The jailing of a business owner for industrial manslaughter, the commencement of a mirror WHS Act, legislative changes across most jurisdictions, and a host of judgments on work-related COVID matters, are just some of the issues covered by OHS Alert's first major review report of the year.
A worker who was required by law, and her employment duties, to report disclosures of abuse to authorities, is entitled to workers' compensation for an injury she suffered from a court appearance, where she was "vigorously" cross-examined, a tribunal has ruled.
An employer's decision to prevent a worker from attending his favoured worksite was not bullying, but informed by legitimate safety concerns over his behaviour, a commission has found in rejecting his bid for anti-bullying orders.
An employer cannot avoid liability for the injuries sustained by a worker in a football game, with his colleagues, through a doctor's vague suggestion that the game was not work-related.
A full supreme court has upheld a $1 million-plus damages award to a workplace volunteer, after finding a WHS duty holder created a situation "fraught with risk and danger" that drove his failure to take reasonable care for his own safety.
A plan to allow workers in a hazardous industry to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status through a "green tick approach" would be too susceptible to human error and could have "catastrophic" WHS consequences, a commission has ruled. Meanwhile, Tasmania has applied its close contact exemptions to more sectors.
An important ruling on the WHS consultation duties around COVID-19 vaccines, several reckless conduct cases and a string of legislative developments were among the safety and workers' comp highlights of the final quarter of 2021. Read this article for everything you need to know from the past three months.
