VIC: Congratulations to WorkSafe Award recipients
Workplace safety leaders have been recognised in the annual WorkSafe Victoria Awards, with recipients ranging from a second generation health and safety representative to the Australian Ballet and an invention that makes it safer to work at height. There were a record 160 entries with 31 finalists in this year’s awards. Read the media release:
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VIC: Do you put others at risk?
The death of a truck driver who was run over by his truck and a city scaffold collapse which narrowly missed four school girls show that Victorians must do more to create safe workplaces. Read the media release:
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VIC: Man crushed by truck in work accident
A 36-year-old man has died after he was crushed by a truck at a work site. It is believed the man was carting land fill into a chook farm when the incident occurred. Police have been told that after emptying a load of soil, the man got out of his rigid tip truck and stood beside the rear wheel of the dog trailer. It appears the truck has then rolled backwards onto him, pinning the man under the driver’s side wheels. Read the Victoria Police media release:
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VIC: Construction Summit raises awareness of health and wellbeing
On 23 October WorkSafe brought more than 200 construction industry stakeholders together at the Melbourne Museum to hear about an emerging issue in workplaces - health and wellbeing.
During the day, which was part of Work Safe Week, stakeholders heard from peak health bodies about the extent of poor health and lack of wellbeing in the community and the impact it is having on work life, home life and the economy. Speakers from these organisations also outlined initiatives that workers and employers can do right now to improve health and wellbeing.
Topics included:
- Constructing health - working together for health and industry (Todd Harper - VicHealth)
- The legend lives on - raising awareness of prostate cancer (Ted Whitten - EJ Whitten Foundation & Dr Doug Travis - AMA Victoria)
- Diabetes - the epidemic of the 21st century (Greg Johnson - Diabetes Australia - Victoria)
- The cold heart facts about coronary heart disease (Professor Ian Meredith - Heart Foundation - Victoria)
- Work and life balance ... a new reality for the construction industry (Tony Arnel - Building Commission & Siusan MacKenzie - Equilibrium Worklife Solutions)
- Work and life balance - it's OK to talk about it at Probuild (Ted Yencken - Probuild Constructions)
- Managing depression in the workplace (Jeff Kennett & Dr Nicole Highet - beyondblue - the national depression initiative)
- Fatigue, safety and health (Peter Simpson - BSS Corporate Psychology Services)
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VIC: AIRAH: Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration Awareness & Safety Seminars
Ammonia has been identified as the third most hazardous material and is widely used across Victoria in industrial plants. It is used in all sectors of the food and beverage industry. These presentations, held by Australian Institute of Refridgeration Air Conditioning & Heating (AIRAH), are intended to provide an overview of the compliance requirements based on the relevant Australian Standards, the importance of having competent staff onsite as well as qualified maintenance contractors, risk management, OHS and ammonia emergency response.
Details:
Melbourne: Wednesday 14 November, 2007, Quality Hotel Downtowner, 66 Lygon Street Carlton
Traralgon: Wednesday 21 November, 2007, Latrobe Convention Centre, 5601 Princes Hwy, Traralgon
TIME: 1.00pm for 1.30pm start until 6pm
COST: AIRAH members: $100 Non-members $150
RSVP: Wednesday 7 November, 2007 to heather@airah.org.au
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ACT: Important notice on Certificates of Competency
WorkCover has urged all holders of “old style” Certificates of Competency for Plant and Machinery, issued in the ACT before 2000, be updated to a National Certificate of Competency. The notice explains the advantages of updating and how to go about it:
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NSW: WorkCover
WorkCover NSW has issued its Workers Compensation Statistical Bulletin for the 2005-06 financial year. The bulletin provides information about the causes and effects of workers compensation claims to assist individuals and organisations in their endeavour to prevent workplace injury and disease and to minimise the social and economic cost of claims through injury management practices. Download the bulletin:
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NSW: Workshop safety lapse results in tragic consequences
A company has pleaded guilty to breaching section 8(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after the death of an employee. A senior mechanic was working under a tractor in the company’s workshop when a bolt attaching the chain supporting the machine gave way and the tractor fell on him, resulting in his death. Read more:
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NSW: NSW cuts premium after boost in scheme surplus
The NSW WorkCover scheme has continued to perform strongly in the six months to June 2007. The latest independent valuation estimates the scheme surplus has increased to $812 million.
The NSW Government will pass on the improvement by cutting the premium rate to 1.77 per cent and providing a package of improvements to workers compensation benefits.
:
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WA: WorkSafe WA investigates death of worker
WorkSafe WA is investigating the work-related death of a 22-year-old employee who is believed to have been trapped under heavy equipment. No other details are available. Read the media release:
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QLD: Man killed in Cairns shipyard
It has been reported that aman was killed at a shipyard in north Queensland after he was struck by an out of control, high pressure sandblasting hose. Investigations are continuing. Read the media report:
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QLD: Alert - Stability requirements for telescopic handlers used as cranes
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has issued an alert on the use of telescopic handlers used as cranes following a number of incidents where plant used in the crane mode, have overturned:
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QLD: Criteria for the assessment of drugs in coal mines
The Department of Mines has release a standard on criteria for the assessment of drugs in coal mines. This applies to all mines required to have a safety and health management system for controlling risks associated with drug consumption or ingestion for persons at a mine, including workers and visitors:
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QLD: Study: Coal industry challenged by housing, safety and work-life balance
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is proposing to develop an education program for principal contractors, employers and non-English speaking workers.
This follows a number of incidents on building and construction sites where workers have either been at risk, or unable to communicate risk, because of language barriers.
As a first step, a short online survey has been developed to determine what common languages are being spoken and in what areas of the industry. :
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QLD: STUDY REVEALS INTERESTING ISSUES
A study by Central Queensland University into people management issues at the Bowen Basin's coal mines has found managing the scarcity of housing supply, shiftwork design, managing safety and achieving work-life balance top the list:
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SA: Draft Learning Outcomes for Responsible Officer Training - public comment sought
The draft 'Learning Outcomes for Responsible Officer Training' course is available for public comment for a period of four weeks, ending on Wednesday 14 November 2007.
The course has been developed to assist in delivering training for responsible officers to satisfy the training requirements of section 61 of the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act:
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SA: Review of the OHS&W Regulations is underway
The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1995 is undergoing a review. The deadline for submissions is Monday, 31 December 2007.
To find out more about the review and how to participate:
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SA: Tribute to anti-asbestos campaigner
SafeWork SA has extended its sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of Jack Watkins who died this week. Mr. Watkins campaigned for decades against the dangers of asbestos, and was the President of the Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia.:
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NT: Electrical contractor licence portability - clarification
NT WorkSafe has issued a clarification on the Prime Minister’s announcement of 1 October which appeared to state that arrangements have been finalised for electrical contractors to use their state-issued licences anywhere in Australia. This is not correct:
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NT: Update on the review of Workplace Health Act
A review of the Work Health Act and the Mining Management Act was recently undertaken and the final report has now been released:
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FED: New CEO at Comcare
Martin Dolan will act as Chief Executive Officer of Comcare following the appointment of former CEO, Barbara Bennett, to the position of Director, Workplace Authority. Mr Dolan has been deputy Chief Executive Officer of Comcare since February 2006:
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NAT: ASCC: Amendment to the National List of Exemptions
The Australian Safety and Compensation Council has declared an amendment to Schedule 2 of the National Model Regulations for the Control of Workplace Hazardous Substances to extend Exemption 4 of the National List of Exemptions until 31 December 2010. Read more:
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NAT: New Australian Standards for telehandlers
Standards Australia has released two new standards:
• AS 1418.19 Cranes, hoists and winches Part 19 Telescopic Handlers for design
• AS 2550.19 Cranes, hoists and winches Part 19 Telescopic Handlers for safe use
Persons involved in the design, supply or use of telehandlers should comply with the requirements of the two standards so far as is reasonably practicable:
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NAT: Voluntary guideline to retrofit passenger restraints in buses
The Australian Transport Council (ATC) has voted to approve the National Code of Practice for Retrofitting Passenger Restraints to Buses. The Code sets out three quality standards – Gold, Silver and Bronze – for seatbelt retrofits, which reflect differences in the design and build of the bus chassis, seats and anchorages. For more information read the National Transport Council’s (NTC) news release:
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