what’s news in occupational health & safety?

latest news 4 september 2008

Grudge concern over work safety laws

29 August 2008
Controversial new laws to allow unions and employer groups the right to launch criminal action on work safety issues were passed despite opposition from the Liberals, Canberra Party and Greens MLAs. A workplace law expert has criticised the move earlier in the week to allow third-party criminal prosecutions, stating that even with the Department of Public Prosecutions retaining overarching responsibility, criminal prosecutions would be left in the hands of prosecution authorities. more...

APHA to fund national safety and quality data collection
27 August 2008
The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) on Tuesday announces a national safety and quality data collection and welcomes the Minister of Health and Ageing's support in this initiative. Aggregated data will be provided to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) via its Private Hospital Sector Committee (PHSC). more...

Workplace fatalities down by 19 pc, OHS study reveals
25 August 2008
Australian workplace fatalities which rated compensation fell by almost 20% over the past 4 years, an occupational health a safety (OHS) report shows. Commenting on Comparative Performance Monitoring Report released Employment and Workplace Relations Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard rated the reduction in fatalities a "fine accomplishment". more...

Repeated failings at paper company

27 August 2008
PAPER Australia has been fined $230,000 following the death of a 31-year-old man at its Maryvale mill in May 2005. WorkSafe ’s investigation found a range of safety mechanisms had been removed and the original instructions for maintenance were missing. According to the sentencing judge, the company had only a ‘reasonable chance of rehabilitation’ considering the series of safety failings which had led to the fatality and blasted the company for its “complacency” and for not paying more attention to safety improvements after another fatality in 2002. It had been fined for similar offences for that incident. more...

NSW: companies fined $180k over Sydney building site death

18 August 2008
A building company and an engineering company have each been fined $180,000 over the death of a worker on a building site in Sydney's west. The 24-year-old was a trainee rigger working on a crane platform at a building site in 2005. He became trapped between a steel beam and the platform. When the crane supervisor lowered the platform the man fell 6 metres as his safety harness was not attached. He died from asphyxia and head injuries. The Industrial Relations Commission fined Kaydee Engineering, and Sacco Builders $180,000 each, for breaches of safety, supervision, and training laws. more...

Mistakes caused 61 hospital deaths: report

26 August 2008
Serious medical mistakes have caused the deaths of 61 people at western Sydney hospitals over the past 2 years, according to internal Health Department documents. more...

VIC: McCain admits unsafe working environment
19 August 2008
McCain Foods has pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe working environment after an employee was injured at its Ballarat factory in Victoria's west in 2006. The Victorian Worksafe Authority found the switch to turn off the machine was not correctly labelled, resulting in the wrong switch being flicked, and the interlock system for the machine and the emergency stop button were affected by corrosion. McCain also admitted to 5 prior offences. The company will be sentenced soon and faces a fine of up to $120,000. more...

HWSA meet in Sydney – OHS Review on the agenda

18 August 2008
The Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) met in Sydney recently to discuss a range of issues including the progress of the National OHS Review Panel. Members also discussed the development of a national compliance and enforcement policy, including operational principles that would underpin the policy. HWSA is undertaking a number of national campaigns targeted at specific industries across all jurisdictions. more... more...

Unions fired up after Pilbara mine death

28 August 2008
West Australian unions believe the second mine death in a month will allow them to use safety as a major issue in their push to re-establish a presence in the state's Pilbara region. more...

publications/conferences

Analysis, causality and proof in safety investigation.
Author: Walker, Michael B; Bills, Kym M.
Source: Canberra: ATSB, 2008; pp109
Subjects: Aviation accidents; Air safety incidents; Australian Transport Safety Bureau more...

Slips, trips & falls in buildings - media release & report now available

18 August 2008
The media release and final report on the relationshlip between Slips, Trips and Falls and the Design and Construction of Buildings are now available. more...

NSW: clothing factory OH&S regulation made

A Regulation has been made incorporate occupational health and safety rules for clothing factories into the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001. more...

Benchmarking of exposures to wood dust and formaldehyde in selected industries in Aust

This study found 72% of hard wood dust exposure exceeded the exposure standard of 1mb/m3. Some 22% of solid softwoods, 28% of reconstituted woods and 25% of mixed woods exposure exceeded the recommended limit. Gaseous formaldehyde exposure was lower than the standard of 1ppm. Mixed wood and multi tasking exposures were common and it recommended a review of wood dust exposure standards to reflect this. It recommended a larger study of more companies, and investigating using existing data to model exposures. Formaldehyde is an irritant, a sensitizer and a carcinogen, and was recently the subject of a ‘Priority Existing Chemical’ review by NICNAS. NICNAS information sheet on Formaldehyde more...

legislation

New South Wales

Regulations

Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Clothing Factory Registration) Regulation 2008 (2008-361) Occupational Health and Safety Further Amendment (Major Hazard Facilities) Regulation 2008 (2008-389)