A PCBU that failed to properly train personnel on the use of heat sources around hazardous materials has been convicted and fined $800,000 for reckless conduct, after a worker was engulfed by flames and died.
Employers could be forced to overhaul incentive structures that discourage safety reporting, while WHS laws could be amended to correct an "anomaly" in the labour-hire sector, an inquiry into a methane explosion and injuries has suggested.
A PCBU's $200,000 WHS penalty and $190,000 costs order have been set aside on appeal, with a judge rejecting an expert witness's decisive claim against the upstream duty holder.
> John Holland charged with category-2 WHS breach; > Multiple electrical cases being referred to WHS Prosecutor; and > One WHS prohibition notice closes 13 sites.
A PCBU has committed to creating a WHS management role and other initiatives, after a first-year apprentice fell nearly four metres through a void. Meanwhile, a regulator has issued a warning to rogue electrical operators, highlighting a recent court injunction and a $100,000 fine.
> New exposure thresholds, height Code commence in two states; > Worker fined for reversing forklift without looking; and > Duty holders warned after rolling-vehicle death.
An upstream duty holder that was accused of breaching the harmonised WHS laws in relation to events that occurred before the laws commenced has been awarded $724,000 in costs - nearly $600,000 more than the prosecutor contended it was entitled to.
A Queensland business owner could be jailed for up to 20 years, after becoming the first individual to be charged with industrial manslaughter since the offence was enacted in the State in late 2017. A business has been charged with category-2 WHS breaches in relation to the same incident.
