Three safety regulators have outlined how to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, choose the right respirator when working with harmful contaminants, and prevent Legionnaires' disease at work facilities.
Employers are being urged to apply higher-order hazard controls wherever practicable, after a new Safe Work Australia report found that more than three in five workers are regularly exposed to multiple hazards associated with occupational diseases.
A major UK study has identified a link between "fit notes" - which are being introduced in some areas of Australia - and a "downward trend" in long-term sick leave taken by workers.
A special Safe Work Australia report has found that while almost all construction employers take steps to identify and remove hazards, nearly one in three workers feel their conditions prevent them from working safely, and many believe that substance abuse is one of the "main possible causes" of injury.
Fatigued workers are significantly more likely than their non-tired counterparts to experience difficulties with everyday activities like walking - making otherwise routine tasks hazardous, researchers have found.
Introducing or changing drug and alcohol policies that include testing regimes create both opportunities and challenges for employers, which must consider consultation, privacy and a host of other matters throughout the process, an international law firm says.
A groundbreaking international study has confirmed that occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust can cause cancer. Meanwhile, the NSW EPA has announced plans to require coal mines to develop best-practice ways to cut diesel emissions.
