Holidaying carers guilty of $64K WorkSafe fraud; Research finds no trace of mobile phone/tumour link, says industry body; SA Unions call for fairer workers' comp scheme; and WorkCover NSW investigating Orica spill and finger amputations.
S-x-related workers' comp claim proceeds to Federal Court; Victorian employer that overlooked cheap, safe procedure fined $80K; Workers' comp fraudster caught after advertising second job; and Rail operators urged to crack down on Kronic.
Regulators issue warnings on no-go zones after electrocutions; Queensland disasters expose safety gaps, but employers reluctant to invest more in OHS; Tasmania says it could amend harmonised mining laws; and WorkCover SA suspends rehab provider for misconduct.
Queensland could follow Victoria's lead and introduce jail terms for workplace bullies, the State Industrial Relations Minister has hinted in announcing the establishment of a special reference group to examine the issue.
Commonwealth to ban synthetic cannabis detected in workers; WorkSafe Victoria to target employers without workers' comp cover; and Western Australian employers fined for electricity and notice breaches.
In this update, OHS Alert outlines all the important OHS and workers' compensation legislative changes made in the second quarter of 2011. We also recap the most significant court and tribunal rulings and other developments in each jurisdiction.
Employers fined for ignoring Codes of Practice; Safety reviews urged after three horror incidents in 24 hours; OHS prosecutions to be fast-tracked in Victorian blitz; and South Australia offers $412K in OHS research grants.
In this article, OHS Alert reports on high-risk licences, fatality reports, safety alerts, contractor guidelines that will apply from 1 July, and other OHS news from across the country.
In an important ruling for Victorian employers, a law firm that is being sued for damages by an injured former partner has won its High Court bid to challenge the opinion of a WorkCover Authority medical panel.
