WHS entry permit holders were entitled to rely on "hearsay information" from a union safety hotline to form the suspicion that WHS contraventions were occurring at a site, a commission has ruled. It also found the union was not required, for entry purposes, to obtain and record the names of hotline complainants.
In a decision that led to a fatality, a company director bypassed a company rule requiring mechanics to conduct field repairs of mobile plant because a vehicle's mechanical issue appeared to be minor, a court has heard.
> Workplace blitz to focus on RCDs and powerlines; > Repeat offender fined for multiple electrical safety breaches; and > Pre-task hazard assessment missed major risk.
> Model WHS Regulations amended ahead of GHS transition; > PCBU fined $100k over child's collision injuries in Qld; > All older tower cranes inspected too late in WA; and > SA PCBU contravened WHS clause covering MEWPs.
A major employer has been found liable for a worker's psychological disorder, with a commissioner stressing that the tone and demeanour of managers will always be relevant when determining whether their actions were reasonable.
> Employer fined in latest action on coffee burns; > Labour-hire workers not properly trained; and > PCBU and directors fined for disregarding asbestos regulations.
This article examines all the must-know workplace safety, workers' compensation and COVID-19 developments from July, August and September 2020, with highlights including a new WHS Code for the pandemic, the Dreamworld judgment, a record double-fatality fine and gross negligence cases.
> West Gate Bridge anniversary sends work safety message; > PCBU failed to enforce exclusion zones; and > Safety blitz moves to next Canberra suburb, issues 31 notices.
A business operator who failed to instruct workers on how to self-manage their work capacity in hot conditions has been fined over the heat stress death of a backpacker employee. Meanwhile, a company and one of its directors have been fined for failing to comply with or display a forklift-related prohibition notice.
