04:44 pm, Thursday 21 January, 2010

An accident at Menangle Park Paceway in Sydney’s southwest has led to the death of a truck driver, according to an NSW work safety inspector.

According to WorkCover, the driver was tipping a load on an embankment around 2pm on Tuesday. The trailer jack-knifed, crushing the truck’s cab.

An investigation by WorkCover is now underway.

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02:31 pm, Wednesday 20 January, 2010

Buyers and sellers in Shepparton involved in clearing sales or trading in used agricultural equipment are invited to attend a meeting focusing on occupational health and safety information.

The information event will be run by WorkSafe and is organised by Kevin Hicks Real Estate.

Two speakers will address the meeting on January 22, 1pm, at the Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club rooms.

Agent Barry Jones said the meeting can be useful for people involved in buying or selling second-hand agricultural equipment.

“We’ve organised the day because we do so many clearing sales and we have been getting quite a few questions from people about what obligations and responsibilities people have,” he said.

“We’ll have the experts there so we can get the latest straight from the horse’s mouth.”

Anyone can attend the event, but bookings must be made beforehand by calling 5821 8388.

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08:26 pm, Tuesday 19 January, 2010

A crane tower erected at BHP’s Worsley Alumina Refinery has collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, according to Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFEMU) organiser Troy Smart.

The equipment is said to have failed during load testing, causing it to fall and hit another crane and other amenities.

Mr Smart said the feeling on the site after the mechanical failure was “not good”.

“As the incident happened close to the change of shift, about 800 workers stopped work.

“When something like that falls down workers realise they could have been hit.”

Mines Department personnel arrived on the site within two hours of the incident to conduct inspection.

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07:45 pm, Tuesday 19 January, 2010

Basic safety issues will be the main focus when WorkSafe begins its Safe Towns and Safer Work Zones inspection campaigns next month.

Teams of inspectors will go to visit Seaford, Bacchus Marsh, Heidelberg, Portland, Williamstown, Bayswater and Sal for the next six months.

The campaigns have been initiated in line with last year’s high number of serious injuries and work-related deaths.

Inspections will focus on small businesses, particularly those in industrial estates. WorkSafe inspectors will also provide information and guidance on making the workplace safer.

If safety procedures are found to be inadequate, WorkSafe will issue formal directions in the form of Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices if the problem can’t be dealt with on-the-spot.

Improvement Notices are given to make a safety improvement within an agreed period. Prohibition Notices are issued when there is an immediate risk to health and safety. Receiving a Prohibition Notice means a machine or work practice must cease.

Both notices require sign-off from a WorkSafe inspector before they are lifted. If a notice is breached, the business concerned may be prosecuted.

WorkSafe’s acting Executive Director Stan Krpan noted that the start of the year was relatively quiet for many businesses, but said now is the ideal time to review safety standards.

“Sit down with the workforce, go through the potential safety issues and work out what can be done to eliminate them. Once that’s done, put a plan together and get to work putting it into effect,” Mr Krpan said.

According to Mr Krpan, WorkSafe wants employers and workers to make a new year resolution to stop at least one risky or outright dangerous work practice.

“They may commit to always using fall protection when working at height; they’ll commit to consultation, guarding machines, or better plan work so safety shortcuts aren’t taken.

“It might mean breaking the (dangerous) habit of a lifetime, but it’s a resolution for every board, company director, employer, supervisor and worker to make.”

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07:35 am, Monday 18 January, 2010

A kitchen hand has suffered burns to his face, hands and airway following two explosions at a cafe in Melbourne’s legal district.

Paramedics say the 34-year-old man was working in the kitchen of Illia Cafe at around 2pm  when there were two blasts.

WorkSafe spokesman Michael Birt said the man was cleaning the oven when he unintentionally used a flammable liquid for cleaning.

He said the worker suffered ‘‘flash burns’’ when the chemical ignited.

Paramedics applied special burns dressing to the affected areas and gave the man pain relief. He was later taken to Alfred hospital and is now in stable condition.

According Mr Birt, the incident is a reminder that working in cafes and restaurants could be dangerous.

‘‘There are a number of incidents like this in hospitality each year,’’ he said.

WorkSafe is investigating the incident.

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07:35 am, Monday 18 January, 2010

A subcontractor was working at height when he fell seven storeys from a building in South Melbourne on Friday, leading to his death.

WorkSafe spokesman Michael Birt said the scaffolding where the 40-year-old man was on was not anchored properly. The mobile platform tipped and fell to the ground, taking the worker along with it.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman Paul Bentley said two men who were walking past the site witnessed the accident.

He said the tragedy was a “a fairly horrific scene for them to be confronted by.”

Bystanders attempted to resuscitate the worker at about 10.30am, but he was pronounced dead by the paramedics who arrived on the scene.

Developer Hickory issued a statement saying all work had ceased at the Dorcas Street site.

“Hickory’s heartfelt condolences go to the worker’s family at this tragic time,’’ the statement said.

The developer did not offer any further comments until an incident report was received from WorkSafe.

Mr Birt said falls accounted for six of 30 workplace deaths in Voctoria in 2009.

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07:30 am, Monday 18 January, 2010

A 60-year-old worker has died following a forklift accident at Laverton on Tuesday.

The incident happened after 3pm at AirRoad in Boundary Rd. It is the first workplace death in 2010.

WorkSafe investigators have begun an inquiry on the tragic accident.

Initial investigation by WorkSafe reveals that the man was guiding a forklift driver in unloading a computer equipment from a truck when the 200kg load fell and hit him. The man died at the scene.

The computer equipment was on castors and was not mounted on a pallet.

