Safe Work Australia have updated the national guide to classifying hazardous chemicals, providing clear, simple and practical information to help businesses classify the chemicals they use. The guide is intended for Australian manufacturers and importers of hazardous chemicals, and others who classify substances, mixtures or articles under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations.
Work Safe QLD have developed a safety facilitation training film based on the true story of Jed Millen. Jed had been in the construction industry for close to 20 years when he fell five metres from a bridge that collapsed without warning. An accumulation of avoidable mistakes resulted in a serious spinal injury and caused…
Workers with psychological injuries generally have lower return to work (RTW) rates than workers with physical injuries, but there are things employers can do to improve the outcomes. The Return to work: A comparison of psychological and physical injury claims report looks at the similarities and differences between psychological and physical claims, including how workers…
Poor psychological safety costs Australian organisations $6 billion per annum in lost productivity. This is primarily because psychological injuries typically require three times more time off work than other injuries. Safe Work Australia have developed a guide for employers and workers, which describes how to build a psychologically healthy and safe workplace by identifying, assessing…
A construction company has been convicted and fined $80,000 after an excavation collapsed leaving a 17-year-old apprentice plumber with life-threatening injuries. Olive Construction Pty Ltd pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to one charge contrary to section 26 of the OHS Act for failing to provide a workplace that was safe and without risks…
Managers who undergo mental health training feel more capable of supporting staff, but the flow-on effects for employees are unclear, according to a major review. However, the lead researcher tells OHS Alert that this should not deter organisations from implementing such important programs. The researchers from the University of NSW and other Australian and European…
Workers will be better protected thanks to a new safety plan that aims to reduce injuries and fatalities in the manufacturing sector, Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said. Mr Kean said manufacturing is one of the state’s highest risk industries, and employs more than 240,000 workers. “The manufacturing sector is one of the state’s…
Health experts have identified two areas that employers can focus on to tackle the widespread problem of worker insomnia and its impact on safety standards. These are work-related fatigue and chronic musculoskeletal pain. The researchers, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and other institutions, say that workers who are constantly worn out from…
SafeWork NSW has congratulated the winners of the 2018 RAS Young Farmer Challenge. SafeWork’s ‘Alive and Well’ farm safety program was a sponsor of the challenge which saw young farmers from across the state compete in a series of on-farm challenges ranging from animal handling to driving side-by-side vehicles and setting up irrigation systems.
SafeWork NSW has launched a week-long forklift safety blitz after three workers were killed and more than 1,300 were injured in two years. The blitz is part of SafeWork’s ‘Take forking seriously’ program aimed at reducing deaths and injuries from forklifts, and will see inspectors visit Sydney businesses to check they are meeting safety and…
