Output 5.1 Workforce Injury Management and Industrial Relations Policy

Output 5.1 Workforce Injury Management and Industrial Relations Policy

Overview

The directorate is responsible for ACT workplace relations regulatory frameworks including for work safety, workers’ compensation, dangerous substances, workplace privacy, public holidays and portable long service leave.

The directorate also supports the management and prevention of workplace injuries by delivering safety, return to work and injury management services for the ACT Government.

Highlights

In 2017-18 against this output the directorate:

• contributed to a reduction of more than 20% in the rate of serious workplace injuries in the ACT Public Sector through the WoG injury prevention and management initiatives. These initiatives included;
  • ·    early intervention physiotherapy services for injured workers;
  • ·    enhancements to information technology systems used to prevent and manage work injury; and
  • ·    refinement of rehabilitation case management practices and supporting systems.

An independent audit of the directorate’s rehabilitation management system reported a 100% compliance rate with the applicable Commonwealth guidelines for the second year in a row.

The directorate met or exceeded five out of six accountability indicators against this output.

The target not met was:

• Conduct of an actuarial review of the ACT private sector Worker’s Compensation Scheme - the target required the production of an actuarial review report for the private sector workers’ compensation scheme by April 2018, however, publication was delayed until May 2018.

Targets that were exceeded were

• Achieve a conformance rating of 85% or higher in the annual audit of the ACT Government Rehabilitation Management System - which required that an audit of the WoG rehabilitation management system returned a conformance rating of 85% or more. The audit found a 100% compliance rating. The rehabilitation management system is integral for providing injured public servants with early and effective return to work support;
• Provide policy advice on issues relating to industrial relations, injury management, work safety, and dangerous substances regulation - which examines the volume of policy advice provided to Government, was exceeded by 20%, due to a higher than forecast number of legislative policy matters considered during 2017-18;
• Represent the ACT and coordinate activities arising from, national industrial relations, work safety and injury management forums - which examines the number of national policy forums contributed to, was exceeded by 29% due to a higher than forecast range of work safety and workers’ compensation matters considered by Safe Work Australia; and
• Reduce the ACT public sector incidence of serious workplace injury - which measures the number of serious work related injuries across the public sector. The target for this indicator indicates the degree of improvement required for the ACT public sector to meet national work health and safety strategy targets by 2022. The level of improvement achieved was 21% better than required and means the ACTPS is well on its way to achieving injury reduction targets.

Future Direction

In 2018-19 the directorate will remain focused on reducing the human and economic costs of work injury and improving conditions for working people including through:

• establishing a workers’ compensation self-insurance framework to improve claim management services and return to work outcomes for the public sector;
• designing and implementing injury reduction strategies for the construction industry, young workers, apprentices and trainees and people involved in insecure work;
• working with other jurisdictions and SafeWork Australia to finalise the review of national work safety laws and engage with ACT workers, industry and their representative bodies on rolling out any changes arising in the Territory;
• manage regulatory reforms to the work safety, workers’ compensation and workplace relations frameworks;
• design and deliver new whole of government health and wellbeing and injury prevention initiatives; and
• review and refine the whole of government work health and safety strategy.

Further information can be obtained from

Stephen Miners
Deputy Under Treasurer
Economic, Budget and Industrial Relations
+61 2 6207 5071
Stephen.Miners@act.gov.au

Michael Young
Executive Director
Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations
+61 2 6205 3095
Michael.Young@act.gov.au