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An employer's permit-to-work system for hazardous tasks was "routinely not followed" by employees, resulting in a worker's death, the Western Australian Coroner has found.

Coronial inquiries into emergency personnel suicides have recommended employers train managers to identify stress and depression in workers, and introduce mentor programs.

The messages of the national Heads Up initiative appear to be sinking in, with a new report showing the number of employers providing workers with mental health awareness training and information has increased by 29 per cent since the initiative was launched 12 months ago.

Most workers are in two minds about participating in workplace health checks, being both concerned about employers interfering in their personal lives, and happy for the opportunity to improve their wellbeing, Dutch researchers have found.

Employers must do much more than provide OHS materials in multiple languages to ensure the safety of immigrant workers, the UK's Trades Union Congress says. Meanwhile, a Sydney University researcher is calling for employers to reduce the "mental strain" faced by workers from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Workplace falls were the main cause of fatalities in the construction industry over the 12 years to 2013-14, with falls from roofs and ladders causing more than half of the deaths, according to a new Safe Work Australia report.

Exposure to traffic noise increases the risk of abdominal obesity, European researchers have found. They say people exposed to multiple noise sources are at particularly high risk of increasing waist sizes, and noise could cause a range of other health problems.

• James Hardie profit shows it can compensate asbestos victims; and
  
• Mesothelioma death rate reaches record high.

Employee stress levels relating to 13 out of 16 work factors identified by the American Psychological Association - including problems with co-workers and dangerous conditions - have increased over the last three years, according to a new report.

A recent study, which found many workers in the riskiest jobs know little about safety, has highlighted the need for OHS practitioners to develop better educational resources, such as online Q&As, according to a safety researcher.