Almost one third of Australia's motorists continue to use handheld mobile phones while driving despite acknowledging the practice is dangerous and against the law, according to new research commissioned by Telstra. [ + ]

A car dealership has been fined $180,000 following the electrocution of a panel beater in its maintenance workshop. [ + ]

The revamped WorkCover NSW scheme will continue to lose money at least until next year, an independent assessment said recently. [ + ]

An underground tunnelling system for use in mines, a portable device that records bad driving habits and a new treatment for skin disorders are examples of the innovative Queensland projects to be offered funding in the latest round of the Federal Government's R&D program. [ + ]

Research at Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) and the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET) have shown that a benzene derivative damages the nervous system. In fact, the substance is much more active than non-benzene analogs already known to cause peripheral nerve damage (loss of limb sensation and muscle weakness) in solvent-exposed workers. [ + ]

Quick thinking by workmates prevented a Graincorp employee from suffocating when he was sucked into wheat grain during the unloading of a silo at Gilgandra in May 2000. [ + ]

Birdstrikes continue to be a problem for aviation worldwide, costing approximately US$3 billion annually. Increasingly, funds are being directed towards research which focuses on bird control and avoidance methods. Two such methods which are proving to be successful are the use of handheld laser devices to scare birds from the airport environment, and the use of the US developed Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS), which allows aircraft to avoid high-risk birdstrike areas. [ + ]

The number of people diagnosed with deadly asbestos-related diseases has reached epidemic levels and is expected to rise dramatically in the next 30 years, a victims' support group has warned. [ + ]

Exposure to agricultural chemicals, petroleum products and other substances are leading occupational health and safety concerns on Australian farms. [ + ]

The revamped WorkCover NSW scheme will continue to lose money at least until next year, an independent assessment said recently. [ + ]

Research at Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) and the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET) have shown that a benzene derivative damages the nervous system. [ + ]

Birdstrikes continue to be a problem for aviation worldwide, costing approximately US$3 billion annually. [ + ]

The number of people diagnosed with deadly asbestos-related diseases has reached epidemic levels and is expected to rise dramatically in the next 30 years, a victims' support group has warned. [ + ]

Thousands of former British coal miners now living in Australia and New Zealand will be able to seek compensation for work-related illnesses, in what is believed to be the biggest class action in the world. [ + ]

The senate of the US state of Washington has voted to make employer compliance with ergonomics program standards voluntary. [ + ]