The Federal Government has claimed that the new ACTU secretary's controversial comments on workplace fatalities have been "exposed as baseless", while an employer has hit out at accusations that it provided workers with squalid accommodation between split shifts.
A worker caught using his mobile phone while unloading fuel from a tanker has failed to convince the Fair Work Commission that his misconduct was merely a "30-second error of judgement" caused by fatigue and the stress of being bullied.
Employers have been urged to take psychological risks as seriously as other workplace hazards, after an audit found that few mining operations properly consult with workers on mental wellbeing strategies.
Shift work has been widely linked to impaired sleep and poor safety outcomes, but it also diminishes a worker's ability to perform daily activities like running errands or paying bills, and can lead to reckless behaviour, US researchers have found.
Employers have been urged to ensure their contractors have the skills to manage fatigue, after three companies were found liable for a worker's car-crash injuries and $1.25 million damages bill.
Supervisors are in the best position to minimise the negative impact that heavy workloads and client aggression have on workers' private lives, according to European researchers.
Health services will ensure remote workers are accompanied by second responders during emergency call-outs, and appoint experienced WHS advisors to oversee and support them, under review recommendations accepted by the Northern Territory Government.
