Between bacterial outbreaks, viral pandemics, irradiation and the continuing controversy surrounding food additives and genetic modification, it seems that the safety of what we consume regularly comes into question.

A scaffolder who was seriously injured when he fell 20 m down a lift shaft on a Sydney building site has led to construction company Bovis Lend Lease Pty Ltd being fined $175,000.

The iconic image of the Australian bush - a horseman rounding up stock with a battered Akubra on his head - is under threat. It could disappear as farms are forced to concentrate on safety and possible legal action if farm workers are injured.

Fines totalling $322,000 have been imposed by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission sitting in court session following an incident at Redfern Railway Station in which a worker suffered severe head injuries causing brain damage.

WorkCover NSW Chief Executive Officer Jon Blackwell announced an amnesty for workers who hold Certificates of Competency without completing a proper knowledge or practical assessment.

The death of an electrician who was standing on a platform on the roof of a maintenance train at Grafton in 2001 has led to a $156,000 fine being imposed by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission sitting in Court Session.

A Penrith metals manufacturer has been fined $195,000 by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission sitting in court session following serious injuries suffered by a worker who became trapped in a conveyor.

Danish researchers claim they have produced a plant that can help detect landmines by changing its colour from green to red when its roots come in contact with explosives.

About 40 workers constructing a massive gas pipeline in remote Western Australia were undergoing medical tests after stumbling across a hidden asbestos dump.

A chimney sweep died from an extreme allergic reaction within minutes of suffering 40 or 50 bee stings while working at a school, the South Australian coroner found recently.

New evidence of a possible link between anti-perspirants and breast cancer has emerged.

A National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority is on track to open its doors for business on 1 January 2005, after the Senate passed enabling legislation in the year's final sitting period.

Sickness among millions of office workers in industrialised countries could be reduced by the use of ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria and moulds in ventilation systems, conclude the Canadian authors of a study published in The Lancet journal.

Between bacterial outbreaks, viral pandemics, irradiation and the continuing controversy surrounding food additives and genetic modification, it seems that the safety of what we consume regularly comes into question. The issue of food safety is a multi-faceted and cross-dimensional issue, covering many disparate areas and a plethora of often-conflicting scientific data. Since this issue affects each and every human being alive today, the question that needs to be asked is: “How safe is the food we eat?â€

Bill Weems and Phil Bishop