An appeals court has upheld the acquittals of two PCBUs charged over the hypothermia death of a helicopter pilot, confirming that the "cascading" series of WHS measures they allegedly failed to adopt were not reasonably practicable.
Two company managers' needless insistence that a union official clarify the particulars of his WHS entry permit was a "gossamer-thin" justification for delaying his safety inspection, a court has found in a scathing ruling reiterating the practical purpose of permits.
Provisions enabling the "aggregation of conduct" are being added to the ACT's WHS laws to deal with offences like reckless conduct, hindering inspectors and supplying incorrectly labelled chemicals, under a Bill that also significantly increases WHS penalties.
The final quarter of 2023 was marked by wholesale WHS changes affecting all duty holders. This report examines the amendments, as well as changes to other laws and all the need-to-know caselaw from the period.
Two companies and a director have been ordered to pay more than $347,000 in damages to a worker, after a defectively welded and poorly inspected roller door component fell on the worker's head and caused serious long-term injuries.
Safe Work Australia has committed to immediately drafting changes to the national model WHS laws to reflect the outcomes of yesterday's WHS ministers meeting on engineered stone and other issues. The non-harmonised state of Victoria will make similar changes to its safety legislation.
In a case highlighting the remote-work-related WHS duties of employers and workers, the Fair Work Commission has upheld the pay sanction imposed on a teacher who drank from a cask of wine in a video meeting.