05:13 pm, Friday 12 November, 2010

A man has been critically injured in an equipment-related accident at a meat processing plant near Wonthaggi.

The 32-year-old worker was crushed by a machine that is used to immobilise cattle being prepared for processing.

According to ambulance officers, first aid treatment had to be performed on the man after he had gone into cardiac arrest.

Danny Slattery, Advanced Life Support Officer, said paramedics performed CPR on the man. To help him breathe, a tube also had to be inserted into his airways.

“The man suffered significant chest injuries and collapsed lungs,” Mr Slattery said.

“We inserted needles into the man’s chest at the scene to clear any air and then we re-inflated his lungs.”

He was later airlifted to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Police and WorkSafe investigators were on the scene to look into the incident.

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07:02 am, Friday 12 November, 2010

construction site on Wednesday.

Students had to be evacuated after about 300 polystyrene cubes caught fire around noon.

Greg Stead, CFA station officer, said a spark from an oxy acetylene cutter may have started the fire.

“That sort of material produces a lot of heavy black smoke,” he said.

“It looked impressive, but it wasn’t serious.”

Paramedics responded to the scene to give first aid treatment to a worker who inhaled smoke.

The college principal said students were on their lunch break when the incident took place. They were evacuated to the school’s sports oval.

“The smoke was blowing in the other direction so they were taken to the oval until it was safe. I’ve since been to a site meeting and there will be a short delay while the safety of the buildings are assessed,” she said.

Reports say new buildings were being constructed at the site in Napier Street.

A WorkSafe investigator was at the site to conduct an investigation.

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07:26 am, Monday 18 October, 2010

“Heinz Wagga Wagga employs more than 100 people and produces around 9000 tonnes of canned goods every year,” he said.

“It’s a major regional employer which exports internationally and the safety of workers, especially in manufacturing industries is the highest priority for WorkCover.

“I want to congratulate them on behalf of WorkCover on this great achievement.”

He said the plant has introduced various safety improvement programs, such as working at heights. He said the company also  conducts ongoing surveys to determine areas where they can further improve safety.

According to Mr Watson, Heinz Wagga Wagga is one of many companies across the state which puts an emphasis on the safety of employees.

“The message is simple: safe business is good business,” he said.

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07:45 am, Monday 27 September, 2010

A 70-year-old man has sustained serious burns to his body in a bobcat explosion at Lawton on Friday.

It is believed the man’s bobcat caught on fire and exploded after it leaked fuel, a police spokesperson said.

Paramedics responded to the scene and performed first aid on the elderly man. He was later taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital to treat the serious burns to 30 per cent of his body.

Firefighters who went to the accident site were able to control the fire caused by the bobcat blast.

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07:26 am, Saturday 18 September, 2010

The Rockhampton Industrial Magistrates Court has fined a Queensland firm $135,000 yesterday over the death of an insulation installer.

A 16-year-old employee of the company was electrocuted on 18 November 2009 while installing fibreglass insulation in a home in central Queensland.

The teenager was one of four workers killed during the axed home insulation program of the Federal Government. The multi-billion-dollar scheme is also being blamed for almost 100 house fires.

The company was charged with failing to conduct its business in a way that was electrically safe, and failing to ensure its workers had fall protection.

The court heard the company allowed the young man to work without ensuring the home’s electricity was turned off.

It also failed to provide training to workers in first aid in the event of an electric shock.

The court was told the firm did not have specific or documented working at heights.

Rockhampton industrial magistrate John McGrath imposed a $110,000 fine for the electrical safety breach – the biggest fine imposed for a breach of Queensland’s Electrical Safety Act.

Magistrate McGrath also handed down a $25,000 fine for the workplace health and safety violation.

Aside from the fines, the company was ordered to pay costs of $14,794.90.

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08:54 am, Saturday 4 September, 2010

A metal products manufacturer has been convicted by a Melbourne magistrate over a fatal forklift accident.

In 2008, a 60-year-old worker fell over after being hit by a forklift. His head then hit the concrete.

He was later found unconscious at work. He died in the hospital two days later.

WorkSafe’s Trevor Martin said the work site had no qualified first aider.

He also said “the company failed to call an ambulance or seek first aid for the worker.”

“The only staff member with first aid training was certified in 1984, and wasn’t alerted until it was too late.”

Magistrate Andrew Capell said the company’s failure to seek first aid was “outrageous.”

The company was fined $163,500.

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01:42 pm, Wednesday 4 August, 2010

Campbellfield will be one of 14 areas to be visited by WorkSafe inspectors as part of Safe Towns and Safer Work Zones program.

WorkSafe’s Trevor Martin said the campaign aims to encourage small businesses to identify and remedy basic safety issues.

“We’re not out to get anyone – we’ll be giving businesses prior notice that we’re coming and guidance on the sorts of safety issues we’ll be looking for,” Mr Martin said.

“That being said, inspectors won’t be soft on safety. Over the last 12 months, nearly 2500 legal notices have been issued by inspectors under this campaign, so businesses can expect us to be tough on enforcement.”

“We see the same kind of hazards over and over again – inspection and testing of first-aid facilities, and guarding on machinery,” he said.

“Often when something goes wrong, it goes wrong with disastrous consequences.”

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05:45 pm, Tuesday 27 July, 2010

WorkSafe inspectors are expected to conduct an intensive inspection of small businesses in Melton next week

The inspections between 2-6 August are part of the safety body’s Safer Work Zones campaign, a program targeting small business safety.

“We’d recommend that businesses concentrate on basic safety issues – sort out your housekeeping, make sure first aid amenities,” Manufacturing and Logistics Director Ross Pilkington said.

“In the 2009/10 financial year, WorkSafe issued nearly 2,500 legal notices under this campaign.

“That being said, we’re not out to get anyone – we’ll be giving businesses we’re planning to visit prior notice that we’re coming and guidance on the sorts of safety issues we’ll be looking for.”

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12:51 pm, Friday 21 May, 2010

Williamstown has recently received a visit from WorkSafe inspectors as part of Safe Towns, Safer Work Zones campaign.

Inspectors visited 167 small businesses in the area over a span of five days. With a total of 200 notices issued, some workplaces received multiple notices while others did not receive any.

WorkSafe will do follow up visits over the next six weeks to see if the businesses have made improvements in workplace health and safety.

Inspectors issued eight improvement notices on inadequate guarding of lathes, which can be dangerous for workers if their clothes get snagged into the equipment.

Other safety breaches discovered by inspectors include unsafe first aid facilities.

4859 claims for workplace injury or illness have been reported in the Hobson’s Bay area over the past five years. Acting Executive Director for Health and Safety Stan Krpan said this represents $82.52 million in treatment and rehabilitation costs.

“What these visits tell us is that Williamstown businesses need to go back to basics with health and safety, and take a closer look at their workplaces,” Mr Krpan said.

“These visits have brought to light a number of health and safety hazards which could cause serious injury to workers, but are easily remedied – such as repositioning electrical leads, fitting seatbelts on forklifts, and changing workplace layout to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries.

“Workers need to remember that if they speak up when they see safety issues, it will help make their workplace safer. It might even prevent someone from being needlessly injured.

“Our inspectors will be returning to these small businesses over the next few months, and we’ll be expecting to see some changes.”

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