what’s news in occupational health & safety?

latest news 30 october 2008

Political stoush compromises national work safety system
22 October 2008
Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard has rejected amendments made by the Senate to the Safe Work Australia 2008 Bill because it would be breaking from an agreement between the commonwealth and the states and territories. The main drive of the amendments aims to increase ACTU and ACCI representation on the Safe Work Australia panel to three each. more...

Wastewater company takes out award for risk management system
23 October 2008
Sunset Coast Water has won a safety award for its risk management system credited with helping achieve 450,000 hours worked with no lost time or medical treatment injuries. more...

Govt rejects safety standard amendments
20 October 2008
The Federal Government has rejected a series of amendments to a bill to set up a statutory body to improve safety standards in Australian workplaces. more...

Psychological injuries causing police to quit: survey
22 October 2008
A survey has found nearly 5 per cent of police officers in South Australia urgently need professional psychological assessment. more...

Bungling blamed in digger death
23 October 2008
A series of bungles over safety and intelligence issues within Britain's Ministry of Defence has been blamed for causing the death of Australia's first serviceman to be killed in Iraq. more...

Worksafe Victoria stress the importance of safety systems at workplace
15 October 2008
Worksafe Victoria have stressed the importance of safety systems at workplace by narrating the dangers of crushing injuries after two deaths and a serious injury in less than a week. more...

Federal Win for employers and employees in Safe Work Bill
15 October 2008
Employers and employees will have increased representation under amendments to the Safe Work Australia Bill 2008, which passed through the Senate. The Bill and its cognate establish Safe Work Australia, a tripartite national body of government, employer and worker representatives. Safe Work Australia will replace the Australian Safety and Compensation Council. more...

"Simple safety steps" may have preventedfatality
14 October 2008
The death of a worker after just one week into his new job has emphasised the need for employers to be alert and diligent in seeking out potential risks, rather than simply reacting to incidents, a NSW Industrial Court judge has stated. Justice Haylen fined Provimi $150,000 and said the case provides another example of a gap being exposed in an otherwise extensive system of safety in circumstances where a level of complacency may have crept into the procedures because of a lack of prior accidents. more...

publications/conferences

Making Farm Machinery Safer - Lessons from injured farmers
13 October 2008
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation has released a report that identifies individual and machine characteristics associated with an increased risk of a serious farm work related injury. more...