10:22 pm, Thursday 22 December, 2011

The Perth Magistrate’s Court has today fined a freight logistics company $100,000 after a security guard was injured when a gate fell on him in January 2009.

The company, based at Kewdale, a suburb of Perth, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe workplace for a person who was not an employee.

Worksafe WA commissioner Lex McCulloch said the fine was the biggest under this section of workplace safety laws.

The incident occurred when the security guard was manually closing a two-metre high gate, when it was dislodged from its holding frame and fell on him.

He received fractures to his skull, face and foot.

The metal gate was designed to be automated but, due to difficulties, the gate had to be opened and closed manually.

Before the incident, the track the gate ran on had been damaged and replaced, following which a truck collided with the gate’s stopper post and almost dislodged it from the ground.

Repairs had started but were not completed at the time of the incident.

Mr McCulloch said the case was an example of an organisation that did not act quickly enough to remedy a hazardous situation.

“It would have been possible for the company to have had the repairs made to this gate within around eight hours,” Mr McCulloch said.

“Instead, the repairs had still not been completed almost three weeks later.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

09:47 am, Friday 23 September, 2011

The Perth Magistrates Court last week fined a glass installation company $15,000 after a hired labourer became pinned under 30 panels of glass, each weighing 56 kilograms.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe workplace under a labour hire arrangement.

In July 2009, the glass company was contracted to supply and install the aluminium and glass facades of an apartment complex in Adelaide Terrace, Perth, and hired outside workers to complete the job.

The glass was delivered to the site in a large wooden crate, each contained 30 glass panels which weighed about 1.65 tonnes.

While the crate was being opened, the glass panels and the wooden crate front fell on top of the worker.

He was crushed and suffered a fractured leg.

Acting WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the case highlighted the importance of having safe systems of work in place at all times.

“This is a good example of a task not being performed in a safe manner, and a worker suffering the consequences of the lack of attention to safe systems of work,” Mr McCulloch said.

“The court heard that the employer was not aware that crates were being unpacked in this way, but it really is the employer’s responsibility to identify risks such as this and to ensure that tasks are always performed safely.

“In this case, the use of a steel A-frame trolley strong enough to support the crate while holding the glass panels at a safe angle would have been an easy and safe way to unpack the wooden crates.

“The worker was fortunate not to have been more seriously injured, and the case should serve as a reminder that both host companies and labour hire companies need to ensure that host workplaces are safe for the workers sent to them.”

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

09:14 am, Friday 23 September, 2011

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

04:03 pm, Saturday 20 August, 2011

WorkSafe is investigating the death of a 17-year-old at a dairy farm in Yalcca, near Shepparton on Thursday.

Police said the teen was kicked in the head by a cow as he placed cups on its teat in preparation for milking.

Other reports have said the teen’s injuries were caused by machinery in the milking shed.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said paramedics worked on the boy but he died at the scene.

She said when paramedics arrived the boy on the floor suffering “severe head injuries”.

A WorkSafe spokeswoman said the cause of the teen’s injuries remained unclear.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

03:29 pm, Friday 29 July, 2011

A 41-year-old man died after being crushed by sheets of glass at Condell Park.

A workcover spokesman said the man was loading large sheets of glass on to a truck when up to 20 sheets fell and crushed him against the vehicle.

Colleagues reportedly tried to move the glass panels off the man using chains attached to an overhead crane but were unsuccessful.

General manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division John Watson said the incident was a tragic reminder of the risks associated with the storage and handling of glass.

“Under occupational health and safety legislation, employers must have controls in place to eliminate or minimise the risks of workers being injured,” Mr Watson said.

“This includes safe works systems for the storage and handling of glass sheets to prevent them from falling and that adequate training and supervision for workers in the safe handling and movement of glass.

“WorkCover has commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incident to determine whether adequate controls were in place to eliminate or minimise the risk of injury and whether safe work systems were being implemented.

“One workplace fatality is too many and tragically, this worker won’t be returning home to his family.”

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

09:22 pm, Thursday 30 June, 2011

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has a new web resource to help businesses target manual task injuries in the workplace – Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM ).

In 2009-10, 55 per cent of all compensated injuries were musculoskeletal. Manual task injuries are among the most common and can be prevented by taking simple precautionary steps.

It is a requirement of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (QLD) that risks must be assessed and control measures then implemented and reviewed to prevent or minimise exposure to the risks.

PErforM is a manual task risk management program, based on an internationally recommended approach for reducing musculoskeletal disorders. It provides a framework for assisting workers to identify and control manual tasks risks within their workplace.

PErforM has been used in a range of industries including mining, civil construction, construction related manufacturing and wholesaling, aged care and food processing.

The web resource includes:

• downloadable resources on ergonomics and manual tasks
• a sprains and strains prevention booklet
• industry specific information
• legal obligations
• relevant legislation
• tips on controlling risk factors and preventing injuries from manual tasks.

There are two Advisory Standards (now known as Codes of Practice) that describe the main health and safety problems linked to manual tasks and gives practical advice on how to address them:

Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2010
Manual Tasks Involving the Handling of People Code of Practice 2001.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

10:33 pm, Wednesday 4 May, 2011

A Wodonga company has been ordered to pay $10,000 into court and been placed on a 12 month good behaviour bond following injuries sustained by a customer after shelves collapsed on him.

In February last year, a man went to the company’s premises to buy some angle iron and was told by a worker to “help yourself” and was directed into a storage yard.

He could not reach the top of the rack which contained the angle iron and so climbed up.

The rack began to move away from the shed wall and the customer fell to the ground and the rack and its contents fell on him.

The 63-year-old man suffered six broken ribs and cuts and bruising to both legs and other parts of his body.

