News
Have your say on Work Health and Safety Codes of
Practice
Interested Australians are encouraged to have their say on five
new work health and safety model Codes of Practice that were
released today for a 12 week public comment period. The public
comment period for these Codes of Practice will close on 22 June
2012 (03 April 2012)
More...
Company fined $50,000 over electric shock
incident
A Mulgrave sign installation company has been convicted and fined
$50,000 over an incident that left a worker with severe burns (04
April 2012)
Company fined $50,000 over electric shock incident
Injury prompts urgent excavator safety
warning
WorkCover NSW has issued an urgent warning to businesses and
workers following the notification of a third serious incident
involving an excavator in less than two months. These tragic
incidents demonstrate why the demolition and construction sectors
are a major focus of WorkCover's 10/5/5 Program (03 April 2012)
More...
Worker loses arm - SA earthmoving company fined
$105,000
An earthmoving company has been fined $105,000 for failing to
protect a worker whose arm was ripped off by a machine. Magistrate
Michael Ardlie fined Betts $105,000 for breaching workplace safety
standards and ordered it to pay legal costs (02 April 2012)
More...
New guidelines for Victorian building and construction
industry
The Victorian Government released enhanced Implementation
Guidelines to the Victorian Code of Practice for the Building and
Construction Industry. The Guidelines are intended to achieve
behavioural change on Victorian building sites, including with the
goal of improving safety (03 April 2012)
More...
Incidents and prosecutions show construction sector can
do better
Heavy fines have been imposed in a series of WorkSafe prosecutions
after serious incidents for construction industry safety failings.
The recent prosecutions have resulted in significant penalties for
companies involved (30 March 2012)
Incidents and prosecutions show construction sector can do
better
Farm safety includes traffic management
Farm safety has been put in the spotlight with a Werribee
vegetable grower convicted and fined $80,000. County Court Judge
Irene Lawson found traffic management at the Werribee South farm
was poor and that a number of safety improvements had to be made
after the incident (30 March 2012)
Farm safety includes traffic management
Carter Holt Harvey workplace fatality fine nearly
doubled after appeal
A division of a major Australasian forestry company had its fine
for workplace safety breaches nearly doubled on appeal in the
County Court. The Director of Public Prosecutions took the matter
to appeal on the basis that the original fine was manifestly
inadequate. (30 March 2012)
Carter Holt Harvey workplace fatality fine nearly doubled after
appeal
Brickworks fined after worker crushed
Tasmanian building supply company Kemp and Denning has been fined
$60,000 over a workplace accident in the Magistrates Court in
Hobart for failing to ensure safety from injury and risk to health
(29 March 2012)
More...
Ten-year OHS strategy targets workplace culture and
plant design
State and territory governments, regulators and industry
stakeholders will develop strategies to transform workplace
cultures and eliminate hazards during the design phase of new
plant, under a draft 10-year national plan released by Safe Work
Australia for public comment yesterday (27 March 2012)
Have your say on Work Health and Safety for the next decade
Practice Notes
Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice - model Codes
of Practice : public comment
Five new national work health and safety model Codes of Practice
are currently open for public comment. The Codes released for
public comment today are:
- Safe Design, Manufacture, Import and Supply of Plant
- Working in the Vicinity of Overhead and Underground Electrical Lines
- Traffic Management in Workplaces
- Scaffolding Work, and
- Formwork and Falsework.
The public comment period for these Codes of Practice will close
on 22 June 2012 (03 April 2012)
Five new model Codes of Practice open for public comment
Public Comment: Australian Work Health and Safety
Strategy 2012-2022
The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022 was
released this week for an eight week public comment period. The
public comment period will be open from Monday 26 March to Monday
21 May 2012 (26 March 2012) More...
Patrick Stevedoring v Victorian WorkCover Authority: the
prohibition on OHS discrimination
The recent appeal decision of the Victorian Supreme Court in
Patrick Stevedoring Pty Ltd v Chasser (Victorian WorkCover
Authority) [2011] VSC 597 (23 November 2011) demonstrates
that the Victorian courts are willing to strictly enforce the
anti-discrimination provisions under the
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 No. 107 (Vic) (the OHS
Act), potentially setting the precedent for the enforcement of the
new anti-discrimination provisions under the
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 No. 137 (Cth) (the WHS
Act).
QLD: Securing loading ramps for mobile plant -
Queensland
The purpose of this safety alert is to highlight the risks
associated with not effectively securing loading ramps for mobile
plant (26 March 2012)
More...
QLD: Register of WHS Entry Permit Holders
Pursuant to s. 151 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 the
industrial registrar was updated as at 05/04/2012 WHS
Register
VIC: Guidelines for Victorian building and construction
industry
The Guidelines are intended to achieve behavioural change on
Victorian building sites, with the goal of improving safety,
enhancing productivity and making vital infrastructure projects
more affordable.
Compliance with the new Guidelines will be overseen by a new
Construction Code Compliance Unit in the Department of Treasury and
Finance. To view the Guidelines, click
here.
NSW: Burns in restaurants and kitchens: Safety
alert
This safety alert follows two incidents where kitchen workers
received serious burns from methylated spirits and reminds persons
conducting a business or undertaking of the requirements for the
safe storage and handling of flammable liquids in kitchens ( March
2012)
More...
Cases
Inspector Dall v Caines (No 2) [2012] NSWIRComm
21
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT 2000 - s 8(2), s 136(1)(b) -
two offences arise from same circumstances - Inspector observes
work being performed at height without fall restraint equipment and
using inadequately fixed and placed scaffolding - painting work
being carried out on awning - plea of guilty entered in s 8(2)
offence - s 136(1)(b) offence found proved in contested proceedings
- sentencing in both matters - objective seriousness of both
offences considered - general and specific deterrence - plea in s
8(2) offence offered at first mention - no prior convictions -
defendant bankrupt - limited evidence of financial means -
penalties reduced More...
Robert William Regan v Perilya Broken Hill Limited
[2011] NSWIRComm 13
Occupational Health and Safety - offence under s 8(1) Occupational
Health and Safety Act 2000 - plea of guilty - risk of falling from
elevated walkway - systems in place prior to offence - other
objective factors - subjective factors - orders - penalty imposed
More...
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.