Designers of structures are obligated, under the harmonised WHS Act, to provide safety information to "any person who carries out activities in relation to the structure" if requested, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland says in a Q&A for the construction sector.
"Funky" initiatives involving yoga and herbal tea have been a key part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's successful health and wellbeing program.
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.
An anti-bullying tool has been developed by WorkCover NSW to help employers eradicate the "$100 million" workplace problem. Also in this article, the NSW Government has injected $1 million into research to reduce the high quad-bike-related fatality rate.
"Broader" OHS investigation flagged after ACT work death; Retailer adopts paperless OHS system for 140 sites; Alert issued after miner injured in explosion; and NSW and Queensland hosting free WHS and RTW seminars.
Many injured NSW workers are likely to turn to the State IRC and Fair Work Australia to block the reduction of their weekly benefits under the new step-down provisions of the Workers Compensation Act, according to a leading law firm.
A spate of work-related suicides and rising stress rates have prompted the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and other international bodies, to call on employers to continue investing heavily in OHS, for both ethical and economic reasons.
"Harvesting" worker knowledge key to reducing risks; SA Greens call for introduction of WHS manslaughter provisions; ACT accused of undermining safety through procurement process; WorkSafe ACT releases guidance notes on workplace bullying and other issues; and Comcare updates rehab forms and learning modules.
Employers should consider offering flexible shift lengths to combat sleep deficiency, which has been identified as a major health problem for workers, US researchers have advised.
