07:45 am, Thursday 15 July, 2010

WorkSafe WA has launched an inspection program aimed at improving OHS standards in restaurants.

As part of the program, restaurants across the state will be randomly chosen and inspected. Inspections will continue throughout the financial year and will cover both regional and metropolitan areas.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said the campaign will focus on raising awareness of the safety risks and information dissemination for employers.

“This inspection program is part of an ongoing program of proactive inspections aimed at providing employers with information on how to make workplaces safer,” Ms Lyhne said.

“The relevant industry bodies are being contacted in advance and advised of what the inspectors will be looking for.”

The campaign will address WorkSafe’s priority areas more closely, including hazardous substances, manual handling, electricity, machinery guarding and slips, trips and falls.

Inspectors will also focus on particular issues such as the handling of hot liquids, the use of protective gloves when cleaning food slicers and guarding.

“New and young workers and their induction, training and supervision is a major concern to WorkSafe, and our inspectors will also be ensuring that all is in order in that regard during this inspection program,” Ms Lyhne said.

“These proactive inspection programs primarily aim to raise awareness of hazards and provide employers with information, but inspectors will also take enforcement action where necessary.

“We firmly believe that raising awareness with proactive campaigns is the best way in which to lessen the risk of work-related injury and illness.”

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01:09 pm, Thursday 3 June, 2010

The Townsville Industrial Magistrates Court has fined a manufacturing company $50,000 following the death of an employee in a workplace accident.

The company pleaded guilty on 8 October 2009 to failing to ensure workplace safety, under section 24(1) of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995.

The incident took place at the company’s Home Hill premises on 29 September 2008; maintenance work on the split rim wheel of a haul-out trailer was being performed when it exploded off the rim.

It hit the worker on the head, who subsequently died due to the fatal head injuries.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland conducted an investigation, and found the manufacturing firm failed to identify the reasonably foreseeable hazard. The investigation also revealed the company’s risk management was wanting about the split rim wheels’ potential dangers.

In handing down the fine, Industrial Magistrate Peter Smid considered the facts that the company gave its cooperation in the investigation, entered an early guilty plea and had no previous prosecution for any workplace health and safety violation.

Aside from the fine, Magistrate Smid ordered the company to pay $3,435.50 investigation costs and $65.40 court costs.

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08:28 am, Thursday 3 June, 2010

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is reminding businesses to make sure safework procedures are in place for forklift use.

The reminder was issued following the conclusion of a number of prosecutions involving forklift accidents. One of the companies prosecuted received a $40,000 fine.

Several other forklift-related incidents are under investigation by the safety body.

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said proper safety training is a must for forklift operators. He said risk management is another important factor in preventing deaths and injuries.

He said fitting the forklifts with the proper safety devices is not enough. Risk assessment and traffic management plans must also be prepared and implemented.

A recent prosecution involved a plumbing products company in Geebung, where a worker died. Two other incidents ended in serious crush injuries for workers.

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07:00 am, Wednesday 21 April, 2010

SafeWork SA has launched a series of information sessions in the Greater Adelaide Area on the new licensing requirements that will take effect in Southern Australia later this year.

The first information session was held on April 12 and will continue to run until May 3.

The licensing changes will affect high risk workers, including those who operate a forklift, crane, hoist, elevated work platform or pressure equipment and perform scaffolding, dogging or rigging work.

The new requirements are in line with the National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work 2006.

Its purpose is to improve safety in workplaces where high risk work is performed. The changes will also make the training, assessment and licensing of high risk work consistent across the country.

Most states have either partially or fully carried out the new national standard. Subject to Government approval, South Australia will start issuing new High Risk Work Licences later this year.

According to SafeWork SA Executive Director Michele Patterson, there is already a strong interest in the sessions currently scheduled.

She says it is an encouraging sign, since it shows that industries and workers are eager to understand the new system and benefit from its introduction.

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06:53 pm, Sunday 11 April, 2010

A leading supplier to the construction industry has been fined over a workplace accident in 2007, which caused serious leg injuries to a worker.

The manufacturing firm pleaded guilty to breaching section 19(1) of the Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act 1986 in failing to provide a safe system of work and to maintain plant in a safe condition.

In 2007, a male worker was removing picks from an excavator bucket in a Linwood Quarry.

He used a steel sledgehammer for the task, but it caused shards of metal to splinter from the pick, penetrating his leg.

SafeWork SA said the company had not provided its employee the proper tool for the job.

The firm had also not undertaken proper risk identification analysis for the work, nor did it prepare an adequate work method statement.

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09:56 pm, Thursday 1 April, 2010

New South Wales auditor-general Peter Achterstraat has said yesterday the number of injuries for the public sector is on the rise.

The declaration came a day after the NSW Government issued a statement saying the number of workplace injuries for public sector employees had dropped by 14 per cent since 2002.

The Government’s proclamation was in line with the release of the final results of an injury management strategy called Working Together. The project ended in 2008.

Mr Achterstraat did not refute the figures released by the Government. However, he said the number of claims has risen by 15 per cent after the campaign had ended.

He also noted that the average cost of claims for public sector workers is 19 per cent higher than the private sector.

“A lot of good things happened between 2005 and 2008 when there was a clear focus on injury management. Injuries were down and costs were down,” he said.

“But since 2008 government departments seem to have taken their foot off the accelerator and the incidence rate of accidents is increasing.”

According to the State Government, it will now launch the Working Together strategy anew in an attempt to reduce workplace injuries.

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