Australia's national association of safety professionals, the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), wants a single national body to be responsible for workplace safety.

In a statement, the SIA called on governments to "stop playing games" and move towards "consistent occupational health and safety legislation".

An SIA survey found 88 per cent of safety professionals supported a single federal system.

There are currently eight separate, state or territory-run workplace safety entities in Australia, plus safety consultancies.

The Australian Safety & Compensation Council (ASCC) is a Federal Government initiative that aims to "harmonise" national OHS standards.

Victoria and Western Australia are the only states that issue web-based warnings for forklift operators to remain strapped in their forklifts during rollovers. (Forkliftaction.comNews#274)

SIA Victoria president Phil Lovelock said various state and territory regimes "stymied efforts by employers and safety suppliers to improve workplace safety".

"There is simply no need for the extra red tape that so many sets of codes of practice and regulations bring."
The SIA statement said state premiers and territory chief ministers met last week and agreed to "work towards harmonisation of state OHS laws".

However, Lovelock said talks had begun more than a decade ago and he was not optimistic.

"The ASCC, which replaced the National Occupational Health & Safety Council, has now taken up the challenge but while you have stunts like walkouts by the states, we're not hopeful that they're truly committed to change," he said.

An SIA safety report will be released at the Safety in Action conference in March 2007 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Melbourne-based SIA has about 1,800 Australian members.