> Safety regulator issues workplace measles warning; > New fitness-for-work and ground control guidance released in WA; and > Work alerts issued after three fatalities in NSW.
Employers have been warned there are no excuses for allowing workers to risk their safety by clearing machinery that is not switched off, after a company was convicted over a young worker's injuries. Meanwhile, the employer of a worker killed by a runaway vehicle could be fined up to $9 million, after being charged with WHS offences.
A major employer in the health sector is implementing a "kiosk system" with status alerts to monitor contractors and safety performance, as part of a WHS undertaking relating to the death of a newborn baby and severe injuries sustained by another.
> Walk to work and hold walking meetings tomorrow; > Pre-start checks urged after death, alerts issued in three jurisdictions; and > WHS exemptions made for ACT chemicals, ARPANSA releases guide.
> Identify and control workplace methamphetamine risks; > Dust blitz includes surprise visits, WHS notice blocks vehicle use; and > Mobile scaffold warning issued after fatality.
The NSW Government has confirmed it is considering amending the State WHS Act to make it "stronger" and easier to prosecute offences, while regulators have issued alerts with prevention strategies after a series of workplace fatalities and other incidents.
Excessive prescription of opioid medication is doubling the risk of long-term disability among injured workers, and highlights the need for workers' compensation schemes to take urgent action, says a leading occupational health researcher.
