The harmonised safety laws across Australia are one step closer to becoming a reality and will bring about significant changes to the construction industry. With only six months to go until the new laws commence operation on 1 January 2012, businesses have a limited timeframe to become familiar with the new Workplace Health & Safety Act and regulations that will replace the current laws.

Too many people who work on construction sites think that it’s someone else’s responsibility to keep them safe. This is especially true for people who are required to work at height in these environments. But even the most conscientious and safety-focused worker can pay the ultimate price due to workplace safety neglect.

Safety professionals as well as business operators across different industry sectors and geographies are increasingly realising the significance of technology in workplace safety.

When it comes to working at heights, simplicity equals safety. It’s easy to be seduced by high-tech harnesses but the acid test for your height safety equipment is whether it can be used by anybody.

The recent decision by the Minimum Wage Panel of Fair Work Australia increases minimum wage rates by 3.4% and the default casual loading for award and agreement free employees from 21% to 22%.

WorkSafe Victoria has released a new guide on the use of angle grinders after 31 serious workplace injuries involving them.

GRW Industries’ CoolMe vest is a cooling garment to limit the effects of heat stress and promote rapid recovery for workers in extreme heat conditions.

The decision about a suitable workplace drug testing method can be a difficult one for many safety sensitive industries, according to an Australian supplier of drug and alcohol screening programs, Medvet Laboratories.

Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital is currently undergoing a $1.07bn redevelopment that will consolidate 53 buildings into modern purpose-built facilities.

Eye protection in the workplace is an essential part of the growing health and safety issues seen across all Australian industries.

WorkCover NSW has published a safety alert after a worker suffered fatal injuries when a plenum made from EPS panels collapsed while he was working in a blast freezer.

Safe Work Australia, an Australian Government statutory agency, has released a research report on carbon nanotubes.

The Model Work Health and Safety Act will commence in each jurisdiction in Australia from 1 January 2012. A key change to be made by the Model Act will be to move away from reliance on the employment relationship as the determinant of who has duties and obligations and who is to be protected from risks to their health or safety.

It is naive to think employers are going to spend money on anything that is not justified, including OHS, and practitioners in this field need to learn to present a powerful cost-benefit analysis to management. OHS practitioners who ‘do their homework’ and speak the ‘language of management’ will be able to attract funding for occupational health and safety initiatives.

The following article gives guidelines for choosing the right PID for particular applications.