The Queensland Parliament passed minor changes to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) related to right of entry disputes.
QLD: changes to inspectors’ role in right of entry disputes and penalties
Farmers urged to buckle up
The NSW Government has launched a new campaign urging farmers using side-by-side vehicles to wear seat belts following a spate of deaths across the state. Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Kevin Anderson, said the campaign is focused on lifting on-farm safety following a rise in preventable deaths in side-by-side vehicles.
Why technology is a double-edged sword for mental health at work
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With millions of people working from home throughout the coronavirus outbreak, research has recently identified key strategies for both organisations and their employees to safeguard mental health. Led by researchers from the University of Sydney Business School, the peer-reviewed research synthesises existing studies on how technology-driven changes at work will impact workplace mental health and…
Safety Climate, Culture, Leadership and why its all related
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Safety climate, culture and leadership at first glance all sound like the same thing but in order to gain a better understanding of each of these, we break this down with the help of some great resources from Workplace Health & Safety QLD’s Safety Leadership at Work Program.
QLD Government refers Dreamworld to WHS prosecutor following inquest
With the inquest into the deaths of four people at Dreamworld in 2016 complete, the Queensland Government has referred the matter to the independent Work Health and Safety Prosecutor to decide whether action will be taken against Dreamworld’s owner, Ardent Leisure, under the Work Health and Safety Act.
Workplace Responsibilities Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Australia is closely monitoring and responding to the outbreak of the respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Provence, China. Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute…
Australian and New Zealand WHS and Workers’ Compensation Performance
WHS authorities across Australia undertook 230,054 workplace interventions, issued 46,472 notices for WHS breaches and finalised 289 legal proceedings between 2013-14 and 2016-17, resulting in $18.9 million in fines ordered by the courts, according to a recent Safe Work Australia report. It also found that the total expenditure for workers’ compensation schemes across Australia was…
GHS Revision 7 under the model WHS laws
Safe Work Australia (SWA) Members have agreed to adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Revision 7 under the model WHS laws for workplace hazardous chemicals. This will ensure Australia’s requirements for the classification and labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals remain best practice and are aligned with our key international…
First prosecution under Queensland’s pioneering industrial manslaughter laws
In a first for Queensland, the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor has commenced a prosecution against Brisbane Auto Recycling Pty Ltd for industrial manslaughter under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Separate charges have also been made against the company directors, Asadullah Hussaini and Mohammad Ali Jan Karimi, for engaging in reckless conduct that…
Melbourne Company Fined $650,000 after deadly fall
A construction company has been convicted and fined $650,000 after a labourer fell to his death during the building of a Melbourne high rise. Concorp Group Pty Ltd (in liquidation) was found guilty by a jury in the County Court of two offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of failing to maintain a…
Safety Australia Group