06:52 pm, Saturday 17 July, 2010

The Ringwood Magistrates’ Court has convicted an apprentice on July 1 after setting a new worker on fire as a prank.

The workplace prank took place on January 2008 at a Hallam workshop, where three apprentice mechanics sprayed brake-cleaning fluid on a colleague and set the flammable chemical alight.

The injured apprentice had been working at the business for just three days when the prank took place.

He had to stay in the hospital for a week to treat his burn injuries.

The 23-year-old prankster was the third apprentice to be prosecuted by WorkSafe for the incident.

He was convicted on three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and was fined $5,000.

In December 2008, the two other apprentices were both convicted of health and safety charges. Each was also fined $5,000 for the incident.

WorkSafe is currently looking into a similar occurrence in Dandenong in March, where two apprentice mechanics allegedly ignited brake fluid and injured themselves in the process.

“This sort of behaviour might be called horseplay or excused as a prank – but can lead to serious, permanent injuries. It’s against the law and it’s not acceptable,” WorkSafe’s Strategic Programs Director Trevor Martin said.

Mr Martin noted young workers are are less likely to report incidents of bullying or pranks that go too far.

“We want young workers to know that just because their mate’s the one carrying out the prank, it doesn’t make it ok.”

WorkSafe is currently running a program targeting 15-24 year olds in the workplace. Its purpose is to ensure that workplaces have transparent policies in place for bullying and harassment; that young people aware that it is not acceptable; and that they can seek help.

“In this case, the company had done the right thing – they’d spelt out their expectation that bullying and pranks would not be tolerated, and disciplined all three apprentices on a previous occasion,” Mr Martin said.

“Our message for other companies employing young workers is clear – the company’s rules around this kind of behaviour need to be clearly communicated, and young workers need to be supervised.

“The injured apprentice had been working for the company for only three days. WorkSafe knows that new workers are more vulnerable – they’re more likely than other workers to get severe injuries and be hospitalised. That’s why they need even more supervision at this time.

“You don’t go to work to muck around with dangerous substances – situations like this can escalate and eventually someone will get hurt,” he said.

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02:23 pm, Saturday 17 July, 2010

A worker has suffered serious burn injuries after his clothing has been set on fire at a sheet metal fabrication business in South Windsor on Thursday.

According to police, the 25-year-old man from Sydney had been pouring out paint thinner from a drum when he slipped on the puddle of the flammable chemical just around noon.

While cleaning up the spill with a shovel, sparks from a nearby lathe set his clothes alight, engulfing him in fire.

The man’s workmates pulled him away and extinguished the flames.

The worker suffered 40 per cent burns to his body as a result. He was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital, where he is listed in a critical but stable condition.

A large plume of black smoke could be seen blowing out from the building on Walker Street, an owner of a nearby steel fabrication business said.

A spokesman from WorkCover said two inspectors came to the business site on Thursday and are completing the investigation on the circumstances of the incident.

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01:27 pm, Tuesday 13 July, 2010

WorkSafe is letting the farming sector know that the safety watchdog is undertaking a year-long crackdown on workplace safety.

Seven fatalities have been recorded in farms across the state in 2010.

According to executive director Cath Bowtell, WorkSafe inspectors will check on Victorian farms starting this month.

Ms Bowtell said they will focus on the usual causes of fatalities and injuries.

“Making sure that you’ve got a roll-over bar on your tractor, that people are using a helmet when they’re driving a quad bike, that people are storing their chemicals correctly, that they’re maintaining their equipment, that they’re using their equipment properly,” she said.

“That’s the sort of work that our inspectors are going to go out and talk to farmers about.”

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01:13 pm, Wednesday 16 June, 2010

A factory at East Arm in Darwin has been evacuated on Thursday after reports of a chemical spill.

Emergency crews cleared the factory just before 4pm.

While several people were taken to the hospital for assessment, no injuries were reported.

“They’re apparently dangerous,” Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgenson said about the chemicals.

She said the hazardous substances involved are styrene and bondo body filler.

“It’s only 120 litres [but] the immediate area has been evacuated.

“There’s about 15 people who are being assessed by St Johns.

“There’s no apparent injuries but the area has been secured.”

She said WorkSafe is investigating if any OHS standards were breached.

