Federal Government's independent review of Comcare laws.

Read more here.