Workers who have to carry out tasks at height are exposed to some of the most significant risks for any industry. It should come as no surprise that standards bodies and safety authorities highly regulate the work methods of such workers and the safety equipment they use. But it may surprise many to learn that our comprehensive standards don’t cover the structural point that is designated to support the forces that are generated when arresting a fall - the anchor points.

In the past, when a safety professional wanted to select or assign a hearing protection device (HPD) for an employee, the data they have historically had available was based on fitting scenarios in a controlled laboratory environment. This information bore little resemblance to the conditions under which workers had to wear HPDs on a daily basis.

Historically, safety footwear was characterised by heavy boots made from thick leather uppers with solid stitching, steel toe-caps and thick, dense soles. There was no such thing as ‘style’ and the only choices you had were black or brown colour and laces or elasticised sides. Fashion was simply covered by your choice of socks and comfort only came into the picture when you took your boots off. But we’ve come a long way since then.

The model Work Health and Safety Act 2010 will not only achieve harmonisation of OHS laws around Australia, it will remove gaps in coverage and drive greater engagement in OHS at all levels within business. The involvement of company officers will be driven by a new positive due diligence obligation.

Some time ago in a Clint Eastwood movie, I remember the character that he played saying: “I tried being reasonable - I didn’t like it.” How many managers, faced with the difficult worker who simply won’t do as they are directed or told, have felt the same as Clint Eastwood’s character? Despite perhaps feeling that way, our ‘Clint’ manager can’t be like the real Clint - he must learn to be reasonable. Why?

Treating workers for injuries that cost little or nothing to prevent has cost the Victorian community $956 million in the last year.

Safe Work Australia recently launched a publication on overcoming barriers to effective noise control and hearing loss prevention in the workplace.

A number of changes to the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 and the Dangerous Goods Safety Management Regulation 2001 commenced recently.

A recent Australian court decision has further highlighted the additional risks which migrant workforces face in relation to workplace safety.

A major revamp of the fans and their associated safety and maintenance equipment at the Railcorp Explorer and Endeavour Service Centre in Sydney has been carried out by the Turnkey Fitout Division of Fanquip. The Service Centre, which is located in the North Eveleigh Precinct at Australian Technology Park, had old and outdated fan equipment that required considerable maintenance, frequently exposing workers to the hazards of working at height.

Safe Work Australia has recently issued two research reports that outline methods to reduce the risk of exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace.

A new safety campaign by the Optometrists Association is aiming to minimise the incidence of eye injuries in the workplace.

New accident compensation legislation came into effect in Victoria as of 1 July 2010.

A Safe Work Australia survey has found that a high percentage of workers in Australia are exposed to airborne hazards.

According to a recent report, if all truck drivers used safety belts, the number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents in Europe would decrease by 40%.