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05:47 pm, Monday 19 April, 2010

The Northern Territory Government has announced an inquiry on Friday after a video showing chemical sludge in Darwin’s port became public.

A video by ABC had shown big black plume in the water and sludge on the wharf.

There is a concern that the copper concentrate coming from the port may wash into the city’s harbour. Darwin’s port has an open-sided conveyor belt, and when the concentrate is transferred to a ship, it is possible that some of it will spill onto the wharf.

It is a serious issue, according to Dr Stuart Blanch of the Environment Centre.

“Copper concentrate is a cocktail of nasty chemicals,” he said.

“Copper, arsenic, silica, uranium: all of them have impacts on human health and the environment.

Glen Williams, a Maritime Union of Australia organiser , said they have been asking for the conveyor belt to be covered for 18 months.

“The level of containment down there of the product is clearly not adequate,” he said.

“We have been calling for some time to have the loader fully enclosed to reduce – not completely – but I’m sure that you would reduce spillage and the dust being blown all over the wharf, if we had a fully contained and concealed conveyor system.”

Mr Williams said its members have also raised concerns over manganese and iron ore.

“It’s not only the copper concentrate that is the issue – you have got iron ore and manganese being trucked down from the stockpile area,” he said.

“While copper concentrate is the nastiest product down there, I don’t think it would be very good for your health working around that wharf area with iron ore dust blowing around and you are breathing that in.”

The Port Corporation said it will cooperate with Government authorities in the investigations, and has already made steps to address some of the issues.

The Country Liberals’ Peter Styles has called out WorkSafe to ask serious questions about the port’s safety procedures.

“What procedures were put in place in relation to this particular product being moved from train to storage and into ships?” he said.

“Those particular standard operating procedures should be investigated to ensure that the people who work in that environment are protected and not exposed to some of the carcinogenics that are involved in this particular copper concentrate.”

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08:41 am, Friday 16 April, 2010

A factory worker who was almost overcome by toxic gas was rescued just in time by a truck driver yesterday, emergency authorities said.

The 43-year-old man was handling waste at a factory in Melbourne’s west when he was exposed to chlorine.

A truck driver, who arrived at the Lavern North plant to deliver chemicals, brought the factory worker out of the premises.

The two men barely made it to a safety zone when they both collapsed.

They were taken to the hospital for treatment. The driver was discharged from the hospital overnight, while the factory worker was later declared to be in a stable condition.

Fire commander Ken Brown said the two men were the only people in the factory when the incident occurred.

“What crews found when they first arrived, was a factory worker and a truck driver were struggling for breath,” he said.

“Chlorine’s a poisonous gas and very, very nasty to the respiratory system.”

Fire crews took three hours to clear the chlorine gas from the factory.

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09:26 pm, Thursday 15 April, 2010

The coroner has the authority to determine whether the death of a man in Sydney’s west on Wednesday because of herbicide exposure, emergency authorities say.

Emergency crews were called to a Horsley Park house around 8:00am after a gardener collapsed and died.

The 56-year-old was spraying weeds with herbicides just before he collapsed. Fire and police authorities said they cannot immediately find out if he died because of the chemicals or heart attack.

According to Police Superintendent Peter Lennon, 21 other people were contaminated with the chemicals when they attempted to resuscitate the gardener.

“Three were so serious they had to be taken to a nearby hospital. They’ve since been assessed and been released,” he said.

WorkCover NSW is looking into the incident.

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08:16 pm, Wednesday 14 April, 2010

A gardener has been killed after being exposed to chemical at a western Sydney house earlier today.

According to firefighters, the 56-year-old man fell to the ground and when it into cardiac arrest at a house at Horsley park around 8:30am. He was spraying weeds with herbicide just before he collapsed.

Three people who were at the scene tried to revive him. The three were later taken to Liverpool hospital for possible chemical exposure.

Twenty-one others were decontaminated as a precaution.

Fire Brigade Superintendent Ian Krimmer said they cannot find out immediately if the chemical spray was the cause of the death of the gardener.

“At this stage the cause of death is yet to be determined,” he said

“We are aware he was spraying a herbicide, now whether or not he was spraying the herbicide and his death is linked to that, that will be up to the Coroner to determine.”

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