10:07 pm, Tuesday 26 July, 2011

WorkCover is investigating an incident yesterday where a factory worker had his arm caught in an industrial drill.

Police and ambulance were called to the business at the Bathurst Industrial Estate and the man was freed from the machinery.

He was transported to Bathurst Base Hospital, but his injuries were not considered serious.

His torn shirt sleeves revealed he came very close to being seriously wounded.

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

06:59 am, Tuesday 26 October, 2010

A man has been killed in an industrial accident in Sydney’s west on Friday.

A call was received by paramedics at a Kellaway Place, Wetherill Park, printing firm around 6pm (AEDT).

According to Police and Amublance Service, the man had come into contact with an equipment at the company’s premises.

Reports say the worker, believed to be in his 30s, suffered fatal head injuries after being crushed in a printing press.

“Unfortunately, on arrival, paramedics were unable to save the man,” a spokesman for the ambulance service said.

Police and WorkCover NSW are investigating the incident.

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

07:46 am, Tuesday 12 October, 2010

The NSW Industrial Court has fined a Riverina winery $125,000 over a worker fatality at its premises in 2008.

The Leeton-based company was found guilty of breaching section 8(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW) on October 1.

The court heard the worker was crushed to death by a mobile bin while emptying grape juice and skins (known as marc) from an overhead fermentation tank into the bin. The rapid discharge of contents from the tank was found to have caused the bin to fall.

The Court was told the company was remiss in providing safe system of work.

It also heard the winery had not conducted an adequate training, instruction and information for the plant’s operation and use.

John Watson, the General Manager of WorkCover NSW’s Occupational Health and Safety Division, said the case highlights the need for wineries to implement suitable safety controls for grape harvesting.

“Every worker has the right to expect that they will return home safely to their loved ones at the end of their working day,” he said.

“All wineries should have safety controls in place which specifically address the emptying overhead fermenter tanks, draining of juice and the discharge of marc from tanks.”

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

07:25 pm, Thursday 2 September, 2010

The a munitions company and its chief operating officer have been found guilty of failing to maintain a safe workplace following a deadly factory explosion in 2006.

The Industrial Court has imposed a $95,000 fine on the parties, merely $5,000 below the maximum fine imposable at the time of the incident.

The munitions factory at Gladstone in the mid-north of South Australia exploded in 2006, leaving three workers dead and two others injured.

Magistrate Michael Ardlie said the defendants failed to ensure items were stored safely around the work site.

He added the equipment that exploded was not maintained properly.

Aside from the near maximum fines, they were also ordered to pay legal costs and $40,000 compensation to the victims’ kin.

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

06:56 pm, Thursday 2 September, 2010

A rigger in Cooper Basin in 2008.

The 36-year-old man was crushed to death on a Moomba rig after being pinned between equipment.

The court heard the rigger was using the wrong tools when the incident happened.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching safety laws. It was fined $140,000 and ordered to pay $10,000 each to the man’s mother and partner as compensation.

The workplace fatality is the first to be dealt with under tougher SA regulations, after the state government increased maximum penalties from $100,000 to $300,000.

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

02:30 pm, Tuesday 31 August, 2010

Workers of Northern Territory’s provider of electricity, water and sewerage services are leaving their jobs out of fear for their lives, a union said.

Trevor Gauld of the Electrical Trades Union said the utility company’s employees are under pressure to repair a very old network and are concerned for their safety.

“Guys going to work in these high voltage enclosures, trying to get stuff up to speed, and we have some real concerns about it,” Mr Gauld said.

He said they are starting to see people quitting their jobs “because they are actually so concerned about their personal health and safety and wellbeing working in these areas that they are choosing to quit their employment and find work elsewhere.”

According to Mr Gauld, the power outage on Thursday affecting 6,000 Alice Springs customers was attributable to lack of resources.

He said the company has not made any action on reports indicating the lack of resources in several areas.

“We’ve got issues with resources in network areas the guys that go out and work on the lines, we’ve got resource issues with the guys that operate the powerstations and resource issues with the guys charged with maintaining the power station and some of the supporting infrastructure.”

The company said it is 18 months into a five year, $1.5 billion works program. The part of the massive investment goes to replacing, upgrading and testing equipment.

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

07:18 pm, Friday 13 August, 2010

An accident at a Laverton North poultry processing plant has claimed the life of a worker yesterday.

The 34-year-old man suffered fatal injuries while cleaning a machine in Melbourne’s west around 9.45pm (AEST).

The incident – this year’s 15th work-related death in the state – is being looked into by WorkSafe.

Worksafe’s Trevor Martin said: “At this early stage, we believe the worker may have been caught up on a hook and chain system used for carrying birds around the factory.”

Mr Martin said machine guarding is one of Victoria’s major workplace safety issues. He observed cleaners are vulnerable to this particular safety risk.

“Cleaners being pulled into machinery with exposed moving parts is a real issue – workers are being badly injured and dying.

“If you manage, maintain or own machinery and equipment, you’ve got to make sure that all moving parts that can have contact with any part of the body have approved physical barriers or guards fitted.”

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

05:56 pm, Thursday 29 July, 2010

A drilling firm has pleaded guilty in the industrial court yesterday over a work-related death in its gas rig in Moomba.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to maintain a safe work environment and failure to appoint a responsible officer to ensure the company met safety obligations.

In January 2008, a 36-year-old drilling assistant from Queensland died after being pinned by equipment.

The court was told manual tongs were being clamped onto a drilling pipe when the structure moved towards the man.

According to prosecutor Brad McCloud, hydraulic tongs should have been used for the job. He said the work should not have been performed in the confined space on the drilling deck when they were being tightened.

The court heard the workers were pressed for time, so they decided to use manual tongs to save them about 30 minutes.

The court was told by the defendant’s lawyer that the company accepted its wrongdoing and would ensure the incident will never happen again. The court heard a $100,000 trust fund was set up by the drilling firm for the worker’s partner and children.

The workplace fatality was the first since tougher penalties were introduced at the start of 2008. The change in regulations has tripled the maximum fine for each charge to $300,000.

The court is expected to deliver a penalty in September.

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

06:52 pm, Wednesday 28 July, 2010

A munitions factory in Gladstone was a ‘ticking time bomb’, the Industrial Relations Court was told on Monday.

The munitions company is under fire over a 2006 factory explosion.

The incident in mid-north of South Australia killed three workers and injured two others.

The Court stated that friction inside a machine that blends chemicals caused the blast. It found the company’s chief operating officer guilty of failing to maintain a safe work environment.

During submissions on penalty, the prosecution told the court that the firm had a ‘slapdash’ approach to equipment maintenance.

The court will hand down the penalty on September, which can reach up to $100,000.

The defendants have appealed the decision.

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

08:41 am, Wednesday 21 July, 2010

Recent accidents at mines in north Queensland highlight the importance of meeting workplace safety needs, a trade union says.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) held its 25th annual safety conference in Mackay last week to discuss the concerns of mine workers and the development of better safety training.

Operations at two mines near Moranbah in north Queensland were stopped temporarily in the past month after workers suffered injuries in separate equipment-related accidents.

According to CFMEU district union inspector Greg Dalliston, the conference would discuss important issues such as chemical exposure, gas monitoring and shuttle car safety.

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