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Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recently issued a safety alert highlighting the risks associated with delivering concrete to mobile and static concrete pumps in the construction industry. The alert was issued following several recent incidents involving concrete delivery to pumps, which have caused actual and the potential for serious injuries.

What are the WHS implications of the “right to disconnect” Workers will be able to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employer as part of a new law which grants them the “right to disconnect” from work outside of normal working hours, unless the refusal is unreasonable.

Five workplace fatalities and several workplace incidents which resulted in serious injuries over one week serve as a tragic but timely reminder to employers and businesses about safety, according to SafeWork NSW. In 2022, there was approximately one workplace fatality a week in NSW, but in a period of four days, five people died at workplaces across the state.

The Queensland Government has commissioned an independent review of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to support proposed amendments to the state’s WHS laws introduced to Parliament late last year.

The Victorian Government is looking to review the sentencing of OHS offences committed by both individuals and organisations after it provided the Sentencing Advisory Council with terms of reference to make relevant recommendations for reform. This will be the first examination of sentencing practices for OHS offences since Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act came into effect almost 20 years ago.

Storytelling is an easy way to help boost engagement and the WHS profession is primed for storytelling and the benefits it can provide in terms of improved communication, according to an expert in the area.

More than one in five workers have experienced violence and harassment and OHS plays a key role in helping mitigate and manage associated risks, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).Violence and harassment can affect all types of workplaces and can also occur during commutes, work-related trips, events, digital communications, social activities and in home-based offices.

WorkSafe WA recently issued a reminder to employers and workers to consider all the precautions they should take when work is being undertaken in remote areas. Workers who regularly travel to remote areas of the state include tour operators and workers involved in supervising various recreational activities, mining workers such as prospectors and geologists, truck drivers and some farmers.

Professional firefighters have reduced movement quality as they age, which could put them at greater risk of injury, according to a new study. It found that firefighters over the age of 50 generally have lower movement quality than their younger counterparts, and would benefit from additional functional strength training to maintain a fit and healthy workforce.

Same-level falls in the workplace are set to rise amid rapid growth in the numbers of older female employees in the workforce, according to recent research. It found that although workplace falls, overall, are more common among male employees, particularly falls from height, same-level falls are more common in older women.