A Telstra worker who spent 18 months sitting on uncomfortable chairs, before her employer finally provided her with an ergonomically suitable one, has been awarded workers' compensation. Also in this article, a Queensland worker has failed to prove a manual lift caused his heart attack.
Electronic fatigue diaries improve safety, but privacy issues raised; NHVR reviewing disaster-inquiry recommendations; Two work deaths linked to forklift attachments; and Safety rebate program expanded to cover bigger NSW businesses.
WorkCover SA to be scrapped and replaced; Seven-step safety guide released; New Victorian dangerous goods Code commences; and Explosives and dozer alerts issued in Qld and WA.
In this update, OHS Alert recaps all the important OHS and workers' compensation legislative changes made in the third quarter of 2013. We also point subscribers to the most significant court and tribunal rulings and other developments in each jurisdiction.
The Queensland Government has promised to retain workers' comp coverage for journey injuries, but will introduce a common law threshold of five per cent whole person impairment.
Inspectors can deal with workload under safety-entry change, says Bleijie; Queensland's safest employers announced; and Alerts issued after near misses involving explosives.
Employers in Queensland - and perhaps the rest of Australia - that are willing to cut corners on safety to save money, will be able to "cover up dangerous practices" under a plan to amend the right-of-entry provisions of the WHS Act, unions have warned.
Employers urged to step up safety focus during October; Government told to tackle rising suicide and PTSD rates among soldiers; and Warnings issued after structure collapse and high winds.