The court was told:

• The company did not ensure pallet racking was secured sufficiently to prevent it breaking away from the wall or from collapse;
• Signs designating the safe work load was not fixed to the pallet racking;
• There was no adequate safe work procedure in place for loading and unloading racking;
• Unaccompanied visitors were permitted to access all areas of the yard; the pallet racking and conduct loading or unloading of the racking without supervision;
• Visitors were not made aware of the safe working load limits of the pallet racking;
• Visitors were not prohibited from standing on the pallet racking.

The company was charged with breaching section 21 (2) (a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act): this section requires employers to provide or maintain plant or systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health and also Section 23 of the Act: This section requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons other than employees are not exposed to risks to their health or safety arising from the conduct of the business.

The Court took into account the company’s good corporate standing, no prior convictions in its 40 years of operation and that it took prompt and remedial action in response to the incident.

The director of WorkSafe’s Manufacturing, Logisitcs and Agriculture Division, Ross Pilkington said maintaining high safety standard was essential for any business.

“Whether you’re a CEO, supervisor or worker, making safety a priority is essential. If you’re a business leader getting involved in safety but understanding what’s going on in your operation is vital.

“These injuries, caused by poor manual handling practices, inadequate equipment and slips, trips & falls account for 60% of all Victorian workers compensation claims and cost the community more than $1-billion a year in treatment and rehabilitation costs.”

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

12:19 am, Saturday 23 April, 2011

WorkSafe is investigating an incident on Wednesday where a man’s legs were crushed after marble slabs fell on him.

The 32-year-old was moving the 220kg slabs from a factory at Mulgrave when three of the slabs came off a shelf, falling onto his legs.

He was taken to The Alfred Hospital in a serious condition.

WorkSafe spokesman Michael Birt said three safety improvement notices had already been issued at the premises by WorkSafe.

The incident follows the death of a 56-year-old man on Tuesday who was killed while removing pine trees.

The man was operating an excavator on a property in Apsley, southwest Victoria, when a 35-metre pine tree he was removing fell onto his excavator cabin, killing him instantly.

Mr Birt said WorkSafe received an average 29,000 reports of workplace injuries each year, with the figure excluding injuries among the self-employed.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

10:30 am, Thursday 4 November, 2010

The winners of this year’s Work Safety Awards Western Australia have been announced on Friday.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said the winners were great examples of excellent workplace innovations and occupational safety and health systems in the state.

“These awards provide the opportunity for innovative Western Australians to gain national recognition for their achievements,” she said.

“They recognise outstanding occupational safety and health management, solutions and innovation in both public and private sector workplaces in WA that reduce the risk of work-related injury and disease.

“Awards such as these are all about encouraging best practice in safety and health, and the winners are leading the way by making a significant contribution to making WA workplaces safer.”

Park Engineers won the best safety and health management system. The company, which is one of the country’s leading steel engineering and fabrication companies, operated mainly in the mining and construction sectors.

Park Engineers has developed a comprehensive and integrated safety and health management system with a strong emphasis on risk management.

Salmat Pty Ltd won the best solution to an identified workplace safety and health issue. The company, which assembles Australia Post’s unit loading equipment, developed a device designed to assist in assembly of the unit loaders and reduce back strain.

The company recognised that the device can help reduce manual handling injuries, and now uses the machine across its operations.

Pia Carter from the Department of Fisheries in Broome won the best individual contribution to safety and health by a person with no formal responsibility for occupational safety and health.

Ms Carter had found that cleaners accessing a four metre high seawater storage tank were exposed to confined space-related risks.

As a result of the identified hazards, the Department installed a cable and system of safe procedures for working in confined spaces.

Danny Norton from Sinclair Knight Merz won the best individual contribution to safety and health by a person with responsibility for occupational safety and health.

A Senior Electrical Engineer, Mr Norton developed an assessment protocol and procedures to reduce the risks associated with switchboard arc flashes.

His work has helped to ensure a safer work environment for all workers in the electrical industry.

“Each of the category winners of the 2010 Work Safety WA Awards is a very worthy winner, and each now has the opportunity for their achievements to be recognised across Australia,” Ms Lyhne said.

“I heartily congratulate the winners, along with everyone else who nominated for the awards, and encourage businesses of all sizes to nominate for the 2011 Work Safety Awards Western Australia.”

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

07:56 am, Wednesday 3 November, 2010

The Perth Magistrates Court has fined the operator of a Mandurrah shopping centre following the fall of a maintenance worker from a ladder.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment for a contractor. It was fined $25,000 on Thursday.

The gardening services was tasked to place bags of Christmas decors inside the false ceiling of a retail store in January 2008.

The work involved placing a ladder against the wall, lifting the bags and walking up the ladder to place the bags in the ceiling.

In one such trip, the ladder’s base slipped just as he was about three rungs from the top. He fell about four metres, causing him to injure his right heel, left wrist and shoulder tendon.

According to WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne the incident shows the importance of having safe systems of work in place.

“This unfortunate incident demonstrates the importance of both having safe work systems in place and using the appropriate equipment for each work task,” she said.

“Stable ladders with platforms on top are readily available, and they or an elevating work platform would have been more suitable for this type of activity than the flat ladder being used in this case.”

Ms Lyhne said the management should have provided suitable equipment to the worker.

“Falls are a significant cause of workplace death in WA, and 11 Western Australian workers have died over the past three years as a result of falls. A further 1295 are injured each year, many seriously and permanently.

“A code of practice on fall prevention has existed in WA for almost 20 years, with the original code being issued in response to the number of fatalities being recorded in the construction industry at that time.

“The current code is comprehensive – providing information on the identification of common fall hazards and the correct use of appropriate ladders and fall arrest equipment.

“I urge all employers with workplaces that may contain fall hazards to ensure copies of the code are readily available at their workplaces.”

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know