A trial judge "set a standard of care well above that which was reasonable" when he ordered an employer to pay $650,000 in damages to a man who was hit by a train while intoxicated, the NSW Court of Appeal has found in quashing the decision.
Twelve mirror WHS Codes of Practice came into force in NSW this morning, while five old Codes were revoked, with the changes significantly affecting three industries, according to WorkCover.
Being hit by falling objects continues to be one of the leading causes of work-related deaths in Australia, according to a major report, which has prompted questions over Western Australia's increasing fatality rate.
Proposed and actual major changes to the harmonised WHS Acts, as well as surprising developments in the non-harmonised states, dominated OHS Alert's pages in the second quarter of 2014. Check out this review of all the most important safety and workers' compensation news from the three months to 30 June.
Two NSW employers that failed to provide PPE to two employees who worked outside have been found liable for their skin cancer conditions, one of which resulted in a leg amputation.
Another jurisdiction conducting double WHS review; Regulator targeting concrete companies as heavy vehicle trauma report released; Safety incidents cause one farm death per week; and Alerts and other safety news issued in four jurisdictions.
Stakeholders in the harmonised states and territories are being asked to comment on whether the model WHS laws should be amended to include stricter entry rules and less prescriptive regulations - but they've been given just days to do so.
Nine more draft model WHS Codes of Practice - including those covering scaffolding, forklifts and plant supply - have been dumped in favour of guidance material.
A NSW bus driver's claims that her authority to drive shouldn't have been suspended for failing a drug test - because her drug use was a one-off incident - has been rejected.
An injured NSW worker has been given the green light to pursue a second lump sum payment, with a WCC Deputy President finding his claim wasn't affected by the 2012 workers' comp overhaul or a related High Court decision.
