Browsing: WHS legislation, regulations, standards and codes (National) | Page 3

• Senators seek to fast-track work safety provisions;
  
• SWA launches interactive WHS tools for two industries; and
  
• New review aims to reduce injury premiums in NSW.

The Commonwealth has become the latest WHS jurisdiction to explicitly ban the uncontrolled processing of engineered stone products, under one of a range of changes made by a new legislative instrument.

Australia has taken a big leap towards banning engineered stone products, with the country's WHS ministers agreeing to release a "powerful and compelling" Safe Work Australia report that recommends the ban, and warns there is no evidence that alternative measures can curb the alarming rate of silicosis in engineered stone workers.

Special protections for first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder are among the "urgent worker safety measures", in the Federal Government's Closing Loopholes Bill, which two crossbench senators are attempting to fast-track through four separate pieces of legislation.

• New strategies needed for WHS-style anti-harassment duties; and
  
• Information-gathering powers added to SWA Act.

• WHS changes commence in Commonwealth jurisdiction;
  
• Two companies fined over labour-hire safety incident; and
  
• Violence reports increasing in mining workplaces.

• New work safety laws and codes to follow major explosion;
  
• Two new WHS Codes of Practice made in ACT; and
  
• Roll-away alert quickly followed by serious roll-away incident.

• Climate change powers proposed for WHS committees; and
  
• WHS inspectors to wear cameras in SA.

• Director and manager face jail over arm amputation; and
  
• Safe-rates provisions included in Bill that increases WHS penalties.

Businesses and public authorities covered by the Commonwealth jurisdiction's WHS laws could soon face the toughest WHS penalties in the country, under a major amendment Bill that will also introduce presumptive workers' compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder.