Australia: Three quick health & safety lessons for employers

Incident 1
An employer was recently penalised for an OH&S breach by the Regulator, irrespective of the fact that an incident had not actually occurred. The Company was ordered to pay almost $10,000 in fines and costs by the Magistrates Court. The company pleaded guilty to failing to properly guard their salting tumblers.

This prosecution followed a visit conducted by a WorkCover Authority of Victoria Inspector in October 2013, who discovered that there was inadequate perimeter […]

By | December 25th, 2014 ||

Australia: Workplaces on the nose – workplace carcinogens

Safe Work Australia recently released three reports on workplace exposure to lead, formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which was in furtherance of the results of a 5000 worker 2011/12 Australian Work Exposures Study into 38 identified workplace carcinogens.

Often enough it is the things that employers cannot see that can cause the most harm to employees. The abovementioned noxious fumes in particular have been linked to an increased incidence of cancers. The importance of not […]

By | December 25th, 2014 ||

Australia: WHS incident statements – a blessing or a curse?

Two regulatory powers of compulsion to answer questions contained within the Work Health & Safety Act, were discussed at the SIA Sydney Safety Conference, namely, Sections 171 and 172 of the model Work Health & Safety Act. Section 172 provides that an inspector who enters a workplace, may require a person to produce documents or answer any questions put by the inspector, and Section 172, provides that the person is not excused from answering […]

By | December 25th, 2014 ||