Labour force figures released yesterday by the ABS show that seasonally adjusted employment expanded strongly in May, increasing by 38,900 to a record high of 11,537,900 Australians at work. [ + ]

Gas detection service provider Industrial Scientific Corporation’s Ventis MX4 multigas detector has been certified to meet the ATEX standards of EN 60079-0, EN 60079-11 and EN 50303 for M1 mining equipment and intrinsic safety in Zone 0 applications (ATEX Markings - Ex ia IIC T4 Ga and Ex ia I Ma; for equipment group and category II 1G and I M1 and IECEx Markings - Ex ia IIC T4 Ga). [ + ]

The second transition milestone for the National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work - adopted in the Northern Territory on 30 June 2010 - is approaching. The Standard has made training, assessment and licensing of high-risk work consistent across Australia, leading to safer workplaces. [ + ]

The WA Safety Show will be held from 7-9 August at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. The show will offer visitors an opportunity to network and learn from industry experts via interactive live demonstrations, dedicated feature areas, free seminars and workshops. [ + ]

The National Minimum Wage will be increased by $17.10 a week following a decision handed down by Fair Work Australia’s specialist Minimum Wage Panel. The decision will further assist low-income working families to manage cost of living pressures. [ + ]

Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC), the new regulator of workplace laws in the building and construction industry, begins operations today. FWBC was created by the Fair Work (Building) Act 2012 (FW Building Act). The agency is headed by the Acting Chief Executive, Leigh Johns. [ + ]

All registered employer associations and unions will be subject to tougher financial and accountability obligations, and Fair Work Australia will have enhanced investigation powers, under legislation introduced into federal parliament today. [ + ]

Queensland-established injury prevention and management company Kinnect has opened state headquarters in Perth, Western Australia. The need for enhanced workplace injury prevention and injury support was not only reflected in the size of the WA resources sector, but a future outlook where known and forecast exploration expenditure signified a continuing strong pipeline of new mining and energy projects, says Kinnect’s WA Director and health professional Rebecca Morton-Stephens. [ + ]

WorkCover NSW will be holding a webinar on 20 June from 10-11 am for small businesses and workers to help them understand the recent changes in work health and safety laws [ + ]

Soundshield provides protection from acoustic shriek injury caused by sudden exposure to loud noises, which can result in painful ears, hearing loss, vertigo and even anxiety and depression. The device was developed and commercialised through a collaboration between Polaris Communications, an Australian supplier of headset devices into the contact centre industry, and the HEARing Cooperative Research Centre. [ + ]

Through advanced computer modelling of house fires, mechanical engineers at UNSW are giving firefighters a new suite of tools to investigate and battle dangerous blazes - just in time for the high-risk winter months. [ + ]

More than 20 Victorian tradies a week were seriously injured on housing constructions sites last year, costing the industry $17 million in medical costs, wages and other expenses, according to WorkSafe Victoria. WorkSafe Inspector Steve Thornely said the figures could be significantly higher as sole traders do not make claims under WorkSafe’s injury insurance scheme. [ + ]

The Australian Industry Group has announced its opposition of unions’ attempts to reduce casual employment flexibility, with CEO Innes Willox saying the unions’ claims are “not in Australia’s interests”. [ + ]

The 2012 WorkCover NSW SafeWork Awards are open for entries. WorkCover NSW would like to invite you and your organisation to enter. [ + ]

The winners of the 2012 AHRI Diversity Awards will be announced at a Melbourne luncheon this week on 17 May. The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding individuals and organisations, and the contribution they have made to their business and the HR profession in the area of diversity. [ + ]