An employer was justified in standing down without pay a number of employees who refused to work after four were identified by an assessment of company data as "high risk" for injuries, the AIRC has ruled.
In a warning to employers not to rely on the expertise of contractors, a company that failed to inspect the machinery or work methods used by a specialist concrete cutter has been found liable for the carbon monoxide poisoning of workers in an adjacent office.
WorkCover NSW has committed to continued inspections of a construction site where a teenage worker fell to his death last year, after a subsequent visit found fall protection was still not in place for roof workers.
A worker has been denied compensation for his psychological injury because it arose from a fear of being dismissed rather than dismissal, in a case that highlights the importance of employers being clear about the difference between suspension and sacking.
The Queensland Supreme Court has criticised WorkCover for seeking to have a psychologically injured worker examined by a panel of its own specialists, accusing the organisation of trying to choose examiners most favourable to its case.
Employers must ensure they provide clear reasons for rejecting a worker's compensation claim, after an employer that failed to do so was found to have breached legislation as well as the principles of ordinary fairness.
A WA employer has successfully appealed an order for it to include superannuation amounts in a worker's weekly compensation payments, with a magistrate finding the contributions could not be considered earnings.
The LHMU has this week launched a campaign to boost sick leave entitlements for Queensland's child care workers, claiming they are exposed to more disease in the workplace than workers in any other occupation.
The NSW IRC has warned employers not to rely on others to ensure the safety of their workers, in fining a principal whose subcontractors failed to adhere to agreed work methods.
