VIC: developer fined $125,000 for serious safety failures

By: WorkSafe Victoria A property developer in Victoria has been convicted and fined $125,000 for putting workers and the public at risk of serious injury or death. Mainline Developments Pty Ltd pleaded guilty in the Melbourne County Court to four charges over safety breaches during the construction of a residential complex at Narre Warren. The …

Read more

Working at Heights – Safety Alert

By: Greg Jones: ACT Work Safety Commissioner – 06/02/2020 The tragic death of a 60-year-old worker occurred this week, after falling from the second storey of a residential construction site in Denman Prospect. This is the second death of a worker on a residential construction site in Denman Prospect in less than a month. The …

Read more

Reduce the Risk of Corona Virus

By: NSCA Australia is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness from the common cold to more severe illnesses, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A …

Read more

Understanding Safety Systems on Worksites – Safety Alert

By: Greg Jones: ACT Work Safety Commissioner – 23/01/2020 In recent site visits WorkSafe ACT has identified a number of workers and officers of companies signed into, and allegedly working to, safety systems which they clearly do not understand. In response to these incidents WorkSafe ACT has issued a Understanding Safety System on Worksites Safety …

Read more

SafeWork NSW conducts safety blitz on silica exposure

A cross-industry strategy lead by SafeWork NSW has significantly increased awareness of silicosis and standardised practices of exposure prevention. SafeWork NSW has visited every stone manufacturing business in the state and in addition, has had 448 interactions with businesses in the tunnelling, domestic and civil construction, foundries, and building products industries. SafeWork NSW is just …

Read more

Community Defibrillators – will you be a change maker?

48-year Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle) is shining a light on the need for business and clubs to supply accessible defibrillators after he’s near death experience. Greg who suffered a SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) during a bushfire relief show, has described himself before the incident as being in good health and very fit with recent health …

Read more

What is directors and officers insurance?

There is a common misconception that directors and officers insurance covers everything, exclusions in the fine print however could be your undoing….. for example: Directors and Officers insurance Exclusions The term ‘exclusions’ refers to those acts or losses that are not covered by the D&O insurance policy. Typically, a D&O insurance policy will specifically exclude: …

Read more

Rob Baker Joins Risk Essentials

Since our launch 5 months ago with regional manager Paul Hands in ACT & NSW our consulting services and products continue to go from strength to strength.   This being the case, we are thrilled to announce our newest RME team member Mr Rob Baker. Rob joins our team as a Senior Consultant for the ACT …

Read more

Australia Split with Industrial Manslaughter

Victoria now joins the ACT (under the Crimes Act) and Queensland in having specific workplace or industrial manslaughter laws in place. The Northern Territory has also introduced a WHS Amendment Bill creating the offence of industrial manslaughter while NSW has introduced a WHS Amendment Bill.   Determining factors of suicide could be a problem. Victorian Workplace …

Read more

Industrial manslaughter laws passed in NT

By: workplaceohs 2 Dec 2019 The Northern Territory Legislative Assembly has passed the Territory’s first industrial manslaughter laws, creating a new offense to protect the safety of workers. The new law will ensure all businesses, regardless of the business size, face the same level of penalty if reckless or negligent conduct has caused a workplace …

Read more

WorkSafe – Hoist Safety Blitz on Automotive Industry

By: VACC Bulletin Subsequent to the release of the below alert and following a number of serious incidents where vehicles have fallen from hoists whilst in an elevated position, WorkSafe is currently conducting an inspection program of automotive workshops to ensure compliance, particularly with a focus on vehicle hoist safety. The inspection program is looking …

Read more

Identifying your biggest risks in a small business, it’s not as overwhelming as you think!

Often when something goes wrong at work, it goes wrong quickly and with disastrous consequences. Putting on a different hat for a moment,  below are the top 12 workplace health and safety hazards that safety inspectors regularly find during visits to small businesses. manual handling housekeeping and slips, trips and falls storage and racking – …

Read more

One message PCBUs still aren’t getting

By: health & safety bulletin, Michael Selinger A preventable fall from heights at a construction site in the ACT in 2016 that led to a 16-year-old work experience student suffering significant injuries has resulted in a fine of $180,000 being imposed this week on the head contractor Nikias Diamond. Two other contractors involved in the …

Read more

First industrial manslaughter prosecution underway

Negligent bosses can face 20 years in prison. Last Tuesday, the Victorian state government announced that it will be making workplace manslaughter a criminal offence under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. Under this new offence, any employer that negligently causes a workplace death can be fined up to $16.5 million, while individuals – …

Read more