Browsing: Coronavirus, COVID-19 | Page 17

In this Q&A with OHS Alert, two senior workplace safety lawyers examine the ongoing COVID-related challenges faced by safety managers, a wide range of emerging WHS risks and what employers and officers can do about them, and failings common to prosecuted WHS duty holders.

The Fair Work Commission has upheld the dismissal of a long-term employee for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine, commending his employer's "difficult to fault" support of his safety concerns. Meanwhile, a worker has lost her bid to be paid sick leave while stood down for not being vaccinated.

• PCBUs advised on the management of COVID-exempt workers;
  
• Three workplace safety Codes commence in WA; and
  
• Workplace safety protections extended by s-x work Bill in Vic.

Standing, treadmill and cycling desks improve workers' cognitive performance, and can counteract the increase in sedentary behaviour associated with pandemic-forced working-from-home arrangements, Australian researchers say.

• Appoint an "infectious diseases manager", employers told; and
  
• Regulator, and UMM, help young workers speak up on safety.

A commission has upheld a government employer's "brief" reasons for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine exemption for a worker, who contended potential tensions with her family members supported her bid.

Bringing workers back to the workplace is better served with organisational policies "more biased towards protection and protecting the health and safety" of people than personal freedom, a CEO has told a forum on new workplace "norms".

• National Cabinet endorses system "silent on" on fatigue and safety; and
  
• Inaugural WHS Prosecutor resigns.

A plan to allow workers in a hazardous industry to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status through a "green tick approach" would be too susceptible to human error and could have "catastrophic" WHS consequences, a commission has ruled. Meanwhile, Tasmania has applied its close contact exemptions to more sectors.

• WHS enforcement policy for COVID excludes vaccine plan; and
  
• BHP fails to manage known projectile risk.