The independent inquiry into the Hazelwood Coal Mine fire in Victoria earlier this year has called for the mine operator and other employers to upgrade their emergency response and communication strategies.
Injured workers are "ill-prepared for the emotional experience" of the workers' comp system, and should be provided with peer support, a new report says.
A Victorian employer has been convicted and fined $375,000 following a series of safety incidents involving poorly guarded machines, while a Western Australian company and its director have been fined after a 13-year-old girl was injured.
Investigation reports on a worker's injury aren't protected by legal professional privilege, the Victorian County Court has ruled in favour of an employer in an ongoing indemnity dispute.
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.
Employer pleads guilty to safety breaches following death; Vic Labor pledges more support for firefighters suffering PTSD; and Essential safety news from four jurisdictions.
The Victorian WorkCover Authority's decision to no longer publish detailed accounts of its prosecutions means employers are missing out on valuable safety information, says a safety and risk specialist.
Proposed and actual major changes to the harmonised WHS Acts, as well as surprising developments in the non-harmonised states, dominated OHS Alert's pages in the second quarter of 2014. Check out this review of all the most important safety and workers' compensation news from the three months to 30 June.
OHS changes cut compliance costs in Victoria; WA handed power to contest unsafe industrial action; Stewart-Crompton reviewing SA's mirror WHS Act; Heavy vehicle operators face new penalty regime in NSW; and Long-load road rules amended in Tasmania.
