what’s news in occupational health & safety?

latest news 7 august 2008

ASCC meeting results
28 July 2008
The Australian Safety and Compensation Council has announced measures to imrpove the collection of information on mesothelioma following an ASCC meeting in Melbourne. The ASCC agreed to publish a literature review on Asbestos exposure, management and control: national and international experiences, in line with its decision in May 2007 to improve the collection of information on mesothelioma. The ASCC agreed to conduct further research into this area. The ASCC also agreed to publish a study, Preparing an estimate of the national pattern of exposure to asbestos in cases of malignant mesothelioma. more...

NSW Education Dept fined $105k over teacher assault

The NSW Education Department has been found guilty for the second time in two years of breaching OHS laws over an assault on a teacher. The NSW Teachers Federation brought the charges under the NSW OHS Act, which gives unions the right to prosecute. The NSW Chief Industrial Magistrate found the risk to workers’ safety was ‘severely aggravated’ by the failure of DET to ensure that an appropriate risk assessment was undertaken. Source: Workplace OHS, more...

Truck shutdown organisers risk safety: minister
24 July 2008
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Anthony Albanese claims the planned truck shutdown by the Australian Long Distance Owner Drivers Association (ALDODA) will undermine the safety of drivers. The ALDODA and Mick Pattel are demanding changes to the fuel excise and the abolishment of fatigue laws. more...

Doctors fume over fake sickie notes
31 July 2008
Queensland's peak medical body has blasted a website selling fake doctor certificates to Australian workers so they can take a "sickie", warning anyone who uses one is committing fraud. The UK-based site http:// www.doctorsnotestore.com touts that for $40, customers will be sent an "exact replica" doctor's certificate, complete with a Medicare stamp, the name of their GP and practice, the details of their "sickness" and a fake signature, within five working days. more...

Asbestos drives rising health compensation claims
31 July 2008
According to new national workers compensation statistics, the number of workers compensation claims for mental health disorder, respiratory disease and neoplasm has jumped. According to the report, these increases can be attributed to asbestos exposure. The Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistic Australia 2005-06 shows an increase of mental health disorder claims of 57% between the 1997-1998 and 2004-2005 periods. more...

Grieving families win workers' compo hike
25 July 2008
The New South Wales Government has increased compensation payments by nearly $90,000 for families of workers killed on the job. Relatives of workplace accident victims have welcomed the decision to increase the payment to $425,000 at a meeting with Premier Morris Iemma. more...

Building checks show 80 safety breaches

24 July 2008
Spot checks of 40 high-risk construction projects on the Gold Coast has found more than 80 safety breaches. Some were extremely dangerous, including the unsafe set-up of swing stage scaffolds. Industrial Relations Minister John Mickel yesterday told a budget estimates hearing nine specialist construction inspectors had been conducting audits of the high-risk projects, including high-rise developments. Breaches of the Workplace Health and Safety Act which do not pose a risk of serious bodily harm may attract an improvement notice, which orders the problem to be fixed. more...

Death caused by unsafe Fosters workplace: court

24 July 2008
Brewing giant Fosters faces fines of up to $2 million after pleading guilty to charges over a workplace death in Melbourne. The court heard many workers at the factory were unable to read the company's standard operating procedures because they did not speak adequate English. more...

FMG charged over cyclone deaths

25 July 2008
8 companies, including one owned by the richest man in Australia, face fines of up to $7 million and will be prosecuted in connection with two deaths during Cyclone George, Western Australia's safety watchdog says. WorkSafe commissioner Nina Lynhe said the large number of charges brought against a number of entities demonstrated the breadth of occupational safety and health responsibilities. more...

Rail deaths report recommends safety improvements

22 July 2008
A report into the deaths of two rail maintenance workers in the Upper Hunter has made several recommendations to improve safety on the region's rail lines. OTSI has recommended the men's employer - the Australian Rail Track Corporation - review procedures for fatigue and monitoring train movements. New South Wales Transport Minister John Watkins says the state-owned rail corporation, Railcorp, has also been ordered to make improvements. more...

