Browsing: Authority/inspectorate (VIC) | Page 67

Victoria's new Labor Government will review the State OHS Act and the WorkCover Authority's enforcement policies, while the Federal Government's Comcare Bill will face a hostile Senate after passing through the Lower House.

The CFMEU has questioned how a Grocon subsidiary can be fined just $250,000 over three deaths when the union was fined $1.25 million for "speaking out" on safety issues, while Federal Employment Minister Eric Abetz has accused the union of being "pro-drugs" on Victorian building sites.

• Go home on time to improve work-life balance and health; and
  
• VWA issues advice on exposure standards and harvest safety.

• Workplace harassment driven by sense of entitlement, says police chief;
  
• NSW issues heat warning and small business safety guides; and
  
• WA employers told to establish coordinated cyclone plans.

• Employer entitled to sack "strange", aggressive worker;
  
• Victoria commits to "presumptive" compensation after years of pressure; and
  
• Alerts issued after trailer death and heat-stress incident.

• Fatigued worker's unfair dismissal claim rejected;
  
• Unsafe ladder involved in incident months after ACCC recall;
  
• Alerts issued after deaths and other incidents; and
  
• Vic safety and Qld RTW award winners announced.

In this update, OHS Alert examines the most important workplace safety and workers' comp news from the third quarter of 2014, including Safe Work Australia's controversial decision to dump draft Codes of Practice in favour of guidance packages, and other legislative developments.

• Four individuals charged over forklift safety incidents;
  
• Employer enters undertaking after dangerous goods stolen; and
  
• Workers' comp lawyer told client to lodge anti-bullying claim.

Victorian employers have been fined nearly $500,000 after an excavator operator was killed in a landslide, and other incidents, while a man has been fined for obstructing safety inspectors.

Safety month kicks off this week; and Queensland commits to national rail safety regime.