Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Occupational Health & Safety

A report released by the Productivity Commission — Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Occupational Health and Safety — has identified significant differences in regulation and in the actions of regulators across the jurisdictions that are hard to justify. <p> While OHS regulation plays an important role in promoting safe work practices, excessive regulation can have adverse consequences for productivity and costs for consumers. <p> The report was requested by COAG, as part of the commitment by all governments to remove unnecessary compliance costs, enhance regulatory consistency and reduce regulatory duplication and overlap. The study has been undertaken while governments have been making progress towards a national OHS Act, which should introduce nationally consistent core legislative provisions.