October 2024

Issue 48

Technology and Workplace Safety – Balancing Innovation and Humanity

During Safe Work Month 2024, the intersection of technology and worker protection was under the spotlight. This article explores how innovative technologies can collaborate with human oversight to create safer workplaces.

Australian workers continue to experience high rates of illness and injury

The latest statistics from Safe Work Australia reveal a sobering picture of workplace health and safety in the country, highlighting persistent challenges that workers face. 200 Australian workers tragically lost their lives due to work-related injuries in 2023, a slight increase from the 195 fatalities reported in 2022.

The Vital Role of Safety Committees in Australian Workplaces

Health & Safety Committees (HSCs) are essential for fostering a proactive safety culture and collaboration between employers and employees to address workplace risks. With national statistics highlighting ongoing safety challenges, active HSCs play a critical role in reducing incidents and ensuring safer work environments.

Rising Tide of Workplace Violence and Aggression in Australia

Workplace violence and aggression have become pressing concerns in Australia, with a sharp rise in incidents over the past five years, as highlighted in Safe Work Australia’s latest report. As stressors in the workplace intensify, employers must adopt proactive measures to protect workers, especially in high-risk industries.

Help shape the future of RTW outcomes

As we approach the five-year mark of the National Return to Work Strategy 2020–2030, Safe Work Australia is calling for your input to help shape the future of return to work (RTW) outcomes for injured workers. Now is the time to identify where we can make an even greater impact in the next five years. Have your say before 29 November 2024.

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June 2024

Issue 47

A toolbox talk of a different kind

WorkSafe VIC charged a company director for driving a ute with a teenage apprentice in a toolbox. The incident occurred in February 2022, when a 19-year-old apprentice was told to lie down inside the toolbox, which was mounted on the back of the ute, before the vehicle was driven from Tolmie to Mansfield in Victoria.

Historic Day for NSW as the Industrial Manslaughter Bill is passed

NSW is the last mainland Australian state to make industrial manslaughter an offence. After 20 years of campaigning by families, friends, and unions whose members have been killed at work, the Industrial Manslaughter Bill passed NSW Parliament on 20 June 2024.

Good Safety is Always Good Business – Our Top Reasons Why

Good safety performance is integral to protecting employees and is a fundamental aspect of a responsible and successful organisation. Robert Keft from Safety Australia Group explores why good safety performance is vital for any organisation.

Frontline Health Workers Call for Action on Hospital Violence

A survey of Queensland Health workers has revealed that close to 70% of staff have either been assaulted or witnessed an assault in the workplace. Politicians are being called to act as frontline health workers feel unsafe in our public hospitals.

Early Intervention in the Worker’s Compensation Process

A new independent research report by The Monash University examines different approaches to early intervention in workers’ compensation in Australia and what works to reduce recovery times and improve return to work outcomes for injured workers.

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February 2024

Issue 46

Baby Boomers to Gen Z: Are we seeing a shift in safety attitude?

Sadly, workers over the age of 45 account for almost two thirds of workplace fatalities in 2022. Younger workers aged under 25 had the lowest fatality rate. Is this a cultural shift in safety attitudes of young workers vs ‘Baby Boomers’ and ‘Gen X’ workers?

What are the WHS implications of the “right to disconnect”

Workers will be able to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employer as part of a new law which grants them the “right to disconnect” from work outside of normal working hours, unless the refusal is unreasonable.

What makes a great leader in 2024

A great leader embodies a combination of qualities, skills, and characteristics that enable them to effectively lead, empower and inspire others. This is certainly not new and has been the case for many years, so what has changed?

Why corporate boards need members with WHS expertise

Corporate boards must include at least one director with “some real health and safety knowledge” because they frequently make decisions with significant WHS implications, according to University of NSW Emeritus Professor of Management, Michael Quinlan.

Safe Work Month 2024

Do you have a great campaign idea for National Safe Work Month 2024? Safe Work Australia are seeking feedback on WHS topics to create an impactful campaign.

Have your say by completing the survey before 11 March 2024.

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September 2023

Issue 45

Working from home, is it a double edge sword?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work was being explored by some companies, but its adoption was relatively slow and limited. The pandemic forced employers to adapt to remote working conditions, and while this offers many benefits, it also comes with it’s own risks and challenges.

You can keep fighting fatigue, until you can’t

“These crops won’t harvest themselves“. SafeWork Victoria has a new emotional campaign aimed at rural workers which is narrated through the eyes of a son who has lost his father. We look at the signs of fatigue and some of the industries more prone to fatigue related injuries.

New powers for AHRC in December 2023

The Australian Human Right’s Commission’s (AHRC) Respect@Work report, led to major legislative reform with a shift from a complaints-based model to one where employers are required to take action. In December 2023, the AHRC will have new powers to ensure organisations and businesses meet the Positive Duty requirements.

Inadequate sleep is costing Australia billions

It can be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, which is especially true for Australia’s 100,000-plus resources workers who work fly-in fly-out rosters. Previous research has found FIFO shift workers are particularly sleep-deprived and at risk of developing sleep disorders, so ECU is investigating what can be done to improve workers’ wellbeing.

Changes to Offences and Penalties – 2023

Amendments have been made to the model WHS Act and model WHS Regulations, including how WHS penalty provisions are expressed, increasing penalty amounts and providing for the indexation of penalty amounts. The Model Work Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Offences and Penalties) 2023 is now available to view on the Safe Work Australia website.

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March 2023

Issue 44

Psychological Safety vs Psychosocial Risk

Psychological safety and psychosocial risks both require attention from employers to create a safe and healthy work environment, but how well do leaders understand the difference between the two terms and the factors that contribute to them?  

