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There are a number of important issues and trends in workplace safety offences and fines for both companies and individuals, according to the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council. The vast majority of defendants sentenced for OHS offences in the state were companies (83 per cent), and of the 200 individuals sentenced, the large majority of individual defendants were male (97 per cent) and only six of them were women, said Dr Paul McGorrery, CEO of the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council.

Nearly 43 per cent of school principals triggered a “red flag” email in 2023, indicating serious psychosocial risks, potential for self-harm or serious impact on their quality of life, according to a recent research report. It also found that 54 per cent of principals reported being subjected to threats of violence (up from 49 per cent in 2022), 48 per cent reported being subjected to physical violence (up from 44 per cent in 2022) and bullying levels also rose to 38 per cent (up from 34 per cent in 2022).

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recently issued an alert following an incident in which a worker was killed as material unloading activities took place on a construction project. A dog trailer that was part of a rigid truck and single dog trailer combination rolled onto its side and pinned the worker underneath.

SafeWork SA recently issued a safety alert about the unsafe use of Class 3B and 4 lasers in entertainment venues, particularly in laser light shows. Lasers can add visual appeal to events but they can also pose potential risks to the health and safety of staff, performers and audiences if they are not used and managed properly.

Amusement rides, safe forklift operation, traffic management, working at heights and electrical safety as well as gas storage at food stalls have been subject to increased scrutiny by SafeWork NSW inspectors and engineers ahead of the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

WorkSafe Victoria recently launched a statewide blitz to tackle fall risks on building sites, such as unsafe or incomplete scaffolds, inappropriate ladder use, steps, stairs and voids or falling from or through roofs. The initiative was launched after nine Victorian workers died in 2023 as a result of falls from height, including four in the construction industry. The number of accepted workers’ compensation claims from construction workers injured in falls from heights also increased to 441 – up from 421 in 2022 and 404 the year before.

There has been a strong start to 2024 for the national HSE job market, with a 12.5 per cent increase in contracting opportunities and high demand for senior-level HSE professionals, according to recent research. While there was an expected seasonal slowdown over the Christmas period, employers began their hiring processes much earlier than usual after the break.

WHS professionals are in a crucial position to influence all pillars of an organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, according to an expert in the area. While the most obvious impact is in the area of physically and psychologically safe workplaces, the influence of WHS extends well beyond employee safety and reducing workplace incidents.

Any attempts by companies to rebrand engineered stone as another product to intentionally avoid the upcoming ban on engineered stone was recently condemned by federal, state and territory WHS ministers. WHS regulators should also take strong compliance and enforcement action about the ban, including addressing instances of rebranding engineered stone as a different product, according to the ministers.

One of the most significant barriers to psychosocial risk management is the competing interests of human resources and OHS around worker consultation, according to an expert in the area. For HR, the employee engagement or culture survey is the function’s primary way of understanding employee commitment and productivity drivers, and HR can be reluctant to add in new surveys to assess psychosocial risk, said Jason van Schie, managing director of psychological health and safety consultancy Flourish Dx.