In a case that examines what constitutes an "aid" or "appliance" under workers' compensation legislation, the Federal Court has found an injured worker isn't entitled to be compensated for the costs of a modified motor vehicle.
In this update, OHS Alert revisits all the important OHS and workers' compensation legislative changes made in the first quarter of 2013. We also recap the most significant court and tribunal rulings and other developments in each jurisdiction.
Safe Work Australia, in a new report, has found that workers responsible for the safety of others are more likely to make mental stress claims, and urges employers to tackle the sources of stress.
Employer fined $120k after keyless entry sparks fatal van explosion; Transport company and consignor both fined for dangerous goods breaches; and ACT height safety campaign to focus on ladders and scaffolding.
Workers who are exposed to industrial cleaning products and latex are at risk of developing asthma, even if they never suffered from the disease as a child, an Australian study has found.
A worker who defied his employer's safety principles in moving a locomotive without authorisation has had his unfair dismissal claim rejected, after the Fair Work Commission found he knowingly put the safety of his co-workers at risk.
Two Queensland employers that failed to conduct risk assessments or manage the risk of falling from height have entered into enforceable undertakings worth $211,000, after four workers fell from roofs.
Employers should involve injured workers in decisions that affect their daily work lives, and consider consulting an ergonomist, to facilitate a successful return to work, says a Queensland University researcher.
The Federal Opposition has been urged to support the eradication of workplace bullying in its pre-election IR policy, while quad bike manufacturers have been accused of behaving like tobacco companies in refusing to release their own research on rollover deaths.
