Two sleep studies have highlighted the prevalence of work stress-related insomnia symptoms, the risks associated with workers taking sleeping pills to fall asleep and the need for interventions that promote the safe use of these hypnotic drugs.
Supply chain transport safety prosecutions are starting to trickle through Australia's courts, putting businesses and their officers on notice to ascertain what due diligence means for their transport activities, a webinar has heard.
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing unhealthy, fatigue-inducing sleeping habits in workers, and employers are being urged to take steps to maximise workplace alertness and safety, including monitoring for sleep disorders.
Shift workers will never fully acclimatise to their schedules, meaning workplace lighting plays a crucial role in keeping them alert and preventing incidents during and after work, a circadian rhythm expert says.
Businesses feeling unsure of the true extent of their safety duties around transport activities would be wise to review their capacity to control and influence contractors, to ensure compliance, according to heavy vehicle experts.
Employers have been warned they bear the onus of ensuring their sites comply with the new COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, which include stringent PPE requirements and workforce caps in many cases, while doctors have warned of the consequences of never "switching off" while working from home during the pandemic.
Australia's recovery from COVID-19 has the earmarks of an industrial safety disaster, but also presents an unprecedented opportunity for WHS professionals to become a trusted voice in their organisations going forward, a leading safety lawyer says.
