The recent Federal Court decision in Haros v Linfox [2011] FCA 699 has dismissed a claim by a former executive that Linfox had misled him during the recruitment process, both in the nature of his role with the company and the security of his employment.

The upcoming harmonisation of national OHS laws has many organisations struggling to see how, or if, budgets can possibly be stretched further to gain compliance. However, doing so need not break the bank. Paying close attention to existing systems and some creative thinking, when it comes to skilling up OHS teams, are the best steps an organisation can take to prepare for this, or any other, new legislative regime.

If Facebook were a country, it would be the world’s third-most populated, with over 400,000,000 users. So it would not be news to anyone that the use of social media is growing: Socialnomics 2011 claims that over 50% of the world’s population is under 30 years old, and 96% of them have joined a social networking site. Further, the fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55- to 65-year-old females. However, what seems to come as a surprise to many employees is that what they post on social media sites can get them into all sorts of trouble - including termination of their employment.

The harmonisation of the occupational health and safety laws has allowed the asbestos codes to be further refined, incorporating a range of new best practices from the asbestos industry. The codes of practice have been simplified and clarified where necessary, but at the same time the former ‘grey’ areas have been expanded in detail

Paul Anthony Friend, who operates Latrobe Roofing and Spouting Services in the Geelong region in Victoria, has accumulated more than $65,000 in fines for safety law breaches since 2001.

WorkCover NSW has issued an alert to remind employers, and those who control railway construction sites, to keep workers clear of crane loads that are under tension.

A recent study by Wormald has found that 61% of small businesses do not have fire detection or evacuation procedures in place.

When the Australian marine terminal operator, DP World, was looking to improve its occupational health and safety (OHS) system, it contacted SCRIM, part of software consultancy firm Accelrelation.

After using some trial and error systems for reviewing driver fatigue that didn’t reflect the experience of mining operations, Australian metal mining and exploration company, Perilya, discovered Optalert. Some interesting results emerged from the trial, which involved around 12 drivers. The trial allowed Perilya to gather hard data to indicate that their drivers are not suffering from fatigue and their roster was suitable. The Optalert Fatigue Risk Profiler system detects the early onset of drowsiness during a journey by accurately measuring a person’s level of alertness.

NT WorkSafe has issued a safety alert that highlights the importance of an effective fatigue management system for drivers of heavy and light vehicles following an increase in incident notifications of accidents at or near mine sites.

From 30 September 2011, operators of loadshifting machines will no longer need a certificate of competency to operate some loadshifting equiment.

Implementing measures to eliminate or control the risks arising from the consumption of intoxicating liquor or drugs might seem like a relatively simple task, but the myriad options for testing and recording results, legal and compliance requirements, as well as the rise in availability of synthetic drugs which may not be detected in traditional tests, can provide a number of hurdles to scale before a mine operator ensures that legal obligations are being met.

Most of us have worked from home at one point or another. With developments in technology, we can perform work at home, at the gym, at the soccer ground, from the car, from bed. And one of the joys of working from home or remotely is that there is no strict dress code: you can work in pyjamas, gym gear, jeans, fluffy socks - or can you?

Harmonised OHS laws are due to commence on 1 January 2012. Each Australian state and territory has committed to adopting a form of the model Workplace Health and Safety Act (Model Act). Not all states and territories will adopt all parts of the Model Act as it is presently drafted. One area where there appears to be no disagreement is the provisions for workplace investigations.

The Sydney Safety Show offers industry professionals an opportunity to find the latest OHS products, services and ideas, and gives them a chance to see hundreds of new and innovative ways to improve workplace performance. It also enables visitors to keep up to date with new developments in OHS from the broad range of specialists.