The Work Health and Safety Prosecutor (WHSP) conducts prosecutions under the:

Safety Acts

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Electrical Safety Act 2002
• Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011

Resources Safety Acts

• Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999
• Explosives Act 1999
• Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999
• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004

Pursuant to section 48(1), Part 4, Schedule 2 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), the WHSP must issue, and publish on the WHSP’s website, general guidelines in relation to the prosecution of offences under that Act.

Pursuant to section 48(2), Part 4, Schedule 2 of the WHS Act, the WHSP may issue other guidelines to staff, the regulator and employees of the Office of Industrial Relations (OIR) that apply to prosecution decisions being made by the WHSP.

• General guidelines (pursuant to section 48(1) of the WHS Act)
• Written guidelines (pursuant to section 48(2) of the WHS Act)
• Guidelines of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Director’s Guidelines) (pursuant to section 230(3) of the WHS Act)
• Repealed Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995

General guidelines (pursuant to section 48(1) of the WHS Act)

• Commencing prosecutions
• Publishing prosecutions
• Offence categories
• Court process

Written guidelines (pursuant to section 48(2) of the WHS Act)

Guidelines of the Director of Public Prosecution (Director's Guidelines)

Application of Director's Guidelines to prosecutions

The decision to bring a prosecution for a breach of the Safety Acts and Resource Safety Acts is a significant one and the effect of this decision on those impacted (e.g. the defendant, an injured worker, or the family of a deceased worker) is likely to be considerable.

When deciding to initiate or proceed with a prosecution, the WHSP must apply the Director's Guidelines.

The WHSP considers:

• the existence of a prima facie case
• whether the evidence is sufficient to justify the institution of proceedings, that is, whether there are reasonable prospects of a conviction when the case is presented to the Court. This involves taking into account factors relevant to the merits of the case, including:
  • the availability, competence and compellability of witnesses and their likely impression on the Court
  • any conflicting statements by a material witness
  • the admissibility of evidence
  • any lines of defence plainly open to the alleged offender
• whether the public interest requires a prosecution. This may involve consideration of discretionary factors such as:
  • the seriousness or, conversely, the triviality of the alleged offence or whether it is only of a technical nature
  • any mitigating or aggravating circumstances
  • the characteristics of the alleged offender – including any special infirmities, prior compliance history and background
  • the age of the alleged offence
  • the degree of culpability of the alleged offender
  • whether the prosecution would be perceived as counter-productive to the interests of justice
  • the availability and efficacy of any alternatives to prosecution
  • the prevalence of the alleged offence and the need for deterrence, both specific and general
  • whether the alleged offence is of minimal public concern.

Repealed Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995

For matters that occurred prior to the repeal of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, prosecutions still proceed under that Act.