Sea Safe: bringing the seafood industry home

Renowned for being a dangerous industries, Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), in conjunction with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), have launched Sea Safe, a national program designed to improve the culture of safety in the commercial seafood industry.

WHS leading with both the head and the heart

According to Dr Kirstin Ferguson, WHS professionals need to balance leading with the qualities of both “the head and the heart” in order to become more effective leaders at work. The more attributes of a head and heart leader you can draw upon, the more effective you will be in the widest range of situations you might find yourself leading in.

National Safety Strategy: 2023-2033

The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 has been released which represents a national commitment to work together to reduce worker fatalities, injuries and illnesses over the next decade. More than 150 stakeholders were consulted on the development of the Strategy. It outlines targets to measure progress over the next 10 years, including a reduction in worker fatalities caused by traumatic injuries by 30%.

Worldwide violence & harassment at work

More than one in five employed people worldwide – 23 per cent – have experienced one or more forms of violence or harassment at work, according to a global study. The risk of workplace violence or harassment was greater if the worker was younger, if the worker was a migrant and if the worker was not self-employed, according to the survey.

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September 2022

Issue 43

Take a moment and talk about psychosocial hazards

Psychosocial hazards are the things at work that can harm mental health. Safe Work Australia (SWA) are encouraging businesses to take a moment and have a conversation about psychosocial hazards, during mental health week in October 2022.

Supreme Court decision puts spotlight on interstate workers’ compensation

A recent Queensland Supreme Court decision highlighted the importance of workers’ compensation jurisdictions for employers that might have people working for them in more than one state or territory – or even overseas.

Mentally healthy workplaces – tools for small business

Understanding the signs of a mentally healthy workplace is tricky – especially when you can’t see them. Safe Work Vic have created a ‘Work Well’ Toolkit, to help you on your way to creating a mentally healthy workplace and fulfilling your responsibilities as an employer.

Safe Work Month 2022

Safe Work Australia are running weekly themes this year for Safe Work Month with free resources available to support each weekly theme. There is a whole range of materials you can use to engage workers not only during safe work month but all year round. We particularly like the ‘how to consult with workers’ infographic, plus many more.

Lessons Learned in Safety

Australia is a world leader in WHS. Unfortunately, workers and others continue to be injured at and by work, sometimes fatally. We need to ensure that WHS is core to how we do business in Australia. Lessons learned from prosecutions can provide insight into future safety improvements.

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March 2022

Issue 42

After 38 years, WA’s Work Health and Safety laws will be modernised

The Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and regulations will commence in Western Australia on March 31, 2022. After 38 years, WA’s work health and safety laws will be modernised.

Psychological health regulations open for comment

Today is the last day to comment on the proposed Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Psychological Health) Regulations, which will provide clearer guidance to employers on their obligations to safeguard workers from mental injury.

New Laws to Improve Workplace Safety

The Workplace Safety Legislation and Other Matters Amendment Act 2022 came into effect on 16 March 2022. WorkSafe inspectors can now issue a prohibition notice or give a direction relating to non-immediate yet serious health and safety risks and prohibit an activity until satisfied the risks have been remedied and the workplace made safe.

Reduced Financial Distress & Better Medical Care

More than half a million Australians sustain a work-related injury or illness each year. The various impacts on affected workers can be devastating and frequently reverberate more widely through families and communities. The 2021 National Return to Work Survey, including key metrics, insights and time series data.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Resources

Sexual Harassment is not a new topic, but it is one that is gaining momentum after several recent inquiries into workplace harassment. One in two people have been exposed to sexual harassment either as a victim or as a bystander.

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October 2021

Issue 41

Safe Work Month Events & Training

No job should be unsafe and no death or injury is acceptable. October every year is a time that Safe Work Australia encourages people to work together to commit to safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians. To coincide with Safe Work Month, Safety Australia Group are running online training twice a week for all of October.

What are the major legal trends impacting WHS professionals?

With the 10-year anniversary of harmonised WHS legislation in many jurisdictions approaching, there are a number of significant legal trends impacting WHS professionals and their organisations, according to one of South Australia’s leading workplace lawyers.

How safety management activities can decouple imagined beliefs from real practices

Gaps often exist between “work as imagined” and “work as performed” and some of these gaps may subtly nudge organisations in believing that operations are safer than they are, according to new in-progress research.

SWA Research Reports on Stigma & Psychological Response to Injury

Injured or ill workers should be empowered to play an active role in their own recovery and return to work through both practical and psychological support, according to two new research reports by Griffith University.

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June 2021

Issue 40

Welding safety at the forefront of new research

To better understand exposure to welding fumes, the NSW Centre for WHS is conducting new research, together with the University of Sydney and Curtin University. The Centre is focusing on Australian welding industries and occupations, current controls being used and the effectiveness in risk mitigation.

Beware of human error as a viable safety concept

The biggest challenge when it comes to systems thinking is a fixation on ‘human error’ and the behaviour of workers at the so-called sharp end when trying to understand and manage safety, according to the University of the Sunshine Coast.

COVID-19 2020 Workers’ Compensation Claims

There were 1222 workers’ compensation claims related to COVID-19 lodged in 2020. Of the accepted and pending claims lodged, claims were for workers who had contracted COVID-19, for mental health impacts related to the virus, and testing or isolation requirements.

Good Safety is just Good Business

Tension between employers, unions, workers and government has continued over many years typically around remuneration, workplace conditions, work hours, productivity, workplace morale and business profitability. This article explores why employers, unions, workers and Government all need to come together for one Cause, that is Work Health and Safety.

Mental stress and harassment/bullying claims on the rise

Workers’ compensation claims related to mental stress and harassment and/or bullying have both risen in recent years, according to the recent Safe Work Australia 6th annual Psychosocial health and safety and bullying in Australian workplaces statement.

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