More than 260 international asbestos experts and other stakeholders have condemned claims from some manufacturers that some forms of asbestos are safe, and called for all Australian state's to adopt the ACT's plan to demolish asbestos buildings.
The inadvertent use of asbestos-containing materials is likely to increase as employers turn to the internet to source cheaper materials, according to the ACT Work Safety Commissioner, who has also outlined measures being put in place to ensure the safe demolition of more than 1000 "Mr Fluffy" buildings.
A Victorian employer has been convicted of failing to provide documents relating to a suspected OHS breach to the WorkCover Authority (VWA), while several other employers have been fined for neglecting to report injuries to the regulator.
BHP Billiton Ltd has been ordered to pay a former Newcastle Steelworks employee with mesothelioma a record $2.2 million in damages, in a landmark NSW Dust Diseases Tribunal decision today.
A new paper from the Northern Territory has questioned whether the costs of the model WHS legislation's provisions on principal contractors and audiometric testing outweigh the benefits.
Electricity causing two serious work injuries every hour; "Certificates of capacity" for injured workers take effect in WA; Safety inspectors targeting vehicle repairers; ACT appoints new safety Minister as Gallagher takes on asbestos role; and ACT employers urged to apply for healthy-workplace grants.
