A significant proportion of Australian workers are exposed to noise levels above regulated occupational limits, and nearly all of those are at risk of further hearing loss through exposure to chemicals.
A workplace quad bike victim's injury damages have been increased by 40 per cent on appeal. Meanwhile, a worker has failed to prove his noisy workplace was noisy enough to cause his tinnitus.
A worker has been awarded nearly $2 million in damages, after a court found his employer negligently allowed a defective alarm to be left unattended in an office, resulting in him sustaining whiplash injuries when it was accidentally activated.
A commission has upheld the dismissal of a worker who breached his employer's smoking policy - which was "reasonable, clear and made known" to him - and removed his hearing protection before instead of after leaving a noisy area to go to the toilet.
BHP is establishing a set of universal minimum safety requirements for engaging and managing contractors across its global operations and also plans to improve how it investigates safety incidents and shares lessons learned, after the death of two workers during the 2018 financial year, the global resources company says in its latest sustainability report.
The "action level" for workplace noise exposure and the benefits of hearing protective devices vary between individuals, while noise controls must mitigate the risk of exposure to ototoxic chemicals, according to a new guidance statement from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
> VLC safety blitz pushes for national changes; > Coroner makes workplace seatbelt recommendations; > Develop safety plan and stick to it, harvesters told; and > Regulator releases reports on carcinogens, noise and concussion.
A unique Monash University report has found that while the truck driving sector is notorious for fatal and debilitating crashes, more than four in five lost-time injuries result from other causes. It also identifies the geographical regions that will benefit most from interventions, and warns that falling claim numbers could be linked to legislative changes rather than safety improvements.
In addition to hearing loss, workers exposed to noisy workplaces are significantly more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease like high cholesterol and hypertension, NIOSH researchers have found.
