Tasmania is closer to having industrial manslaughter laws, which are in place across the majority of Australia, despite opposition from the state's Liberal minority government.
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Lower house opposition parties and crossbench independents on Wednesday evening backed a Labor bill to create an offence of industrial manslaughter.
It would introduce a maximum penalty of 21 years' jail for individuals and fines of up to $18 million for body corporates if negligent conduct caused the death of a worker.
Industrial manslaughter laws are in place across Australia, apart from NSW which introduced legislation to parliament in early June.
Tasmania's Liberals were returned to power in minority in March and hold just 14 of 35 lower-house seats.
They have agreements for confidence and supply with three Jacqui Lambie Network MPs and two independents who can still vote against the government.
Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs Madeleine Ogilvie said the Labor bill missed the mark.
The Liberals' push to have the legislation go to a committee for further scrutiny failed.
Ms Ogilvie said only token consultation had been undertaken and the laws risked imposing unnecessary regulation on industry.
"The Tasmanian government is strongly committed to ensure that workers, no matter their workplace, should be safe and feel safe," she said.
"(However) manslaughter is an offence already provided for in the criminal code - an offence which can be charged in cases involving industrial deaths.
"The government continues to work through this matter in a prudent way to provide a sound basis for next steps.
"Labor's pursuit appears to be about solely aligning with other Labor states and territories - not for worker safety."
The proposed laws will be debated and voted on by the state's 15-member upper house which contains just four Liberals.
Labor, the Greens, independent and former Labor leader David O'Byrne and Unions Tasmania said the move was a win for workers.
Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said industrial manslaughter laws were long overdue.
"Tasmanian workers deserve the same safety protections as workers on the mainland and they are now well on their way to having that," she said.
Between 2012 and 2022, 85 work-related deaths occurred in Tasmania, according to the union.
Tasmania's lower house also voted through legislation put forward by the Greens to remove an offence criminalising begging.
Australian Associated Press
