ARTICLE
7 March 2014

Work, Health & Safety - What's News - 3 March 2014

HR
Holding Redlich

Contributor

Holding Redlich, a national commercial law firm with offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns, delivers tailored solutions with expert legal thinking and industry knowledge, prioritizing client partnerships.
The newsletter includes links to recent media releases, reports, cases and legislation relating to work health & safety.
Australia Employment and HR

In the media

Health and safety at work: Companies shift attitude
Companies are shifting from a reactive attitude to a conscious management of operational issues, a prelude to the development of a real corporate culture of occupational health & safety, according to the findings of an international survey (27 February 2014). More...

Melbourne Water fined over death of worker at sewerage plant
Melbourne Water has been fined $400,000 over the death of a worker at a sewerage plant. The Victorian County Court heard the company was aware of loose grates on the walkways for three years, but did not investigate it properly and pleaded guilty to failing to keep a safe workplace (27 February 2014). More...

Sultan building site in Hobart CBD closed over safety flaws
Workplace inspectors closed a construction site in Hobart's CBD after concerns were raised about dangerous working conditions. WorkSafe Tasmania said inspectors discovered electrical safety regulations had been breached (26 February 2014). More...

Discussion paper for the review of the Federal Safety Commissioner released
A discussion paper informing the review to modernise the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner and the Australian Government Building and Construction OHS Accreditation Scheme is now available on the Department of Employment website (24 February 2014). More...

Companies in court over fatal workplace accident
Two companies have appeared in court over a workplace accident that saw a man fatally pinned to a hopper behind the Evatt shops in 2009. Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker, set down the matter for early April before the newly-created Industrial Magistrates Court, and ordered that pleas and the agreed facts of the case be submitted in writing by early March (17 February 2014). More...

Cootes Transport charged with 300 offences in NSW local court Cootes Transport has been charged with more than 300 offences by New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services (RMS).RMS safety and compliance manager Peter Wells says 86 of the charges are for safety breaches (19 February 2014). More...

Truck accidents: Overnight trips most risky, study finds
Truck drivers who work overnight for more than three hours in a row are as much at risk of an accident as mid-range drink-drivers, a major study of the relationship between sleepiness and truck crashes shows (researchers at Monash University) (17 February 2014). More...

Project to prevent house construction deaths and injuries launched
WorkCover NSW today launched a project to improve safety in the State's house construction industry. The Focus On Industry - House Construction Project will involve industry working collaboratively with WorkCover (18 February 2014). More...

Published – articles, papers, reports

November 2013 Notifiable Fatalities Monthly Report now available
There were 20 work-related notifiable fatalities during November 2013 — 16 male and 2 female workers and 2 female bystanders (21 February 2014). More...

eSAFE Rural January 2014 edition
The latest edition of eSAFE Rural, a quarterly enewsletter providing information to subscribers on activities in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector (released 14 February 2014). More...

In practice and courts

National Directory for Radiation Protection (NDRP) February 2014
The current Directory includes amendments up to and including amendment 6, agreed by the RHC November 2012 and endorsed by the Standing Committee on Health out of session in December 2013. More...

QuadWatch: Quad bike fatalities
As of 20 February 2014, four people have been killed this year in quad bike related incidents. Three of these deaths were the result of a roll over. More...

Victoria: Safety Alert for Mobile plant overturns
Information for employers about risks associated with mobile plant (such as dump trucks) overturning at mines or quarries (February 2014). More...

Cases

Inspector Walker v Earthquake Promotions Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWIRComm 5 The defendant is fined an amount of $40,000 with a moiety to the prosecutor.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY - Amusement Rides and Devices Industry - Persons on ride injured when gondola of ferris wheel detached and fell 3-4 metres to the ground - Prosecution under section 8(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 - Plea of guilty to amended charge - Sentencing principles - Fine imposed. More...

Legislation

Queensland

Subordinate Legislation as made

No 17 Work Health and Safety (Codes of Practice) Amendment Notice (No. 1) 2014 – 21 February 2014. Amendment of sch 1 (Codes of practice) and Amendment of sch 2 (Revoked codes of practice) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Victoria

Bill Progress

Transport (Safety Schemes Compliance and Enforcement) Bill 2014
Legislative Assembly 18/2/2014 introduced and read a first time.
This Bill is for an Act to provide a scheme for the enforcement of transport system safety legislation by re-enacting, with modifications, provisions of the scheme under the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983.

See Victorian legislation online www.legislation.vic.gov.au

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.

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