Construction audit finds safety breaches

24 July 2008
Workplace Health and Safety inspectors detected 80 safety breaches in an audit of Gold Coast construction sites following a double fatality last month.Figures released during state budget estimates hearings showed the team of nine specialist construction inspectors issued about 80 enforcement notices - 30 prohibition notices and 50 improvement notices - to contractors and principal contractors on 40 Gold Coast sites. The notices involved a range of issues, including the unsafe set-up of swing stages, scaffold maintenance and incomplete scaffolding, lack of edge protection and falling object protection, traffic management, a lack of information, instruction and training and unsafe electrical switchboards. more...

Work injuries drop but cancer, depression rise

26 July 2008
The Compendium of Workers' Compensation Statistics Australia 2005-06, released last week, tracks the numbers and types of workers' comp claims across Australia. Australian Safety and Compensation Council chairman Bill Scales says while overall claims have fallen in the past 10 years, those related to respiratory diseases, mental disorders and cancers are increasing. more...

WorkSafe Victoria releases working safely with bridge and gantry cranes handbook

24 July 2008
WorkSafe Victoria New guidance to help improve the safety of people who own, use or maintain bridge and gantry cranes. It is not uncommon for WorkSafe Inspectors to see cranes carrying loads heavier than what they are rated for or using incorrect slinging equipment. In April, a company was fined $150,000 after pleading guilty to two breaches of workplace safety laws after an incident in which a man was seriously hurt after being struck by a moving gantry crane.The incident occurred on an oil rig and the court was told that in 2001, a similar incident involving a gantry crane on another oil rig operated by the same company, resulted in a worker being killed.

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publications/conferences

OHS, Return to Work and Premium in your workplace presentation
22 July 2008 This presentation was delivered at a series of free information sessions across Victoria during May and June 2008, to help workplaces better manage health and safety, understand WorkSafe injury insurance and assist injured workers. more...

New return to work publications, including:

Returning to work – a guide for injured workers Suitable Employment for Injured Workers: A step by step guide

WorkSafe announces 2008 –2009 Safety Program
WorkSafe has announced a comprehensive program of intervention activities to take place over the next 12 months. Targeted industries include: Agriculture; Moulded & fabricated metals; Emergency services and prisons; Food and beverage; Road freight transport; Chemical storage; Vehicle & parts manufacture; Welfare services; and, Wood products manufacturing. more...

First Compliance Code recommended to minister

The first Compliance Code under the 2004 Act, Communicating Occupational Health and Safety Across Languages, outlines the duties and responsibilities of employers to ensure that all employees, including those whose first language is not English, receive information and training to understand the risks involved in their work and to enable them to do the job safely. The Code, as provided to the minister, can be downloaded from this more...

Mine safety consultation
Mine safety workshops will take in place in capital cities starting on 24 July to obtain stakeholder input on nationally consistent mine health and safety legislation. The Framework is at a vital stage and stakeholder input is more important than ever. Minister Ferguson said. "I encourage those with an interest in mine safety to make their voice heard either at the workshops or online". more...

OHS amendment for major hazard facilities
WorkCover NSW has published new Major Hazard Facilities (MHFs) regulations in the NSW Government Gazette. MHFs are facilities such as oil refineries, chemical processing plants, large chemical and gas storage depots and large chemical warehouses that have dangerous goods in amounts that exceed specified threshold quantities. The regulations commenced on 14 July 2008, but later commencement dates are specified in some clauses so that requirements are introduced in stages. more...

Safe operation of cold storage facilities - Ahandbook for workplaces
The purpose of this handbook is to help employers and people working in the cold storage industry to identify health and safety hazards and implement appropriate risk controls. This handbook also provides advice for cold storage facility employers on how to ensure they comply with their duties and obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.