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.
The NSW Government recently launched a strategy that outlines how SafeWork will support employers to manage risks and comply with their duty to prevent psychological harm in NSW workplaces. The SafeWork NSW Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2024-2026 will be supported by $5.6 million in government funding over the next two years to deliver workplace mental health programs through the Black Dog Institute and Transitioning Well.
WorkSafe Victoria recently released new guidance to improve forklift safety and launched a state-wide inspection program to help drive down the toll of forklift-related deaths and injuries. The newly-published guidance provides advice to employers on the safe use and maintenance of forklifts and highlights the need to separate forklifts from people on the ground.
A recent WorkSafe WA report has found that the top 20 workplace hazards have led to 25,000 years of lost time over the period of a decade. Manual handling was the worst hazard group by total time lost from work, accounting for 40 per cent of all lost time, while “trips on clear ground” was the worst hazard, with 4300 years lost and 17,800 claims at a cost of $700 million.
WorkSafe Victoria recently issued a safety alert about the risks of using hardened steel tools on hardened steel following an incident in which a worker was injured when a hardened steel hammer shattered. The employee was working as an underground drill operator and was trying to separate jammed drill consumables by striking the shank.
SafeWork SA recently issued a safety alert following a recent near miss that highlighted the dangers of using unsecured lifting jibs on forklifts. A worker narrowly escaped being hit by a load of steel when the lifting jib, which was incorrectly attached to the tynes of a forklift, slipped off and landed on adjacent machinery causing damage.
While construction companies have traditionally focused on managing work-related physical safety risks, they have yet to pay close attention to managing work-related health and wellbeing risks, according to RMIT University. This is even though construction workers are exposed to a vast array of well-known occupational health risks, including hazardous chemicals, airborne dust and fibres, ultraviolet radiation, noise, vibration, and biological and zoonotic hazards, said Helen Lingard, Distinguished Professor in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University.
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.
