01:00 pm, Thursday 9 May, 2013

The police are organising a report for the coroner following the death of a man in an accident in North Bayswater, an eastern suburb of Melbourne.

At the time of the accident it was believed that three men at an automotive engineering company were working on a big mechanical sliding gate when it fell from its track and pinned a man against a vehicle.

Emergency workers were unable to revive the man at the scene. The other two workers were not harmed.

WorkSafe Victoria is investigating.

Report by Zoe Dunbar - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

01:07 pm, Wednesday 19 December, 2012

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

Following a SafetyCulture report on the launch of a push to ban children from using quad bikes, the Victorian Government is unlikely to follow the move, saying there was only one quad bike death in the state over the past ten years.

This is according to a Weekly Times report which also said Minister Bill Shorten had no jurisdiction to introduce such ban in Victoria.

“In the past ten years there has been one death in Victoria involving someone under 16 operating a quad bike in a workplace, said a Victorian Government spokeswoman.

“The Victorian Government believes every death is a tragedy which is why we are always looking for new ways to improve quad bike safety.”

Farmers will also fight against the ban.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey said the ban will not fix the problem. He said quad bikes are important in farming works and was regularly used by people under 16 years old on family properties.

A spokesperson for Mr Shorten said that Safe Work Australia will work with work health and safety regulators from different states and territories to introduce the ban.

Fairfax Media reported that the use of the vehicle is now the leading cause of deaths in Australian farms. Fifteen people have died from quad bike incidents this year. Just last week, a 47-year old man died from a quad bike-related incident in Tasmania.

In 2011, 23 people were killed. The youngest victim was aged four.

There are 220,000 quad bikes being used across the country but no design standards have been imposed. Helmet use is also not compulsory.

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11:04 am, Thursday 22 November, 2012

The Hon Bill Shorten MP
Photo: Ministers’ Media Centre

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten urged Victoria and Western Australia to introduce the harmonised Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws following South Australia and Tasmania’s move to adopt the new laws.

Mr Shorten said that harmonised laws will reduce red tape and deliver safer workplaces. Implementing the harmonised laws is estimated to generate national net benefits of $250 million each year over the next 10 years. The laws are also expected to generate productivity improvements of up to $2 billion a year over the same period.

“Our most important resource is our people – giving them certainty and greater safety at work is vitally important,” said Mr Shorten.

“With this is mind, I now call on Victoria and Western Australia to introduce their Bills, so workers in these states may also benefit from harmonised laws.”

With workplace in Tasmania and Australia introducing the new laws effective from 1 January 2013, Minister Shorten says 64 in every 100 working Australians will be covered by modern, best practice and consistent laws.

“This year marks the first time in history the majority of Australians will be covered by harmonised work health and safety arrangements,” he said.

“Workers and employers in South Australia and Tasmania will join millions of other Australians already benefitting from harmonised WHS laws in other states and territories.

“This will result in more productive workplaces, but more importantly it will provide safer workplaces so that all working Australians can return home to their loved ones at the end of their working day.”

Peak industry organisations, unions, governments and businesses across the country have been clamouring for harmonised health and safety laws for many years.

“The Gillard Government is now delivering these new arrangements, which include an agreed model Act, and Regulations and Codes of Practice.”

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12:45 pm, Monday 15 October, 2012

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

A man towing a trailer behind a quad bike died last night when the trailer jackknifed and turned the bike over on the gravel surface of the road and he was trapped underneath the quad bike.

The 58-year-old man was riding on the Old Weir Rd in Murchison in northeast Victoria when the accident happened.

The man was alone and died at the scene of the accident.

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01:25 pm, Friday 21 September, 2012

The program for the 2013 WorkSafe Awards is open and time to enter for the opportunity to be recognised in a number of categories. Or maybe there is someone that you think deserves recognition and you would like to nominate them for an Award.

The 2013 categories are:

Category Listing – Health and Safety

1. Best health and safety initiative in a small business (20 employees or less)
2. Health and safety committee of the year
3. Health and safety representative of the year
4. OHS Management System of the Year

Category Listing – Return to Work

1. Employer excellence
2. Occupational rehabilitation consultant achievement
3. Return to Work Coordinator excellence
4. Treating health practitioner achievement
5. Worker return to work achievement award

Category Listing – Health and Wellbeing

1. Commitment to workplace health and wellbeing

For more information on how to enter see the WorkSafe Awards Victoria website. 

Report by Zoe Dunbar - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know

12:13 pm, Monday 9 April, 2012

A warning for possible health risks was issued to residents of three Geelong suburbs following a chemical leak at the Shell refinery.

The Age reports that the warning was issued at 10pm to residents of Corio, Norlane and North Shore. A spokesman from Shell said that the all-clear was sounded at 2am on Saturday.

Around twenