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25.01.2022 WorkSafe WA has issued another warning on fake work licences. WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said they have received additional reports of fraudulent licences since after they issued a warning this week. We issued a warning on Tuesday to check on NSW-issued High Risk Work Licences after two fake licences were discovered in WA, said Mr McCulloch.... We have since received unconfirmed reports that fraudulent licences can be obtained overseas quickly and at low cost in places such as Thailand. Although the report is hearsay at this stage, it is good practice to make sure licences are genuine. Hence, I am repeating the warning on checking these licences and recommending that all High Risk Work Licences be verified before accepting them, no matter where they were issued. He said verifying High Risk Work Licences are quick and easy. Western Australian licences can be very simply verified in a matter of minutes on the home page of the WorkSafe website. Simply click on Advanced Search in the Search for Licence Holders box, then select the type of licence from the drop-down menu and enter the licence number. The checking facility will verify the authenticity of the licence. Mr McCulloch said licences obtained in other states can easily be verified with the relevant authority in the State or Territory of issue. As I said earlier this week, it is of great concern that holders of High Risk Work Licences may not be adequately trained to perform high risk work safely and competently, and I urge employers, assessors and trainers to verify any High Risk Work Licences presented to them.

22.01.2022 Man killed on NBN site in NSW Police are investigating after a workplace accident killed a man on a NBN Co site. A man has been killed on a National Broadband Network site on the NSW south coast, NBN Co has confirmed.... Emergency services were called to the site about 11.30am (AEST) on Friday after reports a man had been hit by a truck, an ambulance spokeswoman told AAP. It appeared the man got stuck between two trucks, she said, and was fatally injured. NBN Co has confirmed the incident and is working with its contractor to assist the police in their investigations. The 57-year-old man had been working for a concreting company at a nearby house and got trapped between his firm's truck and a second truck operated by NBN Co, the Kiama Independent reported. Police said the Lake Heights man had been getting something from the back of his company's truck when an unaccompanied learner driver got into a second truck parked immediately behind. When the second truck's engine started, the vehicle lurched forward, pinning the man between the vehicles. Despite attempts at CPR until paramedics arrived, the man died at the scene. The 20-year-old male driver of the second truck was taken to hospital for mandatory testing. Police are investigating. Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life. "The thoughts of the government are with the family and friends of the deceased, and those involved in this shocking tragedy," Senator Conroy said in a statement.

22.01.2022 A company has spent more than $1 million on upgrading its safety management system since the death of one of their workers. The incident happened on the 15th November 2010. The employee was a traffic controller with the company and a spreader truck hit him when they were resurfacing the road at Glenden. The company entered a guilty plea at the Mackay Industrial Magistrates Court to failing to discharge workplace health and safety obligations.... There was no conviction recorded but they were fined $40,000 and ordered to pay costs of $7878.40 because the court found that they did not follow their own procedures. There was no communication between traffic controllers and the truck drivers regarding where the traffic controllers would be and there was also no designated area for the traffic controllers. This was the second fatality at this business. In 2008 a worker was conducting maintenance on a roller when she was hit by a truck and died on a roadwork’s site.

15.01.2022 Miners Appeal for $1 Million Compensation Dismissed On Tuesday, the Queensland Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal brought by a machine operator seeking damages in excess of $1 million after initially being awarded compensation in the sum of $$413,082 for a work injury. The man aged 55 was injured after working just eight days at a Moranbah mine site, after a scraper he was driving lost traction and slid down a slope on August 28, 2008.... The jolt of the accident did further damage to his already vulnerable back, forcing him into hospital and out of the miner’s workforce. He had sought $630,000 in future lost earnings, almost triple what he was earlier given, as part of an overall claim for $1.045 million. One medical expert described him as having a long history of back problems and being reliant on long term narcotics for pain relief which suggested his back problems likely existed before the crash. In 1992, the Appellant had back surgery which included having metal being inserted into his spine. However, a second expert found he may have worked through to this early 60s had this incident not occurred. In an unanimous decision, the Court held there was no case for further compensation. They agreed with the earlier judge who pointed to the amount of pain medication being regularly taken by Phillips as evidence he was not going to be able to work long term if it put stress on his back.

15.01.2022 Two companies and a company director have been fined a total of $147,000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after a worker fell around 3.4 metres at a residential building worksite in Western Sydney. MRD Future Homes (Aust) Pty Ltd (MRD) is a small construction company which was contracted to build three two-storey townhouses under the same roof span in Canley Heights. MRD then subcontracted J & M Costa Enterprises Pty Ltd (J & M Costa to complete electrical work at t...he site. On 3 December 2009, the building work was nearing completion when a 22-year-old electrician working inside one of the townhouses fell through an opening on the first floor. He fell on to the concrete floor below, suffering severe head injuries including multiple brain haemorrhages, a fractured left collarbone and several spinal fractures. A WorkCover investigation began and MRD, MRD’s director, and J & M Costa were each charged with a breach of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2000. The investigation found that at the townhouse the open stairwell opening was without any fall protection. MRD pleaded guilty, was fined $70,000, and ordered to pay WorkCover legal costs. MRD’s director pleaded guilty, was fined $7000 , and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs J & M Costa pleaded guilty, was fined $70,000, and ordered to pay WorkCover legal costs. WorkCover NSW’s acting General Manager of Work Health and Safety Division Peter Dunphy said given the circumstances, any fall through the stairwell opening was likely to be very serious, and the risk should have been better managed. "There was a clear lack of safety in this instance. Had there been adequate safety measures in place to stop someone from accidently falling through this opening, these serious injuries would probably never have happened. It’s even more serious that these safety measures are very simple. There was no fall protection, that is, there was no handrail, void platform or other kind of barrier. This is an important reminder of the need to maintain proper safety protocols. These companies did not do this and as a consequence a young man has been very seriously injured, Mr Dunphy said. WorkCover will work with the companies to ensure that the same mistakes are not made in the future. WorkCover Media Unit: 02 4321 5474 or 0413 186 799

14.01.2022 Our prayers are with you little guy 05:42 pm, Monday 20 May, 2013 Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are investigating an accident that occurred at a school fete on the weekend.... A five year old boy was flung from a spinning carnival ride called the Frisbeem during a school fete near Toowoomba. He received severe head injuries and was flown to the Mater Children’s Hospital with a suspected fracture of the skull. According to witnesses he was at the top of the wheel of the ride when he was ejected from his seat. He landed on top of a fairy floss stall a number of metres away from the ride he had been on. Police at the scene said that he may have slipped under the safety bar because he was too small for the ride.

14.01.2022 Workplace Injuries a High Risk for Jockeys According to available statistics a jockey will have on average 12 workplace accidents during their career with six of these resulting in broken bones. On Friday the Pastor Bob Prior Race Day was held at Canberra’s Thoroughbred Park and there was supposed to be a minute’s silence incorporated into the day to commemorate the more than 500 jockeys that while doing their job in Australia.... However the minute’s silence had to be postponed because the meeting was cancelled due to poor weather and complaints from jockeys about the lack of visibility. Ray Silburn, a former Canberra jockey has campaigned for jockeys since he fell 8 years ago and was left a quadriplegic. The fall signaled the start of his campaign that helped to establish a national protection scheme for all jockeys. Now 1% of all prizemoney is given to the National Jockeys Trust to help those that are injured or die in a fall, and their families. According to Paul Innes, the Australian Jockeys’ Association chief executive, says that being a jockey is the most dangerous occupation in Australia according to the Menzies Institute.

14.01.2022 Grid mesh? A worker has been taken to hospital after he fell more than two metres yesterday afternoon at a power station in the east of Victoria. Emergency services were called to the power plant around 2pm after a worker fell from a mezzanine floor to the floor directly below it.... According to the Ambulance Victoria spokesperson he was air lifted to the Alfred hospital in Melbourne in a serious condition. WorkSafe Victoria is investigating the cause of the incident.

11.01.2022 Pretty sad stats from NZ Workplace safety report highlights 'she'll be right' attitude A new report has highlighted major factors in New Zealand's appalling workplace health and safety record. One in 10 New Zealanders is injured on the job each year - a rate twice that of Australia's and four times that of Britain. The independent task force report being considered by the Government identifies contributing factors like a "she'll be right" attitude among workers, a complicated... and inefficient regulatory regime, and ACC. Professor Susan Watson from Auckland University's Law School says under ACC, employers know they can't be sued. "I think you need to take extra care around issues about workplace safety when you have an ACC scheme because you've just got one less incentive for workplaces to be set up in a way that prevents accidents," she says. Workplace accidents cost New Zealand's economy $3.5 billion a year. See more

11.01.2022 Every Day 10 Victorian Tradies Injured Every day ten tradespeople are injured badly enough to need to submit a workers compensation claim according to the statistics from WorkSafe Victoria that were released today. Over the last five years there have been over 17,000 claims for injury reported to WorkSafe from the construction industry alone that was a cost of nearly $1 billion for treatment, wages and other related costs.... When the statistics are examined, labourers and tradies account for nearly 80 per cent of workers that are injured. Denise Cosgrove, the WorkSafe Chief Executive, said that there is more that needs to be done in the construction industry even though there seems to be a strong understanding of safety. She said that WorkSafe inspectors in average visit 40 Victorian construction sites every day with 6500 health and safety breaches discovered annually. Ms Cosgrove said that the numbers of deaths and injuries illustrates the need for everyone to work harder at ensuring safety at construction sites. Most of the injuries were a result of poor planning, deficient site housekeeping and not enough worker supervision. She said that the statistics have been released today so as to spotlight the launch of the Top Tradie Cup that is designed to get tradies and others at construction sites talking about safety. The Top Tradie Cup runs for six weeks and the competition tests the football and safety knowledge of Victorian tradies.

07.01.2022 An important read for builders and home renovators. Hidden Source of Asbestos Causes Exposure David Caldwell accidently exposed himself to asbestos, even though he was well aware of the dangers of asbestos, at the time he was working on a door that he had no idea contained asbestos.... He was performing the simple task of installing a new lock into the door and it wasn’t until he saw the grey dust that was mixed with the wood dust did he realise that the door contained asbestos. Since, he has worked at ensuring that tradespeople and home renovators are aware of this deadly danger that is barely documented or spoken about. After his exposure David dug around for some information about the doors and discovered that: - Between 1960 and 1990 it was actually a widespread practice to install asbestos filled front doors into units and apartments in Australia. - These doors cannot be distinguished from doors that are solid wooden, fibreglass or gypsum doors - In their report Asbestos Exposure and Compliance Study of Construction and Maintenance Workers SafeWork Australia reported that typically working on a door wit an asbestos core will expose a worker to ten times the amount of asbestos dust than other typical sources The most difficult thing about these doors that it is not until they are cut into is the asbestos visible, there are no obvious signs on the outside of the doors to warn people of the asbestos content.

06.01.2022 Last year was a record year for mines in the Pilbara area because there were no fatalities for the first time in more than a century. However the Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum said that during that same period of time there were 171 serious injuries recorded. Simon Ridge from the department said that over 100 of the serious injuries that were reported were caused by either manual handling or over-exertion when shifting objects.... He said that the impact of soft tissue injuries is often underestimated considering the length of time that it can take for full recovery. They can cause significant pain and suffering. Mr Ridges said no recorded fatalities was a great result for the area and encouraged the implementation of the right procedures training, practices and supervision to keep improving workplace health and safety in the Pilbara.

05.01.2022 WorkSafe WA investigating worker fatality in Bunbury WorkSafe WA is investigating the work-related fatality which happened at a site in Bunbury today. A worker died while working on the road at the site when he was struck by a grader.... WorkSafe inspectors immediately went into the site on the corner of Robertson Drive and Somerville drive. They will be investigating the incident. WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said any work-related death was a tragedy and, expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.

03.01.2022 An engineering company, a director and the company’s general manager have been fined a total of $116,000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after a 26-year-old fitter and machinist was killed at their workshop in Narellan, west of Campbelltown. Seovic Engineering Pty Ltd is a heavy engineering company that specialises in maintenance and repair of mining equipment. On 26 September 2008, the worker was carrying out maintenance work on a shuttle car about three metres wi...de, eight metres long and 1.5 metres tall used in mining to transport large quantities of material via a conveyor flight chain similar to a bicycle chain. The shuttle car had been delivered to the workshop from the mine site. The worker was underneath the shuttle car replacing the flight chain when he was fatally struck on the head by one of the metal parts of the conveyor chain. A WorkCover investigation began and Seovic Engineering Pty Ltd was charged with a breach of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2000. The director and general manager were also charged with a breach of the same Act. The Court found that no assessment to identify and control the risks to safety had been undertaken, there were no documented procedures for the work and no instructions or training in how to perform the work. Seovic Engineering Pty Ltd was fined $100,000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs The Director was fined $8000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs The General Manager was fined $8000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs WorkCover NSW’s acting General Manager of Work Health and Safety Division Peter Dunphy said the safety of workers must be the highest priority for all employers. There was a clear risk to health and safety and in the absence of appropriate procedures in place, the risk was reasonably foreseeable. It is particularly significant that there were simple safety procedures available to lessen the risk of injury or death which, if they had been implemented, would have ensured the worker’s safety. Undertaking a risk assessment was a simple step that would have identified the risk and facilitated appropriate control measures for eliminating the risk. WorkCover will work with the company to ensure that the same mistakes are not made in the future. Media contact: WorkCover Media Unit: 02 4321 5474 or 0413 186 799

03.01.2022 A couple and their two young children aged 5 and 3 have had to leave their home because of the way the builder renovating their home allegedly mishandled asbestos materials. WorkSafe ACT will be referring the builder involved to the Director of Public Prosecutions because workers have put the family at risk for illnesses related to asbestos. The family left their house last month for more than three weeks after builders cut through asbestos sheeting in their bathroom with ang...le grinders, the entire house was contaminated. The couple said that a neighbour approached them and said that they thought asbestos was being removed from and placed in front of their house. They spoke to the builder who denied there were asbestos products so WorkSafe was called. They tested the sheets and confirmed that they were very dangerous. The couple with their two children had been living in the house whilst renovations were conducted and toxic substances constantly had to be removed from the kitchen and living areas. All of the members of the family will need to undergo annual tests for asbestos related illnesses. Mark McCabe, the WorkSafe ACT Commissioner, said that three prohibition notices, two improvement notices and two infringements had been issued to the company. He said that if anyone is concerned about work being done in their home they should contact either ACT Planning and Land Authority or WorkSafe and they will investigate.

01.01.2022 People just don't seem to respect these things....