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Scrap company owner fined for oxy cutting
explosion
23 July 2010
The owner of defunct Scrap Action (Aust) has been
convicted and fined after an employee was burned while using oxy-cutting
equipment to cut up an air conditioner, fined $11,250 on 22 July by the
Magistrates Court of South Australia for failure to take reasonable steps to
ensure that the company complied with its obligations under s 19(1) of the
Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986. More...
Farm accidents cost $1b per year:
research
23 July 2010
A national farm safety researcher says farm
accidents and deaths are costing the agricultural sector more than $1 billion
per year. John Temperley from the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and
Safety, says quad bike accidents are the most common cause of deaths on farms
with 140 quad bike related fatalities over 10 years associated with their use. More...
Burns incident highlights dangers of
flammable liquids
21 July 2010
Workcover NSW says an incident at South
Windsor on 15 July served as an unfortunate reminder of the dangers of working
with flammable liquids. WorkCover NSW has reminded employers of the dangers of
flammable liquids after a workers sustained burns to 40 per cent of his body
while decanting a flammable liquid when a spill ignited. More...
Union bans slings at desal plant
21
July 2010
The CFEMU has put a ban on the use of ‘soft slings’ at South
Australia’s desalination construction site after a 35-year-old worker was
crushed to death and another injured on July 16. According to the CFMEU the
company was using slings instead of chains to avoid scratching the beams,
avoiding the need for any rework and cutting costs. More...
Safety worries addressed at desal
site
23 July 2010
Construction work has resumed at the site of Adelaide’s
desalination plant. A joint safety audit between three unions and project
managers identified about 300 issues to be addressed at the site. More...
Audit failed to prevent death: union
19
July 2010
The construction union will conduct a full safety audit of
Adelaide’s desalination plant site following the death of a worker. A full
safety audit of the site by the federal Safety Commission gave a green light to
operations just a day before the accident. More...
Coal dust is far from settled at Xstrata
mine battle
20 July 2010
The Construction Forestry Mining & Energy
Union yesterday “unequivocally condemned the alleged threat to the personal
safety of an Xstrata staff member” and called for full public co-operation with
a police investigation. More...
Death at Appleton Dock: ports shut down
for 24 hours
19 July 2010
The National secretary of the Maritime Union of
Australia says there are inadequacies in state and federal safety legislation
covering the nation’s wharves, especially in bulk and general operations, after
another death on the waterfront. The MUA had already called for a strengthening
of the current terms of reference of the group before this latest tragedy. More...
POAGS stevedores strike after workplace
fatality
15 July 2010
Stevedores around Australia are due to return to
work today after walking off the job protesting safety conditions following the
death of one of their colleagues in Melbourne. The national secretary of the
POAGS union, said it was the third death associated with the company in four
years and the stevedoring industry was in crisis and needed tougher national
legislation, better safety enforcement, and more effective training. More...
Outback tourist death warning
13 July
2010
A Former Northern Territory tour bus driver says lack of regulation in
driving hours for heavy vehicles is dangerous and it’s only a matter of time
before it results in “multiple fatalities”. The NT and WA currently do not have
regulated driving hours, relying on a voluntary code of practice. More...
Queensland school asbestos
investigations
15 July 2010
An investigation is underway into asbestos
concerns at two schools in Townsville and Mackay in Queensland’s north. Public
Works Minister Robert Schwarten says there is no excuse for any Q-Build employee
or contractor to be exposing asbestos to themselves or others. More...
BHP Miner fined over worker’s death
15
July 2010
Miner BHP Billiton has been fined more than $75,000 over the death
of a worker at its Olympic Dam operations in South Australia. BHP Billiton
pleaded guilty to breaching workplace safety laws and also issued a public
apology and Industrial Magistrate Michael Ardlie said the failure of the company
to maintain safe work systems was a serious offence. More...
Cold storage giant fined $60,000 for
forklift failings
12 July 2010
Cold Storage Pty Ltd - part of the global
Swire Group which includes Cathay Pacific and Swire Pacific –has been found
guilty and fined total of $60,000 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
2004. Following the incident, WorkSafe issued prohibition notices preventing the
use of the plant involved in the incident until it was made safe; and an
improvement notice which required the workplace to put a system in place to
separate mobile plant from pedestrians and other mobile plant. More...