12:06 pm, Friday 22 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

A 31-year-old woman has been killed in an industrial accident at a cabinet-making factory in Melbourne.

The woman was operating an industrial router yesterday when the bit disintegrated and a piece hit her in the chest.

WorkSafe has launched an investigation into the accident at the East Bentleigh factory, in Melbourne’s east.

WorkSafe executive director John Merritt said the death was a tragedy for the woman’s family and workmates.

“With many businesses finishing today before holidays, we can only urge employers and workers to keep their mind on what they’re doing and not be distracted by upcoming holidays and celebrations,” he said.

The woman’s death is the 29th reported to WorkSafe this year - 11 more than in 2005.

WorkSafe is also investigating the collapse of a steel building frame at a warehouse and office development in Laverton North, in Melbourne’s west, today.

Most of the 40m by 70m frame collapsed but no one was hurt, a WorkSafe spokesman said.

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09:00 am, Friday 22 December, 2006

The most comprehensive OHS Forum for Australian OHS Professionals has now been launched. Industries covered include Construction, Manufacturing, Mining,Hospitality and more. visit the Occupational Health and Safety forum at www.ohsforum.com.au

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04:50 pm, Wednesday 20 December, 2006

ALMOST 10 per cent of young men are injured or become ill at work each year, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) figures show.

About 700,000 of the 10.8 million people who worked at some time in the last 12 months experienced a work-related injury or illness - a rate of 6.4 per cent.

ABS data out today revealed younger people generally experienced the highest rates of work-related injury and illness.

Men aged 20 to 24 had the highest rate of work-related injury or illness at 9.8 per cent, and the frequency was generally higher for men than women.

“Almost two-thirds of people who experienced a work-related injury or illness were men,” the ABS report, Work-Related Injuries Australia, said.

The report said this was partly because 54 per cent of workers were men, but men were still at higher risk even accounting for this difference.

Sprains or strains were the most commonly reported conditions, followed by cuts or open wounds, and chronic joint or muscle conditions.

The ABS data also revealed the most risky jobs are held by intermediate production and transport workers, such as plant and machine operators, truck and train drivers, closely followed by tradespeople and labourers.

The most dangerous industries are agriculture, forestry and fishing, manufacturing, and construction and mining, while Queensland and the ACT are the most dangerous states.

The figures show almost one-third of injuries were received through lifting, pushing or pulling an object.

More than two-fifths of those injured had not received any occupational, health and safety training in the job in which the problem occurred.

About six in ten of injured or ill workers took some time off work, including 2.5 per cent who had not returned to work since the injury or illness occurred and 28 per cent who had five days or more off.

About six in ten also received some sort of financial assistance such as workers compensation.

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04:29 pm, Tuesday 19 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

A UNION fears a rush to finish work on a western Sydney construction sitebefore Christmas may have led to workers being injured.

One man has been taken to hospital in a stable condition while two others suffered minor injuries and were treated on site after formwork collapsed during a concrete pour on the site at Parramatta.

The incident occurred about 1.30pm (AEDT) today on a high rise block on the corner of Macquarie and Smith streets.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) said the timber formwork appears to have collapsed under the weight of the concrete being poured.

“It is a miracle that no one from the site was killed as tonnes of concrete, steel and timber crashed down to the level below,” CFMEU Parramatta organiser Mal Tulloch said.

“We are concerned that shortcuts have possibly been taken with the construction of the formwork as the builder attempts to rush through work prior to the Christmas break.”

Mr Tulloch said the union had previously had safety disputes with the site management Broad Construction after union officials were denied access to carry out a safety inspection.

Comment was being sought from Broad Construction.

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03:25 pm, Tuesday 19 December, 2006

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10:50 pm, Sunday 17 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

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11:11 am, Friday 15 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

A MAN died in an underground mine in northwest Queensland early today.

Police said the 19-year-old worker was believed to have been carrying out electrical work when a cage fell to the ground at BHP Billiton’s Cannington mine, east of Mt Isa about 2.15am (AEST).

It was not yet known exactly how the man died.

A BHP Billiton spokeswoman said the mine was closed while the death was investigated.

She said the company was helping the family and co-workers of the man whose name had not been released.

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05:58 pm, Wednesday 13 December, 2006

By Denis Peters

SEVERAL more big employers have been given permission to self-insure for workers’ compensation, allowing them to move out of the traditional state systems.

The Federal Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) announced it had given approval to National Australia Bank Ltd, National Wealth Management Services Ltd and three John Holland group companies to become self-insured.

