The average office desk has four hundred times more bacteria than a toilet seat and is likely to house the common cold virus, making workers sick, an economic-impact report says.
The return-to-work rate of injured workers who receive 'extensive' employer support is seven times higher than for those who receive no support, a Safe Work Australia survey has found. Also in this article, SWA has released a fact sheet on workers' comp laws relating to psychological injuries.
A Safe Work Australia-commissioned study has identified four key contributing factors to the country's most common occupational skin diseases. The agency has also added 112 new chemicals to its Hazardous Substances Information System (HSIS).
Employers that introduce workplace mental health initiatives will receive an average return of $2.30 for every dollar they invest, according to a new report.
Operator error and lack of fall protection are two factors employers should address to reduce truck-related fatalities, a new Safe Work Australia report says.
Workplace interventions based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and aimed at the entire workforce, significantly reduce depression among employees, according to Australian researchers.
Paramedics operate in "uncontrollable" workplaces and are far more likely to be killed than other workers, but more could be done to tackle their high fatality and injury rates, according to Australian researchers.
Fifteen-minute "booster breaks" improve worker health and camaraderie, according to researchers, who explain how to get management buy-in for health promotion initiatives.
A new report has found that more than 700 Australians die from mesothelioma and asbestosis every year, and workers continue to be exposed to asbestos fibres. Meanwhile, a union warns the death toll will rise if the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council is abolished.
