Consultative Committee for Work-Related Fatalities and Serious Incidents

About the Consultative Committee

The Consultative Committee for Work-Related Fatalities and Serious Incidents (Consultative Committee) was established to ensure there is an ongoing consultative forum for injured workers and families affected by a workplace death, illness or serious incident.

The purpose is to provide:

• advice and recommendations to the Minister for Industrial Relations about the information and support needs of people impacted by work-related deaths, serious incidents and illness
• a forum where Queenslanders impacted by work-related deaths, serious incidents and illness can promote issues of concern and consider solutions to improve their and other’s experiences with the Work Health and Safety regulator.

The committee is established under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and its members are appointed by the Minister for Industrial Relations. All members have either suffered the loss of a loved one or have been seriously injured through a work-related incident.

About the most recent members

Dan Kennedy and Debbie Kennedy

Dan and Debbie encourage prioritising health and safety so people can go home at the end of the day to their loved ones.

Dan and Debbie’s son, Dale, was just 20 years old, a young father and close to finishing his electrical apprenticeship when he died from an electric shock while working in a ceiling space. As well as Dan’s work as Chair of the Consultative Committee, Dan and Debbie share Dale’s story at events throughout the state as Queensland safety advocates. They encourage workers, especially young workers, to speak up if they see something that is unsafe and to always turn the power off before working in a ceiling space.

Sean O’Connor

Sean works to prevent others from experiencing the grief of losing a loved one in an avoidable incident. His passion is consumer protection.

In 2017, Sean’s sister, Kerryn O’Connor, was electrocuted while handling an electrical appliance with a hidden failure. The electrical pump wasn't designed, manufactured, or tested to Australian standards and an internal, hidden fault caused the outer metal casing of the pump to become live, killing Kerryn instantly. Kerryn's family share their story to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. Watch Kerryn’s story.

Representing his parents, Jim and Robyn, Sean joined the committee after experiencing the devastating impact that Kerryn’s death had on his family. He has an electrical trade and experience leading staff in heavy industrial, transport and mining industries. This provides him with a practical insight into the health and safety challenges that workers face going about and doing their jobs.

Don and Julie Sager

Julie and Don work on the Consultative Committee to support people impacted by work-related illness and raise awareness about asbestos-related diseases.

Don and Julie’s son, Adam, died of mesothelioma (an asbestos-related cancer) when he was just 25 years old. He had been exposed to asbestos fibres in 1983 as a toddler, when Don and Julie were building their home from a pre-fabricated kit. Adam’s mesothelioma took more than 20 years to develop and, from diagnosis, took only ten months to take his life in April 2007.

Julie and Don also speak to workers throughout the state as Queensland safety advocates. They share Adam’s story to help others.

Antoinette James

Antoinette James is passionate about safety in the agriculture industry and committed to supporting others who have experienced a serious work-related injury or illness.

In 2012, while mustering cattle on her family farm, her husband, a highly experienced stockman, fell from his horse suffering horrific head, neck, and abdominal crush injuries.

Previous Consultative Committee members

We would like to acknowledge our previous committee members:

• Founding Chair Michael Garrels
• Lee Garrels
• Luisa Wilson
• David Miles
• Paul Bailey
• Jen Beveridge
• Rachel Blee
• Kevin Fuller
• Bill Martin
• Jacqueline Quinlivan
• Jo Ufer
• Samantha Wood.