In the media
EPA issues G & N Costello Freight Lines, Trojan
Fibreglass and driver with penalty notices totalling $32,000
Following a compliance inspection of a vehicle at
Sandpiper Close, Kooragang in Newcastle on 25 February 2015, the
NSW EPA)has issued penalty notices and official cautions to G &
N Costello Freight Lines Pty Ltd, Trojan Fibreglass Pty Ltd and a G
& N Costello Freight Lines driver for various dangerous goods
transport offences (02 July 2015). More...
New inquiry expected on loose-fill asbestos insulation
response
A board of inquiry will be announced on Mr Fluffy
loose-fill asbestos to examine how multiple governments have dealt
with the problem (01 July 2015).
More...
NSW Government to further assist loose-fill asbestos
insulation property owners
The NSW Government has today announced a voluntary
purchase and demolition program for all NSW residential property
owners with positive results for loose-fill asbestos insulation (29
June 2015).
More...
Defence personnel demand inquiry over exposure to toxic
jet fuel
Current and former Defence Force personnel call for a
wide-ranging inquiry into whether thousands of servicemen and women
have suffered serious illnesses due to exposure to toxic jet fuel
(30 June 2015).
More...
Victorian Government launches crackdown on
'dodgy' training providers to lift standards
The Victorian Government is launching a major blitz to
crackdown on 'dodgy' training providers and lift standards
in sector. Initially the crackdown will target any area of training
where students need to have high quality skills to guarantee
safety, such as civil engineering (29 June 2015).
More...
Mr Fluffy: NSW sets aside up to $250 million to buy back
houses contaminated with asbestos
New South Wales has finally thrown a lifeline to
grief-stricken families caught up in the Mr Fluffy asbestos crisis,
ending decades of uncertainty (29 June 2015).
More...
Female Major sacked for 'adverse thoughts and
beliefs'
Army Major and cancer survivor Bernadine
O'Shaughnessy who raised concerns about a potential cancer
cluster at a defence building is being sacked from the military for
alleged "adverse thoughts and beliefs (27 June 2015).
More...
NSW government fails to fix concerns over injured
workers scheme after 18 months
The NSW government has failed to act on an independent
report raising serious concerns about the plight of injured workers
following its controversial changes to WorkCover laws for almost 18
months, says the report's author, WorkCover Independent Review
Officer Kim Garling (26 June 2015).
More...
List of Mr Fluffy asbestos addresses in ACT to be made
public
The ACT Government will ignore the advice of its own
expert reference group by publicly releasing a list of the 1,021 Mr
Fluffy asbestos contaminated homes next week (25 June 2015).
More...
Mental health: Employees speak of difficulty re-entering
workforce
Mental illness is the leading cause of long-term work
incapacity in the developed world, with the cost to Australian
employers more than $10.9 billion a year (25 June 2015).
More...
'Bullying and harassment' at Canberra Hospital
sees urology training accreditation withdrawn
Concerns about "bullying and harassment" among
staff at Canberra Hospital have led to the board of urology of the
Australasian College of Surgeons withdrawing accreditation for
training there. (24 June 2015).
More...
Fiskville report: Dangerous toxins testing required
around CFA training base
Thorough chemical testing of soil and water at properties
neighbouring the Country Fire Authority's (CFA) Fiskville
training college is needed to ensure people are not being exposed
to dangerous toxins, a Victorian parliamentary inquiry has
recommended (24 June 2015).
More...
Interim report presented on Fiskville
inquiry
An interim report on the CFA training college at Fiskville has been
presented to the Victorian Parliament, with the Committee making
three key recommendations for action. The report has found that at
least some of the chemicals used in training exercises are
undeniably carcinogenic and toxic now (24 June 2015).
More...
New Laws Take Aim at Killer Drug Drivers
A legal loophole that lets some drug drivers who kill or cause
serious injury evade the full force of the law will be closed under
legislation introduced to Parliament by the Andrews Labor
Government. The amendment to the Road Safety Act will give
police the power to compel all drivers involved in crashes where
someone is seriously injured or killed to have their blood tested
for drugs. (24 June 2015).
More...
ACTU: Tougher laws needed to enforce asbestos
importation ban
Despite being banned, asbestos has recently been found in
car parts, boilers, construction materials, trains, tugboats and
children's toys imported into Australia. Many of these products
are making their way to Australia via internet sites, such as eBay,
from Russia and China where there is no ban on asbestos (23 June
2015).
More...
CFMEU official banned for 1.5 years after bullying
Government investigator
Following an application made by Fair Work Building &
Construction (FWBC), the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has revoked
CFMEU Victorian official John Perkovic's federal right of entry
permit and banned him from getting another one until 2017 (23 June
2015).
