Without protection, outdoor workers in Australia are at serious risk of being bitten by harmful animals with the potential of serious injury or worse. This article explains how products such as HexArmor, Bushman and Para’Kito from the Blackwoods range can provide workers with protection from these risks. [ + ]

Researchers at Virginia Tech have won a 'Best Paper Award' from a prestigious scientific and engineering community for their helmet that is designed to protect construction workers from carbon monoxide poisoning. [ + ]

To date, Victoria's workplace health and safety regulator, WorkSafe Victoria, has chosen not to investigate events at the Essendon Football Club, choosing instead to keep its options open as other "more appropriate bodies" look into the issue. [ + ]

After a terrible injury at its Geelong plant, in which a worker sliced his hand severely, metal manufacturer Backwell IXL overhauled procedures across its entire operation to better protect employees. [ + ]

A New Zealand study of occupational dermatitis in cleaners has found rates of eczema among them nearly twice that of people not exposed to cleaning agents. [ + ]

In the future, employees exposed to risks will only have to put on a glove in order to receive a toxic substance warning. A textile has been developed that identifies poisonous substances and turns blue in the presence of hazardous substances. [ + ]

Mental health issues are reported to affect 20% of the population, with depression and anxiety among the highest in prevalence and incident rates on the rise. The direct effects of emotional and behavioural disorders are clearly significant and distressing for the person, family and community.  However, the impact of mental health issues to workplaces and employers has been less clear and received less attention to date. The magnitude of the issue both in terms of costs and the dangers of mental health problems to organisations should not be underestimated: there is a greater need now more than ever for business and employers to consider how to make work a safer place to be. [ + ]

The importance of protecting employees and providing a safe work environment has seen an increase in the use of reflective and high-visibility tapes. Whether it is on work clothing or personal protective equipment (PPE), it is a common requirement and practice. [ + ]

Engineers at Oregon State University are studying a new approach to organise and route truck transportation that could save millions of dollars, improve the quality of life for thousands of truck drivers and make freight transportation far more efficient. [ + ]

DEHN has a range of products for personnel working in and at electrical systems and installations. [ + ]

A recently released report by SafeWork Australia shows that there has been no improvement in our national return-to-work rates for the past 15 years. [ + ]

Each day of The Safety Show Sydney will feature six presentations covering an array of topics including how technology is changing the way we undertake on-site safety, emergency planning, contractor management, OHS program planning and funding, personal protective equipment industry updates and an overview of the latest legislation. [ + ]

People working in places with poor ventilation and higher temperatures need to be educated on how to recognise heat stress symptoms and minimise the risks associated with such symptoms. [ + ]

SAI Global has designed an online scenario-based safety training course that meets critical criteria for OHS hazard audits. [ + ]

Researchers from Australia, Singapore and the US are joining forces, through an AU$20 million partnership, to help pre-empt and prepare the world for the next human pandemic. [ + ]