Browsing: Emerging risks | Page 56

• Cancer "time bomb" identified in workers' comp study; and
  
• UN decision on white asbestos was "farcical", says AMWU.

Victorian agencies must do more to stamp out occupational violence in the healthcare sector, and ensure it's properly recorded, with current incident data describing punches and attempted strangulations as "mild" or "near miss", the State Auditor-General has found.

A worker who repeatedly refused to shave his goatee to ensure his PPE fit properly was fairly dismissed, even though he offered to provide his own alternative protection, the Fair Work Commission has ruled.

Negative psychosocial safety climates are significantly related to workers suffering musculoskeletal disorders and claiming workers' compensation, Australian researchers have found.

A "simple" hand hygiene campaign can significantly reduce infections and flu-like illnesses in the workplace, US researchers have found.

A worker's claim that she suffers multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) as a result of exposure to office pollutants has been rejected in the AAT.

Workers with hand-arm vibration syndrome who are exposed to workplace noise suffer greater hearing loss than workers who are exposed to noise but don't have the syndrome, Canadian researchers have found.

Victoria's notorious Fiskville training centre, whose health and safety issues - including an alleged "cancer cluster" - led to the downfall of WorkSafe's CEO and chairperson, has been closed permanently.

Ambulance officers and paramedics are more likely than most other workers to suffer mental and musculoskeletal injuries, and their workers' comp claim rates are increasing, Australian researchers have found.

In a submission to the Productivity Commission that sends a strong message to employers, Australian National University researchers have highlighted the link between unpredictable working hours and occupational injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and poor health.