Browsing: Workplace safety court and tribunal decisions | Page 229

A worker who claims he was falsely accused of a safety breach has been given the green light to pursue compensation from three companies under the discriminatory-conduct provisions of the harmonised WHS Act.

• Two employers and director found guilty of asbestos breaches;
  
• Prime contractor, consignor and driver fined for safety breaches; and
  
• Five WHS Codes of Practice amended in ACT.

A worker who was assaulted at a work Christmas party has been denied damages on appeal, after a court confirmed a duty holder couldn't have foreseen that a group of boisterous drinkers would become violent.

A major employer has been fined $70,000 for safety breaches identified during an investigation into a work-related fatality, even though the breaches didn't contribute to the incident or death.

• Supreme Court decision sends safety-document warning;
  
• Anti-bullying regime creating "adversarial" environments; and
  
• Victoria establishes taskforce to tackle occupational violence.

A company has been acquitted of fatality-related WHS breaches, after a judge found it was "diligent" in its attempts to protect non-employees, and was entitled to rely on the expertise of a downstream duty holder.

The High Court will determine whether a mesothelioma-related cause of action arises at the time asbestos is inhaled or when the symptoms of the disease become apparent, after an employer was granted special leave to appeal against a $425,000 damages award.

A young worker who died after being left to operate a forklift alone in an industrial freezer hadn't received OHS or forklift training, the NSW Coroner has found.

A worker who was injured when she tripped over a box at work has been denied damages, after the NSW Court of Appeal found it wasn't reasonable for her to expect her workplace to be free from "obvious" hazards.

• Injured doctor awarded $959k in Pel-Air case;
  
• Man fined heavily for intimidating WorkCover inspector; and
  
• Survey to guide workers' comp improvements.