Browsing: Workplace safety | Page 610

NT employer fined after failing to learn from industry death; and South Australia's safest employers announced.

A Queensland worker who was seriously injured when a ladder he stepped on broke - immediately after it was inspected and deemed safe - has lost his appeal for $1.1 million in damages.

A business that introduced a vacuum lifting system to reduce manual handling, and roof ventilation to improve the comfort of workers, has been announced as one of NSW's safest employers. Also in this article, the winners of the NSCA Awards have been announced.

Employers should consider reassessing their workplace drug testing regime in light of a recent National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) decision relating to saliva tests, according to law firm Ashurst.

WHS transitional arrangements that are due to expire at the end of the year in Queensland are likely to be extended by 12 months, while the State Government is set to approve eight model Codes of Practice.

Unions WA has called for the State Government to stop "bludging" and "get on with harmonising occupational health and safety laws", with Safe Work Australia's latest comparative report showing Western Australia's safety record is poor.

A worker has failed to convince the Fair Work Commission that his positive drug test was "exacerbated" by the surge of adrenalin he experienced while fighting a fire on a front-end loader.

NSW workers' comp premiums fall again; and Safety-court Bill passes in the ACT.

Employers will only incur significant costs from complying with new Codes of Practice if they aren't complying with existing safety laws, Safe Work Australia says in a consultation regulation impact statement for the draft model stevedoring Code.

Safe Work Australia has confirmed it will almost certainly dump the model Code of Practice on workplace bullying in favour of a guide, but prominent safety lawyer Barry Sherriff notes that under the WHS Act, a guide has a similar evidentiary status, in practice, as a Code.