In a long-running and complicated bullying case, the Fair Work Commission has agreed to expand the stop-bullying orders already in place against a company director, including by limiting his involvement with a worker's return-to-work process, after finding more instances of bullying had occurred.
A PCBU engaged to design, supply and install a fall prevention system has been fined heavily over a six-metre fall, taking the total WHS penalties for the incident to $525,000.
An employer is liable for a worker's psychological injury sustained after a distressing meeting on new stringent overtime allocation policies, a tribunal has found.
The Queensland Government has introduced laws extending the offence of industrial manslaughter and $13 million-plus fines to the resources sector, and providing employment security to those in safety critical management roles. Victoria has announced plans to lengthen jail terms for workplace manslaughter - five months ahead of the new offence's start date.
A commission has upheld an employer's bid for orders for a psychologically injured worker to undergo a psychiatric assessment, in the lead up to its appeal against a finding that her injury was caused by verbal abuse from her supervisor.
WHS regulators are increasingly turning to infringement notices to tackle safety breaches, while the number of prosecutions has surged in one jurisdiction following a controversial lull, according to one of four new comparison reports from Safe Work Australia. The agency has also outlined PCBUs' duties involving air pollution.
In a timely study, with bushfires continuing to burn across many parts of Australia, researchers have identified a method of stabilising core temperatures among firefighters to prevent heat-related illnesses, which can be applied to other hot jobs.
The upcoming commencement of workplace manslaughter legislation coincides with a period of unprecedented regulatory activity and record-high inspection numbers, Victorian duty holders have been warned. Meanwhile, an employer has been charged with illegally stockpiling chemicals, and safety regulators have issued coronavirus and fatality alerts.
In an important ruling on seemingly inconsistent provisions on employers' obligations to injured workers, an appeals court has found an assaulted worker is entitled to recover the costs of travelling thousands of kilometres for an impairment assessment, with a view to suing for damages.
Allowing workers to work in water-damaged and mouldy buildings puts them at risk of developing a "plethora" of symptoms and debilitating illnesses, researchers have found. They warn the symptoms are often overlooked.
