In the lead up to the busy Easter holiday period, and in light of a recent fatality, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is urging employers to ensure safe practices are in place at roadwork sites. It also advises employers to reduce the risks of psychological injury through supervisory support and other measures.
A Queensland employer has entered a $192,000 enforceable undertaking, and spent $224,000 improving its flawed electrical permit-to-work system, after an apprentice received an electric shock.
The high number of workers' comp claims lodged in Queensland every year could be nearly halved under an amended system for reporting injuries, according to a Q-COMP plan available for public comment.
A Queensland worker, who claimed he suffered a back injury while receiving rehabilitative physiotherapy for a work-related knee injury, has lost his bid for workers' compensation in the IRC.
Injured workers less likely to sue if supervisors contact them; Safety inspectors issue 129 notices in a week; and Research on quad bike stability commences in NSW.
A work-related psychological injury that arises from two stressors - s-xual harassment and perceived bullying - is still compensable if one of the stressors is considered reasonable management action, the Queensland IRC has found in upholding a worker's claim.
Safe Work Australia's latest annual key statistics report shows that Australia's 1100 OHS inspectors issue about 60,000 notices a year. Also in this article, a work death involving an industrial door is being investigated in Queensland.
The risk posed by a protruding door handle on a cupboard in an office was obvious and could have been eliminated by an employer "without undue difficulty or expense", a Queensland judge has found in upholding a worker's damages claim.
In this article, OHS Alert highlights recent safety alerts and other work health and safety developments from Queensland, NSW, South Australia, Victoria, Safe Work Australia and the ATSB.
