In the media
Stricter laws crack down on non-compliant steel storage
materials
The Australian Steel Storage Manufacturers Group (the Group) has
issued a warning to the Australian industry that they could face
legal action or exposure to health and safety risks by purchasing
imported steel storage products that fail to observe
Australia's established design and manufacturing standards (05
September 2013).
More...
WorkSafe shines safety spotlight on livestock
farms
The safety authority says deaths at agricultural businesses are
far too common in Victoria. WorkSafe's Peter Flaherty says
almost half of the 1,000 serious injury claims it received over the
past two years involved livestock farms (05 September 2013).
More...
Workcover urges safety with machinery and
equipment
As one of the most common causes of injury in NSW workplaces,
WorkCover NSW is reminding business of the importance of working
safely with plant and equipment and offering $500 rebates to help
local small businesses make safety improvements (04 September
2013).
More...
Missing machine guard leads to penalty and crushed
thumb
A tubing and electrical components manufacturer in South Australia
has been fined $28,000 plus legal fees after an employee's
right thumb was crushed by a crimping machine where the guard was
not in place (02 September 2013).
More...
Safety device to protect rail employees
A safety beacon designed in Australia that warns rail workers
about oncoming trains is set to launch this week. The Track
Awareness Support System' or TASS is a portable beacon that
feeds into the Australian Rail Track Corporation's 3G train
communication network (28 August 2013).
More...
Spot the hazard: new interactive workplace safety app
for mining
Learning about workplace safety in the mining sector and other
high-risk industries could soon rev up a notch with a new
tablet-based app called RiskSpotter (26 August 2013).
More...
Rogue truckies still modifying speed
limiters
Tampering of speed limiter devices is continuing at alarming rates
within the trucking industry despite an unprecedented 18-month
crackdown on rogue operators after a triple fatality crash. Of the
7474 trucks recently inspected by police and Roads and Maritime
Services' Joint Heavy Vehicle Task Force, 245 had non-compliant
speed limiters (26 August 2013).
More...
In practice and courts
QLD: DEIR Safety alert: Bi-fold horizontal workshop
doors
The purpose of this safety alert is to highlight the potential
risks associated with the use of horizontal industrial bi-fold
doors and the requirements for inspection, maintenance and testing
(26 August 2013).
More...
QLD: DEIR Safety alert: Emergency plans for recreational
diving and snorkelling
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is issuing a safety alert
following instances where recreational diving and snorkelling
businesses have failed to respond effectively, efficiently and in a
timely manner to an emergency situation (updates 26 August 2013).
More...
ACCC recalls - Aqua Lung Australia Pty Ltd—Suunto Oy High Pressure Rubber Diving Hose 27 August 2013. More...
Cases
Inspector Mason v Graham Allen Chapman & anor [2013]
NSWIRComm 71
The defendant is fined in the sum of $40,000 with a moiety to the
prosecutor; OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY - prosecution of
corporation under s 10(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
2000 - prosecution of director of corporation under s 10(1) by
virtue of s 26(1) - corporation owner and controller of premises -
premises a disused abattoir - work being undertaken to evaluate the
suitability of converting the premises into a mushroom farm - work
included the detachment of evaporator units suspended above the
floor in the abattoir's former cool rooms - risk that persons
at work at the premises detaching evaporator units would be struck
by an evaporator unit - ad hoc method developed for removal of
evaporator units - no persons at premises with appropriate rigging
qualifications or experience removing evaporator units - worker
departed from ad hoc method - worker unsupervised - worker struck
by falling evaporator unit and injured - pleas of guilty -
sentencing - objective factors - maximum penalty - risk was
foreseeable - inadequate systems in place prior to incident -
simple remedial measures available - general deterrence -
corporation no longer operative - individual defendant no longer
working and unlikely to do so in the future due to ill health -
negligible element of specific deterrence - culpability of
individual defendant - individual defendant "hands on" -
culpability the same as the corporate defendant - offence
reasonably serious - subjective factors - remorse and contrition -
assistance to injured worker and family - co-operation with the
prosecutor - discount for pleas - first offenders - consideration
of s 10A of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 - section
not applied - s 6 of the Fines Act 1996 applied in respect of each
defendant - each defendant facing financial difficulty and a
reduced capacity to pay any fine - some reduction in penalty -
penalties imposed - moiety – costs. More...
Legislation
Commonwealth
Poisons Standard Amendment No. 2 of 2013
This instrument amends the Poisons Standard 2013.
The following amended entry for paracetamol arose from a decision
of the delegate published in May 2012, with a delayed
implementation date of 1 September 2013 - Registered 27 August
2013. More...
NSW
Regulations and other statutory
instruments
Explosives Regulation 2013 (2013-476) — published LW 30
August 2013.
Gas Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2013 (2013-478) — published LW 30 August 2013.
Bills introduced – Government
Heavy Vehicle (Adoption of National Law) Amendment Bill
2013
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.