A worker who was hospitalised with a viral illness and developed chronic fatigue syndrome, after returning from a placement in the tropics, has been denied workers' compensation.
Employers should consider eliminating quick returns (QRs) from shift schedules, with short rests between shifts increasing the likelihood of sick leave, according to European researchers.
Employers are under increasing pressure to provide dust-free environments, with Queensland publishing its first quarterly report on dust levels in the coal industry. Meanwhile, regulators have issued a series of alerts after a stacked-materials death and a fatigue-related coronial inquest.
In an unprecedented review of occupational factors associated with obstructive sleep apnoea, researchers have found commercial drivers are twice as likely as others to suffer from the condition, greatly increasing their chance of being involved in road accidents.
Blue-enriched lighting can help night workers counter the "circadian drive for sleepiness" and stay alert, but the duration and timing of exposure to blue light could be key, Australian researchers have found.
Bills establishing Australia's "most comprehensive" safety laws for building products and a labour-hire licensing scheme have been introduced in Queensland. The State has also passed laws cracking down on infection-control breaches and improving transport safety.