Western Australian Consolidated Acts

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT 1984 - SECT 47

47 .         Offences

        (1)         If a person — 

            (a)         impersonates an inspector or forges any document purporting to be a certificate of the appointment of any person as an inspector;

            (b)         obstructs or interferes with an inspector in the performance of his or her functions under this Act, or any interpreter or other person assisting an inspector in the performance of his or her functions under this Act;

            (ba)         uses any threat or any abusive or insulting language to an inspector lawfully acting in the performance of a function conferred on an inspector under this Act, or any interpreter or other person assisting an inspector in the performance of that function;

            (c)         contravenes any requirement of an inspector made under this Act;

            (d)         provides to an inspector an answer or information that is false or misleading in any material particular;

            (e)         directly or indirectly prevents another person from complying with a requirement under this Act,

                the person commits an offence.

        (2)         A person is not excused from complying with a requirement under this Act to —

            (a)         answer a question;

            (b)         provide information; or

            (c)         produce a document,

                on the ground that to do so might tend to incriminate the person or make the person liable to a penalty.

        (3)         However —

            (a)         an answer given or information provided by a person when so required; or

            (b)         the fact that a document produced by the person to comply with the requirement was produced,

                is not admissible in evidence against the person in any civil or criminal proceedings other than proceedings for perjury or for an offence under this Act arising out of the false or misleading nature of the answer, information or document.

        (4)         Subsection (3) does not apply —

            (a)         to —

                  (i)         information in a document produced in compliance with a requirement under section 43(1)(i); or

                  (ii)         the fact that such a document was produced;

                or

            (b)         to —

                  (i)         an answer given or information provided; or

                  (ii)         the fact that a document was produced,

                by or on behalf of a body corporate.

        [Section 47 inserted by No. 43 of 1987 s. 13; amended by No. 30 of 1995 s. 34; No. 51 of 2004 s. 61, 93 and 102(2).]

        [Heading inserted by No. 43 of 1987 s. 13.]

        [Heading inserted by No. 51 of 2004 s. 54.]