The Greens have introduced industrial manslaughter legislation to the South Australian parliament with a promise to bring the issue to a vote this year.
The bill is based on previous attempts to introduce such laws in SA but has been updated to reflect the penalties in place with recent legislation in Queensland.
"South Australia needs specific laws to protect employees and prevent employers from taking shortcuts that may endanger workers' lives," Greens upper house MP Tammy Franks said.
"This bill seeks to capture a very small minority of employers who cruelly put their workers through unnecessary risk, and would only apply in the event that an employee tragically dies."
Under the proposed laws, an employer is guilty of an offence if they breach their duty of care and if they knew or were recklessly indifferent that the breach would create a substantial risk of serious harm.
Maximum penalties would include a fine of up to $13 million and a jail term of up to 20 years.
Ms Franks said the Greens wanted to ensure that employers were taking their duty of care to their employees seriously.
"Every single workplace death is significant. Each one is a tragedy that will affect the lives of many others forever," she said.
The SA parliament has debated industrial manslaughter laws on several occasions but is yet to pass legislation.
Similar laws were passed in Queensland earlier this year and in Victoria last year.
