Comcare will over the next 12 months target and take action against employers that tolerate workplace bullying and a culture of "alcohol harm", according to its health and safety general manager, Neil Quarmby.
Western Australian employer fined for isolation failure after 15-year-old permanently injured; and Western Australia and the Northern Territory step up synthetic cannabis bans.
The Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) have from four comprehensive campaigns found that many employers are failing to ensure forklift and scaffolding work and manual tasks are performed safely, and are calling on businesses to promote higher-order controls.
Safe Work Australia has released its second suite of mine-specific draft model Codes of Practice for public comment, but the harmonisation process suffered another hiccup on Friday, with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry declining to endorse the draft Regulations at the SWA members meeting in Sydney.
Near-maximum safety fines handed to a South Australian employer and a director following the 2006 Gladstone factory explosion - which killed three workers - are likely to be reduced, after the Industrial Relations Court found the cause of the explosion was not as clear cut as a magistrate found it to be.
The Federal Court has imposed the maximum fine of $242,000 on the manufacturer of the Malu Sara, describing the Commonwealth-commissioned vessel, which took five lives when it sank in the Torres Strait, as "dangerously unseaworthy".
Workplace germ control urged as flu cases spiral; Unwary employers at risk of breastfeeding discrimination; and WorkCover NSW releases "officer" fact sheet, appoints new workers' comp bosses.
S-x-related workers' comp claim proceeds to Federal Court; Victorian employer that overlooked cheap, safe procedure fined $80K; Workers' comp fraudster caught after advertising second job; and Rail operators urged to crack down on Kronic.
A coronial investigation into the death of a Tasmanian worker has highlighted the importance of regularly assessing the competency of staff, no matter how extensive their experience. It has also demonstrated the limited utility of personal protective equipment.
Proposed national rail safety laws, released this morning for public consultation, will slash red tape and boost OHS outcomes, according to National Transport Commission chief executive Nick Dimopoulos.
