Workplace gas leak
Authorities are investigating a gas leak at a salmon processing plant in southern Tasmania that resulted in 20 people being taken to hospital.
Safety
Deaths in Australia highlight plight of delivery riders
Lockdown-fuelled demand for take-out meals has brought throngs of new delivery riders onto streets around the world, but in Australia the boom has also seen tragedy with a spate of road deaths highlighting the plight of couriers.
Mustering sheep safely with drones
Victorian farmers Tom and Bill Alston use drones to take some of the stress and injury risk out of mustering sheep and cattle on their Beeac property in the state’s south-west.
Study on emergency service workers’ and incident responders’ safety at dangerous crash sites
New research shows clear communication is essential for first responders in order to keep themselves and their colleagues safe from near misses while attending crash sites.
Campaign targets ‘bulletproof’ farm safety attitudes
The campaign’s key message – “It’s never you, until it is” – aims to challenge a common mindset among farmers and agriculture workers that a serious incident won’t happen to them.
Global health and safety
The workplace accident is one of the most frequent circumstances that exist, in fact, according to the International Labor Organisation, almost 1 million accidents of this type occur every day, around the world.
SafeWork SA to investigate Adelaide Crows’ camp
The Adelaide Crows are co-operating with SafeWork SA after the government body confirmed it was conducting a “comprehensive” investigation into the Crows’ controversial pre-season camp held before the start of the 2018 season.
COVID-19 related workers
Safe Work Australia (SWA) has published a snapshot of coronavirus (COVID-19) related workers compensation claims data, up to 31 July 2020. Collected from the relevant Commonwealth, state and territory workers compensation authorities, the data reveals that 533 workers compensation claims related to COVID-19 were lodged in Australia. Of those claims, 34% related to the mental health impacts of COVID-19. Additionally, 34% of the claims lodged were from the healthcare and social assistance industry, while 17% of the claims came from the public administration and safety industry. The ‘community and personal service workers’ occupation has the highest number of workers compensation claims.
Record investment in safe workplaces
Record funding will be invested into enhancing safety and well-being in NSW workplaces, improving the physical and mental health of all workers in the state as part of the 2020-21 NSW Budget.
WorkSafe will examine Ambulance Victoria bullying and harassment
WorkSafe Victoria will examine if employees of Ambulance Victoria are at risk after widespread claims of bullying, sexual harassment and abuse within the service.
Will WorkSafe Vic do its job?
WorkSafe ‘must use’ its prosecutorial powers against key Andrews government figures
One Nation candidate sues mine owner and labour hire firm
Former miner Wade Rothery has launched a $1.6 million lawsuit against his former employers, claiming their negligence left him with a severed thumb and permanent disabilities as a result of two workplace incidents.
WorkSafe Victoria investigate hotel quarantine security
WorkSafe Victoria is investigating numerous private security firms who were subcontracted to guard guests in the state’s bungled hotel quarantine program.
Working from home
Apart from ensuring that employees had the technology and resources necessary to work from home, the biggest concern for many was work health and safety. Work health and safety obligations continue to operate while employees are working from home, and employers must be careful to implement strategies to help discharge these obligations in the absence of physical control over the employee’s workspace.
Victorian businesses warned over coronavirus rules
A coronavirus outbreak at a Melbourne law firm is being probed following claims from a number of workers about its coronavirus practices.
