Browsing: Jurisdiction (NSW) | Page 167

The family of a worker who committed suicide has won its battle for workers' compensation, after a commission found the man's involvement in a number of traumatic work-related incidents contributed to the depression that led to his death.

In this article, OHS Alert examines all the most important workplace safety and workers' compensation news from the second quarter of 2015, including a record OHS fine, a world-first decision on PTSD, and legislative changes in every state and territory.

• Worker with disability wins $170k in discrimination case; and
  
• Dangerous goods regulations extended in Victoria.

Two union officials, including one who told a project manager his name was Steve Irwin (the deceased crocodile hunter), breached the Fair Work Act in entering the project site and obstructing "unsafe" work without NSW WHS entry permits, a court has found.

• Two employers and director found guilty of asbestos breaches;
  
• Prime contractor, consignor and driver fined for safety breaches; and
  
• Five WHS Codes of Practice amended in ACT.

An injured worker was entitled to apply for lump sum compensation, and then seek a higher amount five months later, regardless of the one-claim rule introduced in NSW three years ago, a judge has found.

• Supreme Court decision sends safety-document warning;
  
• Anti-bullying regime creating "adversarial" environments; and
  
• Victoria establishes taskforce to tackle occupational violence.

A company has been acquitted of fatality-related WHS breaches, after a judge found it was "diligent" in its attempts to protect non-employees, and was entitled to rely on the expertise of a downstream duty holder.

An employer's regular toolbox talks and safety presentations proved a dismissed worker would have been aware of the company's OHS procedures and was rightly sacked for ignoring them, the Fair Work Commission has found.

A worker who was injured when she tripped over a box at work has been denied damages, after the NSW Court of Appeal found it wasn't reasonable for her to expect her workplace to be free from "obvious" hazards.