The NSW Government has outlined its new gig economy safety laws. 

Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson said the new measures include ensuring riders are provided with personal protective equipment by food delivery platforms, the implementation of compulsory induction training and a new penalty system for riders to crackdown on repeated unsafe practices.

“These laws have come in the wake of a recent education and safety blitz that found continued widespread non-compliance with the state’s road and work health and safety laws,” Mr Anderson said.

“It is completely unacceptable that our inspectors found almost nine in ten food delivery riders were not wearing safe, hi-visibility clothing and 40 per cent were observed riding in an unsafe manner.

“Enough is enough. Following the tragic deaths of four riders late last year we immediately increased education and compliance to try to lift safety standards but we can no longer stand by while riders continue placing themselves and others at risk.

“That’s why we will now introduce the toughest safety requirements for food delivery platforms and riders anywhere in Australia.

“Together these measures provide the necessary regulatory tools to drive compliance within the industry and ultimately help create a culture where safety comes first.”

The changes will be implemented by amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 and were recommended in the final report of the Joint Taskforce into Food Delivery Rider Safety (available here in PDF form).

The report also recommends a number of operational changes including enhanced reporting of incidents, increased compliance activity by SafeWork, Transport for NSW and NSW Police and issuing riders with a unique identification number.