New penalties apply under the South Australian Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986 from 1 January 2008. Penalties applying to corporations have now trebled for all breaches under the SA Act with the highest possible penalty increasing from $200,000 to $600,000.
Other changes that have been made to the SA Act as part of these amendments include the creation of an offence for reckless endangerment. A person will be guilty of reckless endangerment under the SA Act if that person, without lawful excuse, acts in a manner that creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another who is in a workplace and the person either knew that his or her act or acts would create that risk or the person was recklessly indifferent about whether his or her act or acts would create that risk.