More...
Master Builders Welcomes Strategic Plan For Asbestos
Removal
Master Builders has long recognised the importance of a
strategic approach for the removal of asbestos from existing
buildings and therefore welcomes the Asbestos Safety and
Eradication Agency's (ASEA) release of its National Strategic
Plan for Asbestos Management and Awareness 2014-18 (19 June
2015).
More...
Free farm assessments to help Gayndah/Mundubbera growers
work safer
Fruit and vegetable growers in the Gayndah/Mundubbera
region will receive free practical advice on managing work health
and safety during a series of on-farm assessments by Workplace
Health and Safety Queensland (22 June 2015).
More...
'Bullying and harassment' at Canberra Hospital
sees urology training halted
Concerns about "bullying and harassment" among
staff at Canberra Hospital lead to the board of urology of the
Australasian College of Surgeons withdrawing accreditation for
training there (24 June 2015).
More...
Sexual harassment in medical work environment
'endemic', surgeons main perpetrators, research finds
Discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment are
"endemic" in the medical work environment and surgeons
are commonly named as perpetrators, a new study has found. The
Expert Advisory Group (EAG), appointed by the Royal Australasian
College of Surgeons (RACS), has released its preliminary research
into the prevalence of such behaviour in medical work environments
(24 June 2015).
More...
More...
ACT company Kenoss found guilty of breaching work safety
laws after truck driver's electrocution
A Canberra contracting firm has been found guilty of
breaching new nationally consistent work safety laws, over the
electrocution of a truck driver on one of its sites in 2012 (23
June 2015).
More...
Frontline paramedics facing violence from ice users say
they fear for their safety
Ambulance officers fear it could only be a matter of time
before someone is badly hurt or even killed during a callout to
help people high on ice (22 June 2015).
More...
Published – articles, papers, reports
ARPANSA Quarterly Report 2015
Quarterly Report of the CEO of ARPANSA for the period 1 January to
31 March 2015 (25 June 2015).
More...
Safety Standards Published
AS 5144.5:2015
Industrial trucks - Safety requirements and verification -
Pedestrian-propelled trucks. Standards Australia. More...
AS ISO 22559.1:2015
Safety requirements for lifts (elevators) - Global
essential safety requirements (GESRs). Standards Australia. More...
Safe Work Australia:
Australia-wide fatalities
As at June 19th, 73 fatalities had been reported to Safe
Work.The fatalities have been in the following industries: 23 in
the Transport, postal and warehouse sector; Agriculture, forestry
and fishing (15). More...
March 2015 Notifiable Fatalities Monthly Report now
available
There were 15 work-related notifiable fatalities during
March 2015 — 12 male workers and 1 female workers, 1 male
bystander and 1 female bystander. Of these fatalities, 6 workers
died as a result of incidents on public roads or air.
More...
Safe Work Australia: Quad
Watch
2015 quad bike fatalities as at 29 June 2015.
More...
In practice and courts
NSW Parliament - Government responses due
Loose fill asbestos insulation (response due) (Wed
17).
More...
NSW: Loose-fill asbestos weekly update
As of 18 June, 2015, 2,031 properties had been tested
with 2,022 samples determined to not contain asbestos. Fifty-seven
properties were identified as containing loose fill asbestos
following a search of historical records. Testing is ongoing with
licensed asbestos assessors currently undertaking inspections of
properties.
More...
More...
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WorkCover Queensland: 2015 Prevention and Performance
Initiative
In July 2015, WorkCover is launching the inaugural
Prevention and Performance Initiative. The aim is to improve safety
within Queensland workplaces, reduce workplace injury claims and
associated costs and improve return to work opportunities and
outcomes for injured workers (29 June 2015).
More...
Ionising radiation and risk of death from leukaemia and
lymphoma in radiation-monitored workers (INWORKS): an international
cohort study
Klervi Leuraud discusses a study reporting on the risk of
developing leukaemia and lymphoma in workers monitored for
radiation exposure. There is much uncertainty about the risks of
leukaemia and lymphoma after repeated or protracted low-dose
radiation exposure typical of occupational, environmental, and
diagnostic medical settings. More...
Cases
Mani v WorkCover Authority of NSW
[2015] NSWCATAD 128
EXPLOSIVES - security clearance – cancellation of
security clearance – fit and proper person – commission
of offences by applicant – history of apprehended violence
orders against applicant - whether applicant rehabilitated.
More...
