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.
WorkSafe Victoria recently reminded employers about the serious legal consequences they face if they put workers at risk after the regulator completed 153 successful health and safety prosecutions last year.
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.
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.
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 farm worker received serious burns when using a flammable liquid to assist in burning off grape vine prunings.
WorkSafe Victoria recently conducted a safety blitz targeting life-threatening safety risks at construction sites in inner Melbourne and the western suburbs.
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