Shift work and working long hours significantly increase the chances of preterm birth, however, most work roles can be modified to reduce this risk. A Monash University-led study has found that pregnant women who worked long hours, shift work, physically demanding jobs, or in jobs that exposed them to whole-body vibration, were at increased risk of preterm birth.
While there is increased awareness of how psychological health can impact workers, some of the largest companies and government departments in Australia are yet to respond to the increasing regulator focus on workplace psychosocial risks
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NT WorkSafe recently issued new guidance material on managing the risks of fatigue when driving heavy vehicles.The new guide is intended to assist heavy vehicle owners and operators in the Northern Territory in developing and implementing appropriate fatigue management systems to eliminate or minimise the risks of fatigue, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Commonwealth, state and territory governments have unanimously agreed to prohibit the use, supply and manufacture of all engineered stone with the majority of jurisdictions to commence the prohibition from 1 July 2024.
WorkSafe WA recently issued a safety alert following an incident in which an employee was fatally injured after being struck by a section of pipe at a wastewater treatment plant during pipe modification works.
SafeWork SA recently issued a safety alert following an incident in which a safety lock on an automated machine was tampered with, which led to a serious crush injury. Inspectors recently attended a worksite where a worker had become trapped in an automated computer numerical control (CNC) machine and suffered broken ribs.
With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, WHS regulators are urging site managers and workers to not rush or cut corners when it comes to meeting end of year deadlines and to safely secure their sites heading into the Christmas break. Coming into the end of year, there can be a tendency on worksites around the state for employees to rush through jobs in an attempt to meet end of year deadlines, according to SafeWork NSW.
While the HSE job market has softened slightly over the past quarter, following a period of significant and sustained growth, job opportunities in the health, safety, wellbeing and environment sectors look promising in 2024.
Worsening economic conditions and worker shortages are placing increased pressure on WHS functions, with examples of WHS shortcuts, cost-cutting and an attitude of “nice to have if you can afford it” in many workplaces, according to a recent NSW Centre for Work Health and Safety report.
