A PCBU's WHS fine over a worker's death in a fall has been increased four-fold to $300,000, with an appeals court finding the fatal risk would have been obvious from a single "glance" at the relevant work area, and the PCBU's safety personnel failed to take steps to reduce the risk despite discussing it in meetings.
End-of-year work celebrations are likely to be very different this year due to COVID-19, with mental health issues and the possibility of restricting attendee numbers just some of the new things to think about, a senior safety lawyer says.
An employer has been convicted and fined $150,000, plus $32,500 in costs, for allowing an unqualified labourer to perform a high-risk crane task, which resulted in a heavy load falling on two workers.
Employers with outdoor workers or involved in industries like mining must identify potential emergency situations caused by severe weather or natural disasters, and should conduct seasonal risk assessments based on weather forecasts and local events, according to a WHS regulator.
A WHS regulator has been blocked from challenging the acquittal of a company that was charged after a newborn baby was killed, and another seriously injured, in hospital gassing incidents.