With the introduction of industrial manslaughter provisions in multiple states and territories, a WHS lawyer has examined the relationship between the laws and contractor management duties.
Two PCBUs with shared WHS duties at a major mine have entered enforceable undertakings to avoid prosecution, in relation to an unintentional-blasting incident that forced mine personnel into refuge chambers.
A coroner has recommended mandating the use of "secondary guarding technology" on all elevated work platforms (EWPs), following an inquiry into the death of a worker who was crushed between an EWP's guardrail and a roof truss.
A worker previously fined $100,000 for WHS breaches that resulted in a newborn baby dying, and another suffering severe permanent injuries, has been charged with manslaughter by criminal negligence.
A coronial inquiry has a found worker sustained fatal injuries after he inadvertently touched high-voltage powerlines with a tape measure from within a "no go zone", and examined engineering controls for preventing such incidents.
A Fair Work Commission full bench has quashed a ruling that a gig economy worker was an employee protected by unfair dismissal laws, rejecting the man's claim that the WHS rules imposed on him by Deliveroo were inconsistent with an independent contracting arrangement.
A PCBU has been prosecuted and fined for failing to ensure forklift loads were properly secured when raised onto high racking, while a company and one of its workers have been fined for breaching safety laws and the "Wiring Rules".
A crane owner, operating as a PCBU, has been found guilty of breaching WHS laws on two counts after he allowed an unqualified worker to drive his crane because he was running late, leading to two workers suffering electric shocks from powerlines.
A government department and a charity, which discouraged workers from seeking refuge in an office in violent situations, have been fined for workplace safety breaches after multiple workers were assaulted by a violent child. Both parties admitted the balance of care was "tilted too much in favour of the [child's] welfare".
