At the July 2026 HR Breakfast Club discussion, Director Bill Pardy presented an update on the activities of WorkSafe ACT, covering the regulator’s priorities, enforcement approach, and attitude to emerging WHS risks.
On priorities, Bill noted Commissioner Agius’s reappointment through to 2030, and that the recently updated WHS (2025) and workers compensation (2026) strategic plans reflected a desire for consistency, transparency, proportionality, and accountability, balancing collaborative engagement with duty holders against enforcement activity.
In discussing enforcement, Bill detailed the escalating options available to WorkSafe ACT, including improvement, prohibition, and infringement notices, enforceable undertakings, prosecutions, and other sanctions.
On emerging risks, Bill addressed the distinction between psychological safety (safe interpersonal interactions) and psychosocial safety (the broader work environment) and flagged the rapid integration of AI into workplaces as a new frontier for workplace, legal and commercial risks.
The presentation closed with some practical reminders: stay current on work health and safety and workers compensation obligations, seek expert advice when in doubt, ensure adequate resources are made available to manage risks, and keep workplace risk as a standing agenda item for senior management meetings.
Join us again for BAL Lawyers’ next HR Breakfast Club event on Friday 21 August 2026.
If you have any questions or queries about the information in this summary, or if you are experiencing any issues and need advice, please contact the BAL Lawyers Employment & Investigations team on 02 6274 0999.