Work Health and Safety

The Issue: 

According to the Australian employment legislation, prisoners are not considered as employees, as no contract exists, and they are thus excluded from the majority. 

This is despite working-prisoners fitting the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) definition of a worker. Due to Section 103 of the Act, it does grant the same workers rights that every other worker. Since prisoners are more vulnerable than the rest of people in the society, ensuring their health and safety under working settings is essential.

Why it needs to be addressed: 

It is imperative that work health and safety protocols are effectively implemented in prisons which can be achieved through prisoner input. It is necessary for working prisoners to be represented under the WHS Act 2011 (NSW).