These companies will join others such as LinFox, Telstra, Pacific National and CSL Ltd which have moved within the realm of the Commonwealth Workers’ Compensation Scheme (CWCS).

Companies must convince the SRCC that they are in competition with current or former Commonwealth authorities to be eligible.

The passage of amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 this year made the moves from state systems possible.

“The commission was satisfied that these companies met the requirements of the legislation in respect of the management of workers’ compensation claims and the standards set by the commission for the rehabilitation and occupational health and safety of their employees,” SRCC chairman Les Taylor said.

The ACTU is passionately opposed to the new regime, saying it could mean substantially reduced payouts for injured workers and significantly lower the national standard of workplace health and safety.

“Unions are very concerned that health and safety protections for workers are typically much lower in the federal system and that payouts for permanently injured workers are also much less,” ACTU president Sharan Burrow said.

“For example, the amount payable to a paraplegic is around 30-40 per cent less under Comcare than under Victoria’s workers’ compensation system,” she said.

“And for a worker who loses a thumb and forefinger in a workplace accident, the payment under Comcare is $66,000 - around $50,000 less than the NSW State compensation payout of $114,000 and also much less than Victoria’s $107,000.”

Ms Burrow said the CWCS and OHS system was not set up to deal with building industry employers like John Holland.

“Australia’s construction industry is very dangerous and many workers continue to lose their lives in unnecessary workplace accidents,” she said.

“It is appalling that the Federal Government would allow companies like John Holland to shop around for a cheaper workers’ compensation system.

“These companies are moving out of the state and territory compensation systems so that they can cut costs and evade stronger health and safety regulations.”

“But the people who will suffer from this new move by the Howard Government are going to be workers who are injured.”

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11:30 am, Wednesday 13 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

FOUR Sydney-based RailCorp managers have been sacked and two others disciplined after a female employee complained of sexual harassment.

Anastasia Dhillon was a RailCorp secretary last year when she raised 116 complaints against seven managers, including sexual harassment and use of pornography in the workplace.

Ms Dhillon’s complaints and a 12-month investigation spurred RailCorp management to implement tougher procedures for dealing with harassment.

For privacy reasons, RailCorp declined today to reveal the identity of the managers involved, but said four had been dismissed, one suspended for three months without pay, and another reprimanded.

A seventh manager was cleared by the investigation.

Following the investigation, RailCorp chief executive Vince Graham announced the establishment of a new anti-bullying and harassment steering committee, of which he would be a part.

RailCorp also would introduce a new early invervention complaints management system, and education and training programs to raise awareness in the workplace, he said.

“The changes will improve grievance-handling processes in RailCorp and raise further awareness of these issues among managers,” Mr Graham said.

The disciplinary against the six managers, combined with the new grievance procedures, were a warning to all staff that “this kind of behaviour” would no longer be tolerated, Mr Graham said.

“I have previously indicated there is no place for bullying and harassment in any workplace,” he said.

“RailCorp … has a responsibility to do all it can to minimise this kind of behaviour and make sure there is appropriate support available when it does happen.”

A RailCorp spokeswoman said Ms Dhillon was on sick leave with full pay.

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03:23 pm, Tuesday 12 December, 2006

By Evan Schwarten

Article from: AAP

ANOTHER 12 workers from a central Queensland coal mine are being tested for legionnaires’ disease after two of their colleagues were admitted to hospital with it last week.

Mining giant Anglo Coal closed its Grasstree Creek mine, near Middlemount in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, at the weekend after a second man tested positive to the respiratory disease.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said 11 workers visited a Middlemount doctor suffering symptoms of the disease including coughs and fever.

Another worker was treated for pneumonia in a Mackay hospital last week.

All 12 were being tested for legionnaires’ disease by Queensland Health officers.

The two workers admitted to Rockhampton hospital last week have already been discharged.

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the naturally occurring bacteria legionella, which can be found in ponds and creeks as well as in air-conditioning cooling towers and shower heads.

It causes symptoms similar to influenza or pneumonia including fever, headache, shortness of breath and muscle aches.

The disease cannot be transferred from human to human.

Central Area Health Service public health physician Dr Margaret Young said water samples collected from the mine over the weekend had been sent to Brisbane for testing, but results would not be known for four to seven days.

Dr Young said any workers or contractors from the mine who developed a cough or fever should contact a GP immediately.

She said if treated properly, patients normally improved within three to five days.

An Anglo Coal spokesman yesterday said the mine would remain closed until the company received the results of the testing.

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