Worker’s death at Inpex worksite prompts lawyers’ call for overhaul of workers’ laws in the Northern Territory

VIDEO: The death of a man at the Inpex worksite has prompted calls for new laws in the Northern Territory, which would allow injured workers to sue companies for negligence

An aerial view of Inpex's Ichthys LNG Project at Bladin Point on Thursday. Picture: Michael Franchi

THE death of a man at the Inpex worksite has prompted calls for new laws in the Northern Territory, which would allow injured workers to sue companies for negligence.

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Maurice Blackburn Lawyers Darwin office leader Matthew Littlejohn said a significant number of the firm’s clients were people who had been injured on the Inpex site.

“Everyone has a right to come home after work, and the fact that employers and workplaces can’t be held accountable in the common law negligence action is galling,” he said.

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“In every other state, you would sue them for being negligent and compensation would be payable to the family, and it would make them examine their practices and safety standards.

“In the Territory we don’t have that. It’s a no-fault system.

“They’ll never have to worry if they were negligent or not.

“It’s now the time to seriously look at the NT workplace safety culture and consider bringing us into line with other jurisdictions.”