15 min read
Industrial manslaughter
NEW chapter – August 2024
This chapter explains the industrial manslaughter laws operating across Australia.
What is industrial manslaughter?
Definition: Industrial Manslaughter
Industrial manslaughter is a criminal offence where an individual or organisation causes the death of a person in circumstances where they owed a duty of care to the person and were criminally negligent in breaching that duty. The duty-holder must have fallen short of the standard of care that would have been taken by a reasonable person in the circumstances.
Industrial manslaughter is a criminal offence where an individual or organisation causes the death of a person in circumstances where they owed a duty of care to the person and were criminally negligent in breaching that duty. The duty-holder must have fallen short of the standard of care that would have been taken by a reasonable person in the circumstances.
Most jurisdictions in Australia have, or are in the process of implementing, a criminal offence of industrial manslaughter. The industrial manslaughter laws differ between jurisdictions, and are either part of the health and safety laws or contained in the Criminal Code laws, such as the Crimes Act.