Browsing: Consultation | Page 7

A significant proportion of NSW workers believe they are mentally unwell, over-worked and under constant pressure to perform, a landmark study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on worker mental health has found.

Sitting down with workers to hear their experiences of psychosocial hazards, and what they want done about them, is a critical part of minimising physical and psychological harm, according to a senior safety inspector.

A labour-hire company and a host employer have both been fined for safety failures relating to unguarded plant, with a court outlining the measures the former could have taken to prevent an injury and prosecution.

A second PCBU has been convicted over a worker's two-metre fall, and fined more heavily than the first PCBU, after its failure to consult and coordinate with other parties on a task it knew to be dangerous resulted in the incident.

A major employer's proposed alcohol restrictions for remote locations are unlikely to endanger workers' mental health, but the company should consult with unions on alternative measures before implementing the rules, the Fair Work Commission has found.

In a rare case, a PCBU has been convicted and fined under WHS consultation provisions, after its failure to "consult, co-operate and co-ordinate" with other duty holders led to a worker sustaining serious injuries in a fall.

A labour-hire company has been found not guilty of WHS breaches involving inadequate guarding and finger injuries, with a court finding its safety consultation process was "seriously compromised" by the representations of a host employer.

A major employer has been handed significant WHS penalties in two jurisdictions, including for failing to properly respond to two previous workplace fires, which led to a contractor sustaining fatal injuries in a third fire.

The World Health Organisation's workplace health and safety guidelines for COVID-19 are "unacceptably complacent" in parts and overlook evidence on workplace outbreaks, according to an occupational health academic, who fills in some of the "gaps".

A senior worker's failure to communicate effectively with other workers on managing the hazards of an injury-causing task provided a valid reason for his dismissal, a commission has found.