A Federal inquiry into the re-emergence of work disease black lung has called for company doctors and safety inspectors to be trained to avoid "regulatory capture", after finding regulator and industry failures have exposed workers to the fatal illness.
A study replicating the effects of occupational vibration on rats has found vibrations can activate or inhibit biological pathways associated with cell division and the development of cancer.
Regulators should "join the criminal law dots" to ensure accommodation workplaces don't get away with WHS breaches, while legislators should develop guidance for these workplaces and amend the definition of "notifiable incident", according to a former WorkSafe Victoria prosecuting solicitor.
A review prompted by the re-emergence of the incurable work disease, black lung, has found that miners who show signs of respiratory illness aren't advised to avoid exposure to dust, and company doctors aren't required to have a comprehensive knowledge of work environments.
An intervention that enforced the proper use of safety gloves significantly reduced workers' exposure to hazardous chemicals and the risk of developing occupational skin disease, Belgian researchers say.
Workers historically exposed to certain chemicals now linked to cancer are being urged to undergo health screening in Victoria, under the State Government's response to an inquiry into at-risk Lands Department employees.
The family of a finance employee who died from cardiac arrest has been awarded death benefits, after a commission found the stress of being placed on a "watch list" in a "ruthless" industry contributed to his illness.
A safety offence relating to asbestos samples attracts fines of up to $500,000 and imprisonment for individuals, a regulator has warned. Meanwhile, an inquiry has heard a growing number of asbestos-containing materials are being used in the building sector, prompting calls for a significant increase in penalties.
