04:55 pm, Sunday 30 October, 2011

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has released a film to help executive officers understand their new obligations under national work health and safety laws, due to take effect on 1 January 2012.

The new laws place an onus on CEOs, general managers and Board members to ensure steps are taken to support a positive health and safety culture in their organisations.

The film explains that safety responsibilities cannot be delegated and sets out the enforcement powers for breach: personal fines of up to $600,000 and imprisonment up to five years. Your business can also face fines of up to $3 million.

From 1 January 2012, there needs to be a very clear strategy in terms of addressing safety in the workplace. It’s critical that safety strategy is communicated well and effectively across every business and organisation.

The Safety Watchdog has also published the studio filmed presentations from the Safe Work Week information sessions.

Produced in three parts and available for download or to be played directly from the website, are:

• a guide to Queensland’s Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• a guide to the model Work Health and Safety Regulation (Chapters 1 to 3)
• a guide to the model Work Health and Safety Regulation (Chapters 4 to 11).

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04:41 pm, Sunday 30 October, 2011

The Queensland Supreme Court has ordered two employers to pay more than $550,000 to a worker who was injured while taking a shortcut over a knee-high barrier chain.

The Supreme Court found that the employers had failed to alert employees to a trip hazard and that there was no contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff employee.

In August 2006 the worker, who was employed by an engineering company and stationed at a mine, was attempting to jump over the chain – which was in place to stop machinery from unexpectedly entering a workshop – when his spats caught on the hook and he fell heavily, seriously injuring his left shoulder.

He took action against both the engineering and mining companies, alleging they breached their duty of care.

In the Supreme Court, the employers contended the worker could have avoided jumping the chain by using a door available for pedestrians, or used a safer method of negotiating the chain, such as unhooking it or ducking under it.

They also argued that he failed to clear the hook because he stepped over the chain without breaking his stride.

Justice Duncan McMeekin heard that at the time of the incident the worker was pre-occupied with a task, and that the low chain was a ‘temptation’ to workers to step over it.

He said there was no evidence the employers had ever issued a warning against jumping the barrier or that they had instructed workers to use the door or go under the chain.

Justice McMeekin said there was ‘no absolute rule in life or in the workplace that it is inherently and unreasonably unsafe to step over something’.

He said it was not unreasonable that the worker should use the shortest and most direct route, and that it was even commendable that he was being efficient.

He found the employers had not alerted employees to the tripping hazard, and noted that in formulating a safe system of work, employers were obliged to consider ‘the possible distraction of an employee engrossed in his task’.

The ‘unseen and unknown’ hook brought the worker down, Justice McMeekin said.

‘The real problem was that the chain was so low as to appear to be an easy hurdle to clear.’

The worker, now 48, gave evidence that surgery on his shoulder had failed, and that he was faced with the prospect of finding a lesser paid job in the mining industry or elsewhere.

Justice McMeekin agreed he faced an ‘uncertain’ financial future, and awarded him $550,128 in future economic loss, treatment costs and other damages.

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04:27 pm, Sunday 30 October, 2011

According to the latest ‘Comparative Performance Monitoring Report’, compensated fatalities are exceeding national reduction targets, but injury claims are not.

“The incidence of compensated fatalities from injury and musculoskeletal disorders decreased by 42 per cent from the base period to 2009–10,” the report said.

“The national incidence rate has exceeded the 20 per cent reduction required by 30 June 2012.”

Injury claims, however, are not reducing at the same pace. “The reduction in the incidence rate of injury and musculoskeletal claims between the base period (2000–01 to 2002–03) and 2009–10 was 25 per cent, which is below the rate required to meet the 2002–2012 National OHS Strategy target of a 40 per cent improvement by 30 June 2012,” the report said.

For more details, visit the Comparative Performance Monitoring Report and the Notified Fatalities Monthly Report.

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03:49 pm, Sunday 30 October, 2011

A roofing operator has been prosecuted for a fourth time, fined $18,000 and placed on a 12-month community-based order requiring him to attend an OHS safety course.

The owner of the company operating in the Geelong region, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two charges of not providing fall protection under the Victorian OHS Act.

According to WorkSafe Victoria, the man had nine prior convictions for similar offences.  He no longer performs work on roofs because of a workplace injury, but engages roofing plumbers as subcontractors to install roof sheeting, spouting and guttering on homes and commercial properties.

The latest breaches were uncovered when a Victorian WorkSafe inspector responded to a tip-off last December.

WorkSafe Victoria said the man had racked up $65,000 in fines for safety breaches since 2001.

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03:26 pm, Sunday 30 October, 2011

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has issued a safety alert concerning the use of forklifts.

Queensland has annually approximately 750 workers’ compensation claims involving forklifts, with almost 300 of these involving serious injury.

Forklifts can be one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the workplace.

A worker sustained head injuries in a recent Yeppoon (on the Central Queensland coast) incident when his forklift rolled, while an Adelaide winery earlier this year lost $1 million in exports after a wharf forklift incident involving bottles of wine worth $185 each.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recently prosecuted a steel merchant, after a truck driver was killed when a 1.2 tonne circular bar rolled off the tines of a forklift during unloading. The company was fined $100,000.

Compensation claims show the most common failures involve traffic management, maintenance, shifting loads and operator competence.

Increased risk of injury occurs when activities involve interaction between mobile plant and workers.

Loading and unloading activities involving forklifts, truck drivers and other people have been highlighted as particular areas of significant risk, with the manufacturing, transport and storage and retail and wholesale industries most represented in workers’ compensation claims.

A recent campaign by the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) which involved 177 visits in seven jurisdictions and looking at the grocery and fruit and vegetable wholesale industries, found that while 89 per cent of work sites had implemented safe systems of work associated with forklift operations, the probability of unlicensed operators using forklifts was high.

Not one of the workplaces audited complied with all of the legislative requirements for the safe operation of forklifts.

More than one in ten employers did not properly maintain or inspect the vehicles, and 13 per cent failed to provide adequate instruction and training. Some 14 per cent of worksites did not monitor or review the effectiveness of their implemented control measures.

When a forklift is required, safe work practices must be implemented, including traffic management plans, appropriate training for workers, and maintenance schedules.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has developed a range of forklift resources suitable for all industry sectors, including fact sheets, health and safety solutions and a case study.

Some general good practice activities to ensure forklift safety are listed below.

Traffic management:

• Separate forklifts and pedestrians through exclusion or no-go zones.
• Ensure written traffic management plans are developed in consultation with all parties at the workplace.
• Use maps and signs to show how it works in your workplace.
• Post maps and information at entrances, noticeboards and on walkways.
• Fit raised edges on loading docks, install safety barriers, install warning signs or barricades, impose speed limits, and provide adequate lighting

Operation:

• Before starting each shift, conduct a thorough inspection of the forklift and its attachments, including lift and tilt systems, steering, brakes, controls, tyres, warning devices, load arms, brake fluid and hydraulic oil.
• Only use forklifts and forklift attachments which are appropriate for the task.
• Ensure operators are not only licensed but also competent in the task they are being asked to perform.
• Ensure appropriate supervision is provided for learner drivers.
• Establish a method for determining the weight of loads being handled.

Maintenance:

• Carry out maintenance using a suitably qualified and trained person.
• Refer to the manufacturer’s operation manual for a recommended maintenance schedule.
• Establish safety procedures for fuel handling and storage and battery changing and charging.
• Include a maintenance procedure as part of your safety management system.
• Keep records of all maintenance, including servicing, testing, commissioning and alteration.

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08:09 pm, Friday 28 October, 2011

Recognising excellence in the workplace with regards matters to health and safety, the Ministry of Industrial Relations has announced the winners of the Queensland Safe Work Awards for 2011.

The announcement was done during a ceremony held last Wednesday, 26th of October, and was part of Safe Work Week observance. Cameron Dick, the Minister of Industrial Relations, as on stage to hand the awards and congratulate the winners.

The awards ceremony named several Queensland companies and individuals for their achievements in keeping their workplace safe, healthy and free of injuries.

According to the minister, there had been 116 entries from the business sectors as well as individual workers. This was a record-breaking number, indicating that observance of Safe Work Week is fast growing in popularity.

Mr. Dick says that the winners deserved the recognition for helping raise awareness and preventing injury, keeping many of Queensland workers safe. They should be proud of their achievements, initiative and leadership, as they contribute to the community and the improvement of working conditions in the region.

The winners of 2011 Queensland Safe Work Awards are:

Category 1 – Best workplace health and safety management system

1. Winner – ENERGEX Ltd, Newstead
2. Highly Commended – CS Energy Ltd, Fortitude Valley
3. Highly Commended – WorkPac, Fortitude Valley

Category 2 – Best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue

1. Winner – The Australian Reinforcing Company, Pinkenba
2. Highly Commended – Cement Australia Pty Ltd, Darra
3. Highly Commended – Kagan Logistics Pty Ltd, Hemmant
4. Highly Commended – Russell Mineral Equipment Pty Ltd, Toowoomba

Category 3 – Best workplace health and safety practise in a small business

1. Winner – River Logic Pty Ltd, Tingalpa

Category 4 – Best individual contribution to workplace health and safety

1. Winner – Rodney McFarlane – Group Linen Services , Woolloongabba
2. Highly Commended – Christopher Meadows  – Westside Christian College , Goodna
3. Highly Commended – Joanne Crotty – Danger Sun Overhead, Clontarf

Category 5 – Best solution to an identified electrical safety issue

1. Winner – Baulderstone Pty Ltd, Kelvin Grove
2. Highly Commended – Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
3. Finalist – Queensland Rail, Brisbane

Category 6 – Best leadership contribution to workplace health and safety

1. (Zero Harm at Work Leadership Program members)
2. Winner – Mirvac (QLD) Constructions Pty

Queensland celebrates Safe Work Week annually, and for this year, the event took place between 23-29 October.

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09:16 pm, Thursday 27 October, 2011

There was a lot to hear, see and do at the Sydney Safety Conference & Show today – as there has been each day. Some of the topics covered today included the emerging area of managing mental health issues in the workplace; managing the long-term injured employee; and several small sessions looking at safety technologies and innovations.

The first keynote speaker of the conference, John Watson, GM WHS Division, WorkCover NSW, asked the audience to consider the usual weekend BBQ. He asked, if one of our friends, or a child of a friend, had been killed that week at work – how might that change the situation? He implored us to keep that in mind when managing safety.

It is too easy to get caught up in figures, systems and programs to manage safety, and to manage behaviours of workers. The final keynote speakers brought the message home loud and clear.

TODD RUSSELL – BEACONSFIELD MINE DISASTER SURVIVOR

I have been privileged to hear some great speakers during my lifetime. However, Todd Russell’s talk today was truly heart warming and inspirational. He was just an ordinary man going about his job on ANZAC Day, 2006, when his life was changed forever by a workplace accident that would unfold before the eyes of the world over the next 14 days. Todd is one of the survivor’s of the Beaconsfield Mine Disaster inTasmania.

Todd gave a detailed account of what happened from when he clocked on for his shift that night until he and Brant Webb were rescued fourteen days later. I won’t go into the details, as most of us have read at least one account of this disaster.

What struck me the most about this talk is that Todd is an ordinary, humble, husband and father. He didn’t seek celebrity, but it came to him through a workplace accident.

The audience was spellbound – laughing during the funnier moments and welling up during the more touching ones. Todd Russell and Brant Webb’s lives were changed forever by this incident. Larry Knight lost his life, leaving behind his wife and two young children.

Following two days of presentations around legislation, systems for safety, statistics and research findings – the real message was brought home:

• workers deserve to be safe in their workplace;
• families should expect their loved ones to come home at the end of their shift; and
• employers have no right to put profits before lives.

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01:08 pm, Thursday 27 October, 2011

The NSW Government has submitted an Amendment Bill to Parliament that changes the implementation date of the model Work Health and Safety Bill from January 1, 2012 to the ‘date of proclamation’ in that State.

In doing so, NSW follows WA and Victoria in delaying the harmonisation of work health and safety laws.  The NSW Government came to the view that the implementation in NSW of the new national occupational safety and health laws were not attainable on January 1, 2012.

The decision by the NSW Government supports WA’s stance that changes to the State’s already strong work health and safety laws should not be considered until the effectiveness and potential impact of the Federal Government’s proposals (such as on small businesses) has been properly assessed.

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11:14 pm, Wednesday 26 October, 2011

Work-related injuries and fatalities in Australia has significantly reduced, according to a report done by Safe Work Australia, which has just released its Comparative Performance Monitoring’s thirteenth edition.

This report tackles health and safety concerns of workers in the country, as well as the compensation outcomes related to injuries, illnesses and deaths. The report covers the year 2009 through 2010.

The report also foresees that injuries and fatalities should even be reduced by as much as 20 percent by the year 2012. However, Safe Work Australia’s chair says, caution and attention should still be given to industries relating to transport and storage, forestry, fishing, manufacturing and agriculture.

According to the chairperson, some 194 compensated fatalities have happened between 2009 and 2010.  Workers who return to their jobs after recovering within an eight to ten month period are at 75 percent. The ratio is still a cause for concern since, for every 1000 workers, 13 employees have been involved in accidents, illnesses, injury and even death.

Companies, employers and its employees need to seriously work together to make sure that the workplace sees a decrease in these incidents and achieve the goal of reducing the rate of injuries by the year 2012.

In total, the government has compensated workers amounting to about $7 Billion in work related injuries. More than half of these were directly given to the employee and also covers medical services.

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10:57 pm, Wednesday 26 October, 2011

A new workplace legislation, which Australia is adapting by January of next year, has been set and is aimed at harmonising Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws in order to manage and assess workplace risks more effectively.

The new system makes workers’ safety a primary duty of its employers and adheres to the guideline:  “To identify what is or was reasonably practicable all of the relevant matters must be taken into account and weighed up and a balance achieved that will provide the highest level of protection that is both possible and reasonable in the circumstances.”

The new system is also seen as a way of reducing economic costs that relate to injuries and deaths in the workplace.  For instance, between 2005 to 2006, Australians spent about $57.5 billion in work-related injury compensation.  Once OHS laws are in order, expenses like this would have to be lessened.

But this change seemed to have overlooked one aspect that could matter to those who may be prone to occupational asthma, according to a report.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has figures stating that as much as 9-15% of adults develop asthma at work. New cases that go from 1,000 to 3,000 appear every year.  This is apparently caused by an airborne element called the asthmagens, which can be found in wood dust or in trees like the Western red cedar, or paint fumes, or flour. Those working in the manufacturing industry and the health/community service industry are likely most at risk.

The National Asthma Council of Australia notes that some 449 asthma patients have died from this illness in 2008 and that over 2 million Australians, or one in 10 adults, are diagnosed with the condition.

The quality of air indoors is crucial since most workers spend their time there. Thus, health and safety regulations in relation to indoor air quality have become more stringent.

Employers need to recognize and include this as part of their responsibility in keeping a clean, safe, and healthy work area for its employees.

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