Queensland shift workers have been assured they will still be covered by the journey-claim provisions of the State WCR Act if they stop for a sleep on their way home from work.
Employers that extend shift hours without consulting workers are likely to have high turnover and "burn through" young staff, a mining survey suggests. Also in this article, ATO managers are being blocked from calling sick workers at home.
The common assumption that one long sleep every day is the best way to recover from work-related fatigue could be flawed, according to Australian researchers, who are investigating the advantages of "split" work-rest schedules.
Employers, when designing rosters, must balance the benefits of long shifts with the impact they can have on workers' sleep patterns, a sleep expert says.
Employers have been advised to educate shift workers on cardiovascular problems to stop early manifestations of disease, after a Canadian study of more than two million people found shift work is linked to heart attacks and strokes.
Shift work and obesity have been linked to low back pain (LBP), which increases absence rates and costs the Australian economy $9 billion a year in direct and indirect costs, an Australian study has found.
Western Australia commits to OHS harmonisation in State budget; NSW shift caps retained under national rail safety laws; New harmonisation guide released for Tasmanian miners; and Northern Territory high-risk licences about to expire.
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.
