An employer has been fined $220,000 over a workplace death, with the Federal Court finding that not only were the employer's safety processes deficient, it had inadequate procedures in place to ensure compliance with its OHS policies.
The High Court has found that a Fair Work Ombudsman intervention in favour of an injured worker didn't block the man from suing his former employer for damages under workers' comp laws.
Two national employers are facing category 2 safety charges, in the second and third criminal proceedings filed under the Commonwealth jurisdiction's mirror WHS Act. Meanwhile, a Western Australian company has been fined for height-safety breaches.
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 national employer has been fined a record $363,000 over the death of a non-employee, after the Federal Court found it should be penalised for its conduct both before and after the fatal incident.
Comcare has defended its capacity to police WHS matters as the scheme expands to include more licensees, after the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) claimed a recent prosecution shows it is failing in its regulatory role.
John Holland has been fined $110,000 in the first of two safety prosecutions it is facing relating to the incident-ridden construction of the Brisbane Airport Link.
The Federal Court has fined 23 workers $1000 each for walking off a job for health reasons, after finding low water pressure in the job site's bathrooms didn't pose an "imminent risk" to health and safety.
