Injury-causing fatigue and delayed reaction times in workers increase significantly as workplace noise levels increase, a simulation of a noisy workplace has shown.
Employers with "noisy" workplaces have been urged to ensure mandatory hearing tests are carried out by authorised testers, given the provision of inaccurate data can have serious ramifications for businesses and their employees.
> Alarms ignored, worker killed, employer fined $540k; > WHS guides for worker accommodation and events released in NSW; and > WHS exemption extended in NSW.
In upholding a worker's noise-induced hearing loss claim, a tribunal has found claimants bear the onus of proving the relevant employment involved excessive noise exposure, before the evidentiary onus shifts to the respondent to show otherwise.
One-on-one training dramatically improves the effectiveness of workers' hearing protection devices, reducing the likelihood of improper fit and hearing loss, Canadian researchers have found.
Australia's first WHS Code of Practice for managing psychological risks, released for comment in NSW, advises duty holders to apply the hierarchy of controls and eliminate the risks by redesigning work processes.
French doctors have warned that the rushed use of disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic can cause toxic exposures, after nurses at their hospital developed eye growths from protective glasses. Meanwhile, a timely study has found a link between cold-weather work, occupational noise and heart attack risk.
A range of physical and chemical exposures increase workers' sensitivity to headaches and eye strain, putting them at greater risk of workplace accidents, researchers say.
