A commission full bench has rejected a sacked health and safety representative's claim that posting unverified and incorrect information on a safety-related shutdown on Facebook was not a serious matter warranting dismissal.
Workers have been urged to anonymously report hazards and incidents to a work health and safety regulator if they feel their workplace consultation processes haven't or can't resolve their concerns.
The powers of health and safety reps in one of Australia's most hazardous sectors must be stepped up and aligned with those in the model WHS Act to combat a "culture of fear and reprisal", an inquiry has found. However, Government members of the inquiry warn against harmonisation "simply for the sake of consistency".
The Federal Court has imposed and upheld right-of-entry fines totalling nearly $600,000 against the CFMMEU, and confirmed that a swipe card incident was a "worst category" safety breach, but declined to make a personal payment order against an OHS officer.
WHS consultants, lawyers and occupational hygienists will have an explicit duty to ensure their services don't create health and safety risks at client sites, if recommendations on the development of a harmonised WHS Bill are adopted in Western Australia.
A health and safety representative sacked for posting incorrect information that he believed to be true on Facebook, has failed to convince a commission that his conduct resulted from his employer's failure to communicate or consult with him on WHS matters.
A major employer has unsuccessfully argued, on appeal, that a doctor's opinion that a health and safety officer's psych injury arose from workplace bullying was flawed in failing to address the impact of other factors.
