With the landmark ban on engineered stone coming into effect, Safe Work Australia has issued a warning about the harmful and significant costs of exposure to respirable crystalline silica generated when engineered stone is processed with power tools. Under the ban, which came into effect on 1 July 2024, the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs is prohibited in every state and territory in Australia.
Leading food delivery companies and e-bike providers were recently warned about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries following a number of incidents in which the batteries caught fire. For several months, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and SafeWork NSW representatives have met with a range of companies, including Uber Eats and DoorDash, which have agreed to educate their delivery riders about how to safely store and charge their e-bikes.
A concrete pumping company in Balwyn North, Victoria, has been convicted and fined $50,000 after a concrete boom pump snapped and fatally struck a worker. Prisbel Concrete Pumping was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court after earlier pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide or maintain safe plant. The company was also ordered to pay $8179 in costs.
SafeWork SA recently issued a safety alert about the use of pallet trucks and tailgate lifters following an incident in which a worker was injured in the second serious incident this year. The incident occurred while contractors were delivering stock in Adelaide’s northern suburbs on 13 June this year.
The NSW Government recently announced that it will introduce a bill to create the offence of industrial manslaughter, which allows for a maximum penalty of 25 years jail for an individual or $20 million in fines for a body corporate. NSW is the last state (barring Tasmania) without industrial manslaughter laws, which allow for a business or individual to be held responsible for the death of a person due to gross negligence in the workplace.
WorkSafe Victoria recently issued a safety alert about the health and safety risks of stacking boxes in cold rooms following an incident in which a young employee was struck on the head by falling boxes. The employee, who was restocking a cold room in a fast food restaurant, suffered a concussion and needed medical treatment. The boxes of frozen fries and patties weighed up to 16kg each and were stacked about 2 metres high.
In its latest biannual health surveillance report, Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) has underscored significant concerns in the state’s resources industry, with a sharp focus on psychosocial hazards, sexual harassment, and the implementation of the ResHealth system. These issues have seen increased regulatory attention and reporting, reflecting both heightened awareness and the persistent challenges faced by workers in the sector.
A well-developed culture of safety not only enhances safety performance but also drives financial success, according to an international research study. It found companies that invested in robust safety policies, employee training, and comprehensive safety management systems saw substantial improvements in safety metrics, which translated into better financial results.
A notable rise in serious injuries caused by falls from heights has prompted SafeWork SA to launch an awareness campaign to keep workers safe. The state’s workplace health and safety regulator today revealed that 2023 saw a 36 per cent increase in the number of serious workplace injuries caused by falling from heights across all industries compared to the previous year.
The introduction of industrial manslaughter laws in every mainland jurisdiction, together with recent proposed changes to laws in some states, has resulted in a renewed focus on the laws by duty holders, according to an international law firm. While the laws do not introduce any new duties, it does mean the stakes are significantly higher for companies and individual officers when it comes to dealing with the aftermath of an incident resulting in a death, said Sarah Connolly, a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills.
