A fatigue-monitoring company has questioned the effectiveness of GPSs as a tool for curbing fatigue-related accidents in Australia's transport industry.

Safety standards for gloves have proved to be a valuable guide for ensuring worker hand protection.

The Entire Group was established in 1985 to provide a fully coordinated design, supply, installation and maintenance service for a wide range of clients within the building and construction industries for numerous services that include all facets of fire protection, mechanical services, air-conditioning, process, piping fabrication and electrical services.

Continuing on from our discussion on the risks associated with working in hot conditions, Part 2 presents guidance from WorkSafe WA on reducing the risk of heat stress and preventing heat illness.

With summer coming on, safety supervisors and workers will soon need to give attention to safely working in hot conditions. Part 1 will consider information from WorkSafe WA on how to assess the risks associated with working in the heat.

A study recently conducted throughout the US has found that fatal workplace accidents can trigger public concern, but follow-through on key safety issues lags all too often.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.