Byrnes v Hawkesbury City Council
[2015] NSWCA 173
TORTS – negligence – findings of fact –
whether the primary judge erred in concluding that the Council did
not perform work at the location of the appellant's fall and
was therefore not responsible for the appellant's injury
– whether the primary judge erred in, alternatively,
accepting and declining to accept certain evidence and in not
giving sufficient weight to other evidence.
More...
Victoria OHS Enforcements
Brooklands Motel Mornington Pty Ltd 106 095 970
25/06/2015
Failure to notify VWA of a notifiable incident; Failure to
preserve incident site Occupational Health and Safety Act
2004 38(1); 38(3); Magistrates' Court Brooklands Motel
Mornington Pty. Ltd was fined $500.00, without conviction
Star Track Express Pty Limited 001 227 8
24/06/2015
Failure to provide a safe system of work; Fatality
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
21(1)&(2)(a); Magistrates' Court The failure to have
an adequate written defect reporting procedure exposed employees to
the risk of serious injury or death. Star Track was convicted and
fined $70,000.00 with an order for costs in the amount of
$6,489.00.
More...
Legislation
Commonwealth
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard
1.4.2 - Maximum Residue Limits Amendment Instrument No. APVMA 5,
2015
This instrument amends the Australia New Zealand Food
Standards Code - Standard 1.4.2 - Maximum Residue Limits (Australia
Only) to include or change maximum residue limits pertaining to
agricultural and veterinary chemical products (03 July
2015). More...
Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment)
Amendment (Fees and Charges) Regulation 2015 SLI 2015 No.
101
This regulation gives effect to increases in NICNAS fees
and charges for 2015-16, allows the Director, NICNAS (or delegate)
to waive or remit certain registration charges and pecuniary late
payment penalties, as well as fees in relation to applications to
vary data requirements for new industrial chemical assessment
applications (29 June 2015). More...
New South Wales
Regulations and other miscellaneous instruments
Heavy Vehicle (Adoption of National Law) Amendment (Penalties) Regulation 2015 (2015-326) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Legal Profession Uniform Admission Amendment (Board) Rule 2015 (2015-328) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Legal Profession Uniform General Amendment (Trust Account Statement and Examiners) Rule 2015 (2015-329) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulation 2015 (2015-330) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Legal Profession Uniform Regulations 2015 (2015-354) — published LW 26 June 2015.
NSW Admission Board Rules 2015 (2015-353) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Victims Rights and Support (Victims Support Levy) Amendment Notice 2015 (2015-356) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Work Health and Safety Amendment (Transitional Provisions) Regulation 2015 (2015-338) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Workers Compensation (Weekly Payments Indexation) Amendment (Current Weekly Earnings) Order 2015 (2015-339) — published LW 26 June 2015.
Bills revised following amendment in Committee
Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (E-cigarettes) Bill 2015
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015
Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament
Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (E-cigarettes) Bill 2015
Bills assented to
Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment (E-cigarettes) Act
2015 No 16 — Assented to 30 June 2015.
Queensland
Subordinate legislation as made
No 46 Electrical
Safety and Another Regulation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2015
– 26/06/2015 - Electrical Safety Act 2002; Work Health and
Safety Act 2011.
No 56 Public Safety Legislation Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2015 – 26/06/2015 - Building Act 1975.
Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990;Weapons Act 1990; Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000.
Victoria
Bills Introduced and Second Read in the first House week
ending 26 June 2015
Road Safety Amendment Bill.
Statutory Rules made
No. 67: Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance)
Regulations 2015
Date of Making: 23/06/2015 Commencement: 28/06/2015: reg.
3 Not yet in operation: Regs 1-18: on 28/06/2015: reg. 3 Sunset
Date: 28/06/2020: reg. 16.
No. 68: Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation)
Amendment Regulations 2015
Date of Making: 23/06/2015 Commencement: 29/06/2015: reg.
3 Not yet in operation: Regs 1-7: on 29/06/2015: reg. 3 Sunset
Date: 23/06/2025.
No. 69: Subordinate Legislation (Dangerous Goods (HCDG)
Regulations 2005) Extension Regulations 2015
Date of Making: 23/06/2015 Commencement: 23/06/2015 Not
yet in operation: N/A. Sunset Date 02/08/2016:
reg. 4.
No. 76: Transport (Safety Schemes Compliance and
Enforcement) (Infringements) Amendment Regulations 2015
Date of Making: 23/06/2015 Commencement: 27/06/2015: reg.
3 Not yet in operation: Regs 1-4: on 27/06/2015: reg. 3 Sunset
Date: 23/06/2025.
Road Safety Amendment Bill 2015 (Vic)
24/06/15 175S3815 - Statement of compatibility - Second
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