Labor Government promises to introduce laws to Parliament if re-elected in March to hold bosses accountable for workplace deaths

EMPLOYERS could spend 20 years in jail or their company face fines of up to $10 million under a Labor election promise to reintroduce industrial manslaughter laws to Parliament.

Employers could face jail time under a Labor plan to introduce industrial manslaughter.

EMPLOYERS could spend 20 years in jail or their company face fines of up to $10 million under a Labor election promise to introduce industrial manslaughter laws to Parliament.

The move is supported by the state’s peak union body and Pam Gurner-Hall, whose partner Jorge Castillo-Riffo was killed while working on the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site.

However, Business SA has said the changes are unnecessary because existing laws adequately cover workplace deaths.

Last year 20 South Australians died while on the job — almost half in motor vehicle accidents.

If re-elected in March, Labor would put forward changes to the Work Health and Safety Act when MPs return to Parliament later this year. The new offence of industrial manslaughter would carry maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for an individual or $10 million for a corporation.

Premier Jay Weatherill said it would send a strong message that “employers will be held accountable for workers losing their lives”.

“It will also prevent individuals hiding behind corporate structures to avoid being held responsible for their criminal negligence,” he said.

Ms Gurner-Hall, whose partner died in late 2014, said the wording of the current law was “really inadequate” and the proposed changes were “absolutely necessary”, although “long overdue”.

She said tougher laws would make bosses and senior employees “think twice” about the consequences of instructions they gave to staff.

SA Unions secretary Joe Szakacs welcomed the promise of an offence that “for the first time ... recognises that a workplace death is a serious criminal offence”.