Queensland's WHS Amendment Bill has passed through Parliament, with the Bill's architect - the Attorney-General - repeating his seemingly incongruous boast that work injury rates are falling under the current laws. Meanwhile, Safe Work Australia is keeping tight-lipped on its position on the Queensland changes.
The NSW WCC President has upheld a finding that a deceased worker's unhealthy sedentary lifestyle was linked to her job, and her children are entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars in workers' compensation.
The Fair Work Commission has outlined a number of working arrangements that aren't covered by its anti-bullying jurisdiction or the model WHS Act, in rejecting a carer's application for stop-bullying orders against Centrelink employees.
An employer has gone three years without a lost-time injury after introducing a work health and safety assessment to its recruitment process, and not employing anyone who fails it, according to its award-winning national business improvement and safety manager.
Mock court proceedings will be held as part of a Victorian employer's $150,000 enforceable undertaking - entered into after a non-employee was injured - to ensure managers know their safety obligations and the consequences of not following safety rules.
Three major employers have claimed, in their latest performance reports, that they have improved health and safety by inviting contractors and customers on safety walks, restructuring OHS systems, and offering health and wellbeing initiatives, such as skin screening.
OHS committees that conduct safety walkthroughs prior to meetings can observe real risks and improve health and safety by engaging workers, says OHS consultant Jenny Lewis.
A Parliamentary Committee recommends passing Queensland's WHS Amendment Bill, which aims to make regulators the "first port of call" for workers with safety concerns by reducing the powers of HSRs and unions, but it says employers will have to pay for additional inspectors.