A forklift operation can be dangerous, as the 57 forklift-related deaths since 1985 show. 16 of those incidents involved loads falling from the forklift.

WorkSafe has released posters warning of the dangers of working near the machines.

WorkSafe’s acting Executive Director Stan Krpan said the incident was a reminder for employers and workers to maximise safe work practices.

“January, along with March and November, are the most dangerous months with each recording 36 deaths over the past decade.

“With many businesses relatively quiet at this time of the year, now is the time to go through the potential safety issues and work out what can be done it eliminate them.

“Once that’s done, put a plan together and get to work putting it into effect.

“It’s in everyone’s interests to do this sooner rather than later. Don’t adopt a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude, wait until a WorkSafe inspector arrives or tragedy to strike.’

Thirty people died in traumatic work-related incidents last year up from 21 in 2008. A spate of deaths in October, November and December accounted for 12 of the 30 deaths.

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05:12 pm, Friday 15 January, 2010

A western Perth company has been fined $20,000 by the Perth Magistrates Court following an injury sustained by a worker while cleaning a machinery.

According to WorkSafe, Comgroup Supplies Pty Ltd failed to provide a safe workplace, which resulted to serious harm to an employee.

In October 2006, two ComGroup employees were tasked to clean a “Formax 26” machinery. The equipment has two plungers that need to be moved into various positions to clean it properly.

While one of the workers was cleaning, the plungers of the machine started up and moved without warning. His right hand was caught between the plungers and the body of the machine.

As a result of the incident, the man’s right thumb was fractured. Part of his right index finger was later amputated.

The standard cleaning procedure was for the supervisor to switch the machine on, move the plungers into the correct position for cleaning, then switch the machine off for cleaning.

However, the supervisor was on sick leave on the night of the incident. The production and export company failed to arrange for another supervisor to take his place.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said the case was a reminder of the importance of having safe systems of work in place.

“This incident should serve as a reminder that lockout and tagging procedures are vitally important in any workplace where machinery is used,” Ms Lyhne said.

“Many workers have been seriously injured or killed when equipment or machinery they were working on has been accidentally activated, so it is absolutely crucial that safe systems of work are in place.

“In this case it was entirely practicable for the company to have a lockout and tagging procedure in place so the machine could not be started during the cleaning procedure.”

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07:30 am, Friday 15 January, 2010

A handbook which focuses on controlling the hazards and risks in retail and fast food industry has been released to aid franchise businesses across the country.

Developed by the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) Small Business Network, the handbook outlines the common safety risks encountered by the franchise industry.

The publication acknowledges the many types of franchise businesses in Australia, each with distinct OHS systems in place.

The handbook’s goal is to assist franchisors in developing effective safety systems, and franchisees in understanding how to implement these systems in the workplace.

The handbook offers practical advice in dealing with issues commonly encountered in the industry, including manual handling, working with electrical equipment,  heat stress, handling knives, and workplace harassment.

It also contains a checklist for  induction, a training register and an injury report that a franchisee can utilise for its business.

For more information, please visit the  WorkSafe Victoria website.

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07:55 pm, Thursday 14 January, 2010

WorkSafe’s inspection campaign which targeted cabinet making workplaces has revealed several safety issues that are causes of concern for the industry.

The 12-month campaign was completed in August. A team of WorkSafe personnel inspected a random selection of workplaces throughout the State.

The inspection campaign resulted to 95 inspections of furniture making businesses. The inspections sought to point out any safety risks which may be common to the industry.

During the course of the campaign, WorkSafe also gave information to cabinet makers on how to implement occupational health and safety systems that meet the requirements of safety laws.

WorkSafe Acting Executive Director Joe Attard said the campaign confirmed some common safety risks that need to be addressed.

“The manufacturing industry – under which the cabinet making sector falls – has the highest number of lost-time injuries of all WA industries,” he said.

“More than 3600 people employed in the WA manufacturing industry are injured each year seriously enough to have to take time off work, so there is room for considerable improvement in the industry.”

According to Mr Attard,  WorkSafe inspectors issued a total of 295 improvement notices and four prohibition notices throughout  the inspections. The campaign revealed three major areas of concern.

“By far the greatest number of notices – 94 – were issued for breaches of the laws pertaining to the storage, labeling and use of hazardous substances in the workplace.

“Workplaces in which cabinet making is carried out would usually need to have a range of substances such as glues, stripping agents, varnishes and so on, all of which need to be stored, labeled and used in a safe manner to avoid injury and illness.

“A total of 28 notices were issued for matters relating to the lockout and tagging of machinery and tools.  It is particularly important to have safe systems of work for lockout and tagging, especially when cleaning and maintenance activities are taking place.

“A further 26 notices were issued relating to the guarding of machinery.  Obviously this type of workplace would contain machinery with hazardous moving parts – saws and other cutting equipment in particular – and it is crucial that they are safely guarded.

“One other issue this campaign looked at closely was the safe stacking of timber sheets in cabinet making workplaces.

“A 22-year-old worker was crushed to death in March 2008 when a stack of veneered chipboard sheets toppled onto him, and this tragic event provided the incentive for this campaign.

“Several notices were issued on this hazard during the campaign, and employers were directed to introduce safe work practices for the storage and handling of timber sheets, including providing racks where practicable.”

Inspectors looked at other issues as well, such as electrical equipment and RCDs, manual handling and the supervision, instruction and training of workers.

“Proactive inspection campaigns such as this one aim to make everyone more aware of the hazards in their workplaces so the risk of injuries is lessened,” Mr Attard said.

“They also aim to provide employers with information on their responsibilities with regard to workplace safety, but if the inspectors find breaches of safety laws, they do take enforcement action.”

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