As a leaked BHP Billiton email adds further fuel to the fire in the enterprise-agreement dispute between the company and Queensland coal miners, a union boss explains why employees in certain safety-critical roles must remain outside the "management structure".
South Australian on-hire agencies to pay lower workers' comp levies; Workplace fatality reports reveal high pedestrian and rural death rates; Rollover-protection opponents relying on flawed simulation tests; Comcare's inaugural health and safety awards open; and WorkCover NSW hosting free harmonisation webinars.
A Queensland employer that asked an unwitting worker about her s-x life during an internal inquiry has provided a valuable lesson on how not to manage a misconduct investigation.
Queensland's mining industries "continue to rank among the safest in the world", with the latest Safety Performance and Health Report showing that LTIFRs and injury duration rates are falling, State Mining Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says.
A Queensland concreting employer has successfully argued that it sacked a team leader - who earned $1.50 an hour more than other employees - for "sound financial reasons", and not because of his back injury.
Mining employers have a range of options - under their fatigue and drug-testing policies - for improving workplace health and safety, including banning otherwise legal substances, the Queensland Mines Inspectorate has advised.
Global hazardous chemicals system takes effect under model laws; Queensland employer fined for maintenance failure after death; Free Tasmanian service to boost worker health and productivity; and Western Australia's veteran Mines Minister announces retirement.
Fair Work Australia has upheld the summary dismissal of a Bunnings employee who allegedly threatened to shoot a customer services manager and was arrested by police at work.
Employers that rely on safe-lifting training to control the risks associated with manual tasks could be in breach of safety laws, Queensland's OHS regulator has warned.
In this update, OHS Alert outlines all the important OHS and workers' compensation legislative changes made in the final quarter of 2011. We also recap the most significant court and tribunal rulings and other developments in each jurisdiction.