A superior court has quashed a decision acquitting a worker of recklessly contributing to a fatal crushing, ruling that the requisite test for a guilty verdict was whether the worker foresaw it was possible, rather than probable, that a death would occur.
OHS Alert has been given an exclusive look at new Australian research that is using thermal heat mapping technology to develop a comprehensive heat management strategy for outdoor workers.
A PCBU has been handed a pre-discount penalty of $300,000, after its "unexplained disregard" for guarding requirements led to the amputation of five of a teenage worker's fingers. Meanwhile, a repeat offender's latest safety fines have been increased significantly, after a regulator appealed.
The start dates for a range of new WHS clauses have been postponed in Western Australia, while a Bill providing presumptive compensation to certain workers with PTSD has been reintroduced in South Australia.
A WHS regulator has revealed that it has received hundreds of complaints about the conditions of workplace toilets, and highlighted the association between substandard facilities and poor safety outcomes.
An appeals tribunal has confirmed that being exposed to sanitisers widely-used during the COVID-19 pandemic caused a worker to develop a compensable sensitivity to various workplace chemicals.
A court has warned against undertaking "cursory" safety inspections for height work, in finding a PCBU's WHS breaches, relating to a fatal fall, warranted a $500,000 penalty.