03:50 pm, Tuesday 18 June, 2013

WorkSafe Victoria released guidance to provide information to workers about being exposed to lead in the workplace, how it can affect health and monitoring to make sure that lead blood levels are acceptable.

Lead is a poison and in certain forms can be easily absorbed into the body. When it is solid there is very little risk but when it is processed and lead dust, fumes or mist is created then it may be a health risk and precautions need to be taken.

Lead poisoning can be the result of being exposed to pure lead, alloys like solder or brass as well as inorganic lead compounds like lead oxide.

Are you working with lead? Lead is used in a number of different industries as well as processes like:

- lead smelting, refining, alloying and casting
- casting or machine grinding of lead alloys
- manufacturing dry lead compounds
- soldering with metallic lead and lead containing alloys
- ammunition and explosives manufacture
- manufacture or use of lead pigments or ceramic glazes
- pewter jewellery and badge making
- spray painting with lead-based paint
- dismantling of lead-acid batteries
- radiator repair if exposure to lead dust or fumes may occur
- removal of lead-based paint

Often lead is absorbed either by inhalation or ingestion. For instance lead particles may be ingested if hands contact lead for example touching clothing that is contaminated.

It is advisable to not eat, drink, chew gum or smoke where lead processes are carried out to reduce the risk of ingestion and always wash your hands immediately after working with lead.

It is the responsibility of an employer to provide workers with an eating and drinking area that is away from lead processes as much as is reasonably practical that will not be contaminated by lead. It is also the responsibility of employers to provide and maintain washing and changing areas that:

- minimise secondary lead exposure from contaminated clothing, and
- minimise ingestion of lead, and
- avoid the spread of lead contamination

If you are applying for a position that involves lead process the prospective employer needs to give you information regarding the health risks and the toxic effects of lead exposure as well as the details of medical examinations and biological monitoring.

For more details and to download the full guidance note see the WorkSafe Victoria website.

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02:08 pm, Tuesday 18 June, 2013

WorkSafe Victoria has released a guidance note on the selection and safe use of portable ladders to prevent falls in the construction industry.

Within the construction industry falls have been responsible for a considerable number of both serious and fatal injuries and this includes workers operating at comparatively low heights.

Risk can be eradicated or at least considerably reduced by the careful planning for and implementation of fall protection and appropriate task supervision.

Often ladders are thought of as the primary option when it comes to working at heights however they should only be used when safer alternatives have been considered and ruled out as practical for the work.

Options such as scaffolding, elevated work platforms (EWP) or order pickers (commonly known as chariots) may be safer for the work that is planned.

Portable ladders are considered the least stable tools for working at heights however they are also the most commonly used.

Unlike other options that are classified as passive fall prevention devices when working with portable ladders it is necessary for workers to be more vigilant about the risk of falling when working at heights.

So it is advisable to consider other options before deciding on a ladder and ensure that it offers the best level of protection considering where you will be working.

The way that you can decide this is by using the hierarchy of control for prevention of falls starting at level 1 and assessing whether these controls are practical. If they are not move onto level 2 and all the way to level 5 if necessary until you determine the highest level of control.

For more information and to download the guidance note see the WorkSafe Victoria website.

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01:19 pm, Monday 17 June, 2013

The ACT builder that allegedly exposed a family to asbestos is being investigated by WorkSafe ACT and may be prosecuted depending on the findings of the investigation.

The family were exposed while their bathroom was being renovated and were living in the house with their two young children while the renovations were taking place.

The exposure happened when the builder used an angle grinder to cut through asbestos sheeting and asbestos fibres spread through the house. The family were not aware of the danger but were warned by a neighbour who then called WorkSafe.

The business licence of the builder could be withdrawn if the ACT government finds that the employees of the builder worked with the asbestos without permission.

ACT Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe wants to introduce $5000 on-the-spot fines for all builders that neglect to dispose of asbestos safely and he said that this case involves potentially serious breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act.

A spokesperson for the ACT Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate stated that all work with asbestos must be completed by people that have the appropriate licence, with an active building approval and an asbestos control plan in place which was not the case with the builder at the centre of the investigation.

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12:01 pm, Sunday 16 June, 2013

A number of Victorian schools have been caught breaching workplace safety laws because they have not safely managed asbestos even though the state government has said that the schools are safe.

WorkSafe Victoria has released data that says 46 schools over the last two years were given notices for breaching occupational health and safety regulations.

Schools have needed to fence off areas because of suspected asbestos and in one case a parent took her daughter out of a school after she brought home asbestos that she has found in the school yard that she and other students had been playing with.

According to Fairfax media Education Department audits reveal that asbestos is present in many schools and that buildings need to be cleaned straightaway so as considerable risk could be avoided.

Education Minister Martin Dixon has said that the schools are safe because asbestos is considered low risk unless disturbed, however teachers, parents and community groups are requesting that it be removed because it is an unacceptable risk.

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04:39 pm, Saturday 15 June, 2013

The Queensland Safety Show is on at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from the 18^th June 2013 to the 20^th June 2013.

The safety show is a biennial event that is a workplace health & safety and materials handling trade show. There will be thousands of workplace health and safety services and solutions on display that will help to improve workplace health and safety.

This is an industry event that gives attendees the unique opportunity to review products and services, talk to experts and gain practical advice that will improve safety at work.

The Queensland Safety Conference will be co-located with the show with 40 expert speakers talking about the burning issues of workplace health and safety.

For more information see their website.

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11:54 pm, Friday 14 June, 2013

A building site in Townsville has been issued with a notice to rectify an alleged breach of workplace health and safety regulations.

The apartment complex under construction was given a statutory notice by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland ordering the builder to improve working conditions at the worksite.

A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said that the site is being investigated and confirmed that the notice was issued.

Builders Labourers Federation North Queensland organiser Adam Olsen said that sewerage leaks were present at the site and that clean water was not available.

He said that sewerage was running through some areas of the site and the workers did not have drinking water for about two days.

Mr Olsen said that not having drinking water at the site located in tropical North Queensland was dangerous with dehydration being a real danger in the heat.

He said that there were also complaints to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland about none of the scaffolding being complete.

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06:20 pm, Friday 14 June, 2013

Photo: National Health and
Medical Research Council

Around 150 workers have walked off their job as asbestos contamination testing is being conducted at the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The site was shut down this morning after a meeting was done between the NSW Roads and Maritime Service and union representatives.

According to an ABC report, asbestos fibres were discovered during plumbing repairs on Wednesday night near the workers’ lunchroom and toilets at the Harbour Bridge.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) NSW secretary Brian Parker said workers and their families are worried they have been exposed to asbestos.

“We don’t know the level of exposure, we don’t know if it’s all clear… there has been some clean-up of the area but the testing results will identify if it is all clear,” said Mr Parker.

RMS said asbestos has been found on the bridge before but they didn’t know asbestos has been used at the base of the south pylon.

“When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built more than 80 years ago it was common for asbestos to be used in building materials,” said RMS in a statement.

“The safety of workers and the public is paramount and air monitoring will continue until the asbestos is removed.”

RMS admitted that asbestos uncovered in the area was not sealed at once after it was found.

CFMEU safety coordinator Michael Preston was called to the site after a worker discovered a pile of asbestos.

“When I got to the site there was still some open pieces just in the bin, and they were in the process of taping up the rest, getting it ready to send off,” said Mr Preston.

He also said an exclusion zone should have been set up at once after asbestos was found but he saw people bagging the asbestos in an unsealed area.

“We are coming across it daily on construction sites, workers are being exposed and it is just not being dealt with seriously enough, anywhere,” he said.

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05:13 pm, Friday 14 June, 2013

The ACT government is working with Comcare and a telecommunications company in relation to health and safety issues associated with the National Broadband Network rollout in the country, particularly issues involving the telecommunication company’s ‘pits’ (Read SafetyCulture report).

Work has been stopped in the ACT until a comprehensive management strategy is reviewed and implemented.

The ACT Work Safety Commissioner has coordinated with the Chief Health Officer to ensure the safety of the community.

Comcare and the ACT will work in a collaborative manner on the issue. Any asbestos-containing materials in the pits will almost certainly be in a bonded form. Because of this, asbestos exposure risk to the community because of poor removal practices is deemed to be very low. The primary risks associated with asbestos removal will be occupational.

WorkSafe ACT is reminding the community that asbestos-containing materials were used within the ACT up until the mid 1980s. Issues on the use and removal of asbestos are expected to exist for decades to come. According to WorkSafe, the important control for the risks associated with asbestos exposure is to ensure that when asbestos-containing products are encountered they are properly managed and handled.

Comcare has a hotline number to assist the public and answer queries regarding asbestos – 1800 888 468.

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05:40 pm, Thursday 13 June, 2013

WorkCover NSW has issued a new safety alert on working around cellar door hatches for the hospitality industry.

An incident early this year, prompted WorkCover to issue the safety alert where a worker fell approximately 2.5m to the floor of a cellar. The cellar trapdoor has been left unattended with no preventive controls in place. The victim suffered serious injuries and was not able to return to work for at least six months.

PCBU’s are urged to eliminate the risk of falls from heights or to at least control the risks of falls from heights.

WorkCover offers the following solutions:

• Use an above ground storage room rather than a cellar
• Install stairs where possible
• Install self closing barriers and/or permanent barriers around the cellar trap door
• Installing built in guard around the cellar trap door
• Regularly assess the safety of your workplace environment.

Further information on managing the risks of falls at workplaces can be found at the WorkCover NSW website.

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05:15 pm, Thursday 13 June, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

A crane hire company including its director have been fined $71,000 plus over $1,600 in costs after a worker was seriously injured from a roof fall.

The company and its director pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing serious harm to a contractor and were fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday. The company was fined $51,000 and the director $20,000.

In August 2010, the company provided a crane for a re-roofing job of the commercial premises in Osborne Park after it was damaged during hailstorms in March.

A crane operator and two other workers arrived on site with the crane and started removing the packs of asbestos sheeting and landing the packs of new metal sheets.

One of the workers – the dogger, accessed the roof frontage to assist the crane operator in landing a pack of metal sheets. He was warned of rusty sheets and damaged polycarbonate sheetings, but subsequently stepped onto the end of one of the polycarbonate sheets while trying to remove slings from a pack of metal sheets.

As a result, the sheet collapsed and the dogger fell to the hard cement floor approximately 3.3 metres below. He suffered serious injuries to his head and neck.

According to WorkSafe investigations, safety mesh was installed to prevent falls below the roof of the building but it did not continue through to the frontage area, although it was planned to install it there after all the asbestos had been removed.

The company did not ensure that the worker they contracted had been trained or informed of the risks associated with working at heights or with fragile roofing. He was also not adequately supervised by someone when he carried out the work.

The company also failed to ensure that before starting work, the worker was inducted via a job safety analysis or otherwise adequately informed of any particular hazard on the job or the risk of falling.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the incident was a reminder of the importance of of having a fall prevention system in a workplace.

“Falls are a significant cause of workplace death, and 16 Western Australian workers have died as a result of falls in the last four years,” said Mr McCulloch.

“Many others have been seriously and permanently injured as a result of falls, and it’s really disappointing when we keep finding people working at heights without all the possible preventative measures in place.

“This incident has resulted in the prosecution of six entities, all of whom had a part to play in the safety of the workers at the site, whether they were actually in direct control of the workplace or not.

“This court case should serve as a reminder that contractors must ensure that any subcontractors they send out to the jobs are either adequately trained or fully informed of the risks at specific workplaces.

“The day after this incident occurred, safety mesh was installed in the frontage area and the polycarbonate sheets were replaced – all too late for the young man involved in this incident, who really was lucky to escape with his life.

“This demonstrates that falls are almost always readily preventable, and it need not be difficult or costly to ensure that safe systems of work are in place at all times.

“A Code of Practice on fall prevention has existed in WA for more than 20 years. The current code is comprehensive, providing information on the identification of common fall hazards.

“I urge any person or entity in control of a workplace that presents a risk of falls to ensure safe systems of work are in place and that this code is available in the workplace at all times.”

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