Articles
Disengaging the autopilot
Why do so many people still get hurt at work? Most incidents don’t happen because the person didn’t know the hazard was present or what controls were required. Incidents typically happen because the person wasn’t paying attention at the time and as a result came into contact with a hazard. [ + ]
Australia sets up national asbestos safety agency
The Australian Government is setting up an Office of Asbestos Safety that will pave the way for a national approach to asbestos awareness and management in Australia, said Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten. [ + ]
Managing electrical hazards in the workplace
Electrical fire hazards exist in almost every workplace and unfortunately, fires resulting from electrical hazards can lead to injury, fatality and damage to property. Common causes of electrical fires are overloaded equipment, electrical short circuiting of worn or damaged cables or heat generated by electrical equipment. [ + ]
Eight steps to reduce dust in the workplace
With no Australian standards in place for dust management in the workplace, Hilti has provided steps to keep worksite dust under control. [ + ]
Occupational health and safety trends
Every dollar spent on safety sends US$4 to US$6 to the bottom line, notes a recent 3M Safety Outlook and Trends Report. The report outlines global occupational health and safety trends and also advises that health and safety managers holistically assess the required PPE components and select an integrated solution. [ + ]
Global Spill Control’s bunding solution helps United Aero prevent spills
After securing a large contract to maintain utility pipelines in the outback of New South Wales, United Aero Helicopters identified the need to be able to safely store aviation fuel in remote locations for refuelling of its helicopters. [ + ]
Half of Australia’s workers would rather quit than deal with workplace issues
Australian workers are fostering an ‘avoidance culture’ among employees, with 46% of people surveyed saying they would rather look for a new job than contend with a workplace issue, while 48% resort to taking days off when faced with a tough time at work, reveals a recent Australian Workplace Relationships Survey conducted by R U OK?. [ + ]
Fall protection system installed at South Australia’s railcar depot
South Australia’s recently completed Dry Creek Railcar Depot has a capacity to stable up to 70 railcars. The facility houses railcar workshops, access pits and sophisticated lifting machinery, where more than 50 operators can undertake train servicing and maintenance activities. Sayfa Systems was selected to provide its Raptor Overhead Rail Fall Arrest system, which offers continuous fall protection for multiple users while providing freedom of movement to all operators. [ + ]
Toyota forklift gives Darwin building supplier a boost
Darwin’s largest family-owned builders’ supplier has commissioned two new three-tonne-capacity Toyota forklift trucks to boost safety, productivity and machine availability. [ + ]
OHS in growth phase
When the workers across various non-mining sectors are concerned about job losses and company closures, the professionals in the workplace health and safety industry seem to be having strong career prospects. [ + ]
Worker safety at risk due to compliance issues
The newly formed industry group Working for a Safer Australia (WSA) - The Glove Standards Compliance Group, which includes Uvex, Ansell, Performance on Hand, SafetyMate and Showa Best, is preparing an evidence-based submission to Standards Australia to correct a deficiency in the Australian Standards regime for industrial gloves. [ + ]
Fair Work Australia rules against urine testing
After initially rejecting Endeavour Energy’s application to implement a mandatory, urine-based, on-site drug testing regime for its employees, the Fair Work Australia Full Bench has once again decided against the company, rejecting its appeal and arguing that urine testing is invasive and unnecessary. [ + ]
Respirator fit testing is essential for worker safety
Conducting a fit test to ensure that a respirator with a tight-fitting facepiece provides an adequate seal to the wearer’s face is deemed best practice as part of a respiratory protection program. [ + ]
Bystander intervention key to reducing sexual harassment in workplaces
In a recently published report titled 'Bystander Approaches to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace', Paula McDonald, Queensland University of Technology and Michael Flood, University of Wollongong, demonstrate the potential for bystander approaches to make a real difference in preventing and addressing sexual harassment as a costly and damaging workplace harm. Read on to find out more. [ + ]
Preventing workplace injuries and claims
When looking at workplace injury prevention, I often see a gap in between the work done stopping any kind of injury occur in the first place and the treatment provided once an injury has turned into a WorkCover claim. [ + ]