In the lead-up to Christmas, employers are being urged to ensure workers have adequate support from their mates and don't rush to finish jobs, with stress and injury claims increasing at this time of year.
The Queensland IRC has rejected a worker's claim that he was conducting a role play on dealing with violent patients when he threatened to "smash" a female colleague's face through a door.
The restrictions placed on injured workers who want to claim common law damages against their employers are varied across jurisdictions. In this article, two employment lawyers highlight the facts employers should be aware of if faced with a negligence lawsuit.
Many workers will be reluctant to speak up about safety issues for fear of reprisal if Safe Work Australia accepts Queensland's proposed changes to right-of-entry laws, according to the ACTU.
Lag indicators found to have "serious shortcomings"; One in three plant operators don't know exclusion-zone rules; and NSW truck inspectors handed greater powers.
In determining whether an injured employee can perform the inherent requirements of a job, employers must ensure they rely on medical evidence and not their own assumptions, two employment lawyers have stressed.
The Queensland Mine Safety and Health Commissioner has expressed concerns about the over-representation of contractors in fatality statistics, while his chief inspectors have outlined four "underlying principles" for improving safety.
Return-to-work plans with set stages, developed with employee input, offer employers and workers the best chance of a speedy and sustainable return to duties, says a RTW expert.
