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April
2012
Posted:
Apr 17, 2012
In March 2012, a worker was fatally injured by a falling load while erecting a transmission tower west of Dalby in Queensland. A 20-tonne rough terrain mobile crane was being used to lift part of the tower when it appears the auxiliary winch inadvertently went into free fall and the load fell, striking the worker. Following the incident, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has issued a safety alert to highlight the importance of correctly locking out the free fall controls on mobile cranes fitted with this feature.
Posted:
Apr 12, 2012
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By:
Brett Felthan and Cameron Nichol, PwC Australia
There have been a number of recent unfair dismissal cases involving the termination of the employment of employees because of what employees have said on social media websites. These cases, including the two referred to below, have highlighted that without a clear social media policy, employees may be confused about what they can and cannot write on social media websites. This may lead to employees making comments which results in them losing their jobs and employers facing costly litigation and negative publicity where they seek to take action against these employees.
Posted:
Apr 12, 2012
Occupational cancers reportedly claim 600,000 lives a year - one life every 52 seconds. While work-related cancers are not easily identifiable, it is estimated that around 5000 cancers a year in Australia can be attributed to occupational exposure to carcinogens.
Posted:
Apr 12, 2012
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By:
Tony Jones*
Working within confined spaces poses many risks to health and safety. Each year, many people are seriously injured or killed due to adverse conditions in confined spaces. Although it is not always possible to prevent these incidents, employers have a duty to minimise the health and safety risks associated with working in confined spaces.
Posted:
Apr 10, 2012
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By:
Professor Niki Ellis*
Statistics indicate that return to work rates have not improved in Australia over the past five years. In recent years, the focus of research internationally has been in two areas: what workplaces could do to better support people who have been unwell to return to work; and what we can do to empower workers to have more control in the return to work process.
Posted:
Apr 3, 2012
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By:
MLA Holdings Pty Ltd
The recent and unfortunate death of a wheel fitter in New South Wales, Australia, as a result of the explosion of a container handling reach stacker, five-piece split rim wheel assembly, has highlighted the dangers of using pneumatic tyres on mobile equipment.