A major employer's safety fine has been nearly quadrupled to $110,000, with an appeals court finding its culpability was increased rather than mitigated by the misconduct of a "rogue" supervisor, who seriously injured a non-employee.
A company and its director have been fined a total of $175,000 for dangerous goods offences uncovered by police investigating a burglary. Meanwhile, the ACTU has issued heat and smoke alerts and called for WHS laws that "deal with the reality of climate change".
A government employee who drove a heavy vehicle into a remand prisoner - a fatality that led to two workplace health and safety prosecutions - was directed to drive the vehicle despite raising concerns about his lack of experience or familiarity with the truck, an inquest has found.
The director of a company with a long history of safety and entry contraventions had a "deliberate policy" to breach entry laws because he believed he was being targeted by a union, the Federal Circuit Court has found in fining the director, the company and a supervisor.
A coronial inquest into the death of an Australia Post motorcyclist, who was struck by reversing machinery, has made recommendations for reducing public safety hazards around work sites, and highlighted cross-jurisdictional issues that hampered the regulatory response to the incident.
> BHP failed to mark unsafe work road; > Parliamentary committee seeks feedback on NT manslaughter Bill; and > Bill narrows labour-hire scheme with WHS test in SA.
An employer that allowed a substation where a double fatality occurred to be used as a storeroom has been fined for access and egress breaches, while the Department of Defence has been charged with three category 2 WHS breaches, after a man's leg was amputated.
An employer negligently relied on a very experienced and highly regarded worker to perform his tasks safely, a court has found in awarding the worker nearly $1 million in injury damages.
> Sleep deprivation a "dangerous cycle" for workers and employers; > SWMS failure leads to $100k safety fine; and > Changing safe system of work causes serious fall.
