The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads has been fined $175,000 for a category 2 WHS breach, after at least six workers were exposed to respirable asbestos fibres, and now face the threat of diseases like mesothelioma for the rest of their lives.
A union has imposed asbestos-related work bans on the $200 million Sydney Opera House renovation project, and questioned the apparent failure of a major builder and an electrical contractor to identify the substance in their risk assessments.
There are two key reasons that employees fail to use employee assistance programs - first they don't know about them, and second, they're concerned their health problems will become public, according to a leading provider in the field.
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.
Workers who don't have time to eat or keep hydrated have poor concentration and lack energy, but employers can help them improve their diet and manage pressure through role modelling, according to a dietitian.
Ninety-nine per cent of an award-winning safety regulator's workforce now view health as an important part of their lifestyle, after the organisation implemented a program combining basic wellbeing initiatives with emerging health trends, according to its corporate occupational safety and health manager.
OHS risks arising from the increasing use of 3D printing across multiple industries include exposure to hazardous substances, the proliferation of non-conforming building products and poor worker wellbeing, according to a special report from Europe's peak safety agency.
An employer that sacked a manager for bullying, based on hearsay from a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland inspector, has been ordered to pay him $50,000 in compensation.
