Grey Fleets – the risk to organisations

We first became aware of the term ‘grey fleet’ around 2015 and it is still widely unknown but a high-risk factor in most organisations. The term defines vehicles being used by a business that it doesn’t own; vehicles owned and used by employees to conduct business and vehicles that are hired occasionally and used for …

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Power tool and manual handling – Safety Alert

A number of separate incidents have occurred on the ACT’s worksites in recent times involving serious injury to several workers’ fingers. Some incidents have involved the use of power tools and others have involved placing hands in dangerous positions during various work activities. In response to these incidents, WorkSafe ACT issued a Power tool and …

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AFL NSW / ACT – R U OK? Round kicking off life-changing conversations

By hello@ruok.org.au Across NSW and ACT, AFL players are pulling up their yellow socks and donning their club jerseys in support of the inaugural RUOK? AFL Round.  The round, established to inspire and empower the AFL community to meaningfully connect with people around them, is the first simultaneous initiate run across all 14 managed leagues …

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New & Young Workers – Rights & Responsibilities by SafeWork SA

If you’re a young person looking to start work, or an employer thinking about taking on a young worker, you need to understand your respective rights and responsibilities around work health and safety and employment conditions. Young workers can be vulnerable and at increased risk of workplace injury due to lack of experience, maturity and …

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Avoiding driver fatigue

Drowsy driving is suspected to be a primary cause in more than 20% of road fatalities. Most fatigue-related accidents occur during normal sleeping hours, and the more severe the crash, the more likely it is that the driver or drivers were fatigued. Fatigue is a likely factor in almost one third of single-vehicle crashes in …

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Do you have a signage problem?

Due to client demand RME are now completing onsite signage audits and supplying signage.  Signage is also a compliance requirement and knowing what your requirements are can sometimes be difficult.  Signage audits ascertain requirements throughout the entire site and in line with our ‘solutions’ philosophy, we can also supply signs at cost-effective, competitive rates. A …

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Changes to working with children screening

South Australia has introduced stronger, more effective, and transparent screening laws for people working or volunteering with children. The new laws mean that, from 1 July 2019, everyone working or volunteering with children must have valid child-related screening. The new working with children check (WWCC) that is being introduced from 1 July 2019 replaces the …

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Paul Hands joins the RME team

It is with immense pride and pleasure that RME announces our growth into ACT and NSW. Paul Hands Senior HSEQ Consultant / Manager ACT & NSW – has commenced with us and is culturally a great fit.   Paul shares the RME passion for our industry and importantly providing solutions to clients with a wide range …

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Regulator issue safety warning around winter downpours

National News While this is a Victorian article it is relevant nationally WorkSafe Victoria recently issued a safety warning over continued wet weather and said that construction sites and farms are of particular risk at this time of year with mud and waterlogged soil increasing the risk of slips, trips, falls and excavation or trench …

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External Defibrillators in the Workplace

By Australian Institute of Health and Safety WorkSafe Victoria is urging employers to consider installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and has recently published new guidance on their use in the workplace. WorkSafe’s guidance states that anyone with access to an AED can safely step in to handle a cardiac arrest crisis, knowing they cannot cause …

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83 Australians killed in the workplace in the first half of 2019

83 killed The preliminary number of Australians killed at work in 2019. $61.8 billion  The cost of work-related injury and disease to the Australian economy. $480 million The total amount of workers’ compensation paid each year for work-related mental disorders. These numbers are simply staggering, and yet we continue to be surprised to find many sectors that have no appetite …

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Can you buy your way out of WHS liability?

Health and safety handbook The debate about whether businesses and individuals should be able to insure against or be indemnified for WHS penalties will increase following the recommendation in the recent WHS Review to outlaw such insurance. The debate is even more critical with company officers increasingly facing harsher penalties for breaches of their obligations …

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Work-related hand and wrist injuries

Worksafe Act Work-related hand and wrist injuries are the most common work-related injury type and are a significant issue in the Australian workforce. The injuries range from being relatively minor to very severe, most commonly involving the fingers, with sprains and open wounds the most common injury type and amputation the most severe injury type. …

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