Safety News December 2017 | Safety Australia Group

Hat_Page_Banner

December 2017
Issue 28

Standing too much at work can double your risk of heart disease

While office workers often worry they sit too long while on the job, research suggests standing at work increases the risk of heart disease. There’s been a lot of interest in the harmful effects of prolonged sitting at work, from academics and the public alike.

Australia’s most dangerous industries 2016

Hundreds of lives are lost every year due to work-related incidents and in 2016, 182 people died across Australia, and 168 of those were men. Whilst any loss of life is unacceptable, positive changes are being made in the workplace as worker deaths are 41% lower than the highest number recorded in 2007 where 310 people lost their life to a work related incident.

Quad bike safety investigation

The ACCC has established a taskforce to conduct an investigation into quad bike safety and consider the merits of implementing a safety standard for quad bikes under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Tragically, 114 people have been killed in Australia in quad bike accidents since 2011.

New Industrial Manslaughter laws to protect Queenslanders

The warning is clear – if you cost someone their life, you’ll pay. That’ll be the case under new laws which create the offence of industrial manslaughter in Queensland. The maximum penalty for the new offence is 20 years imprisonment for an individual, with a maximum fine of $10 million for a corporate offender.

December is a dangerous time of year

According to WorkSafe statistics, more Victorian workers die in the weeks leading up to Christmas than at any other time of year.

Over the past decade, almost 25 per cent of all workplace fatalities occurred in November and December.

Once Upon a time everyone has to start somewhere

Sometimes breaking into the workplace health & safety industry can feel like a fairy tale far from reality. It can be frustrating and seem hopeless at times, but you must remember that these things take planning, determination and most of all it takes time.Everybody has to start somewhere so we have prepared our top start up tips to help turn your dreams into reality.