Mock court proceedings will be held as part of a Victorian employer's $150,000 enforceable undertaking - entered into after a non-employee was injured - to ensure managers know their safety obligations and the consequences of not following safety rules.
Three major employers have claimed, in their latest performance reports, that they have improved health and safety by inviting contractors and customers on safety walks, restructuring OHS systems, and offering health and wellbeing initiatives, such as skin screening.
OHS committees that conduct safety walkthroughs prior to meetings can observe real risks and improve health and safety by engaging workers, says OHS consultant Jenny Lewis.
A Parliamentary Committee recommends passing Queensland's WHS Amendment Bill, which aims to make regulators the "first port of call" for workers with safety concerns by reducing the powers of HSRs and unions, but it says employers will have to pay for additional inspectors.
A young Queensland worker who suffered back injuries in a dump truck incident, and then aggravated those injuries in another truck incident during her second day in alternative duties, has been awarded $1.4 million in damages.
