An employer has been fined $400,000 over the death of an inexperienced worker, in a decision that could jeopardise its ability to tender for Commonwealth-funded work.
Employers have wellbeing-related duties to contractors and subcontractors and need to think outside the square and build relationships with those who might be suffering from poor mental health, a workplace mental wellness expert says.
Employers that issue "worker permits" to employees capable of working from home, or without implementing a COVID Safe Plan, could be fined $100,000 under pandemic restrictions commencing in Victoria tonight. Meanwhile, NSW has established a permit system for workers entering the State from Victoria, and Queensland has closed its border to NSW, with exemptions for essential workers.
Employers have been warned they bear the onus of ensuring their sites comply with the new COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, which include stringent PPE requirements and workforce caps in many cases, while doctors have warned of the consequences of never "switching off" while working from home during the pandemic.
NSW has lived up to its promise to step up enforcement of coronavirus health orders by fining 10 employers in a blitz. Meanwhile, a Victorian workplace with COVID-19 cases has been closed following Fair Work Commission talks and a visit from an occupational physician.
With Victoria recording 723 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the State Government has extended its face mask rule to all regions and vowed to do more to control the work-related pandemic risks, while NSW has extended its hygiene marshal requirement to another industry.
> Employer fined $850k over missing SWMS and fatality; > Individual convicted for hindering WHS investigation; and > More WHS offences attract on-the-spot fines in NT.
Failing to fill in a hole in a workplace floor, even in areas that workers typically avoid, can constitute an act of negligence, a court has found in a case involving a major government employer.
Safety regulators and police will target workplaces and enforce the use of face masks under a Victorian plan to tackle the concerning increase in COVID-19 cases in the State. Meanwhile, Safe Work Australia has released a checklist for complying with WHS laws while transitioning workers back to usual workplaces during the pandemic.
Many employers use labour-hire workers believing this will reduce their safety obligations, but when a worker has more than one employer the safety responsibilities are shared, at all times, a senior management systems auditor has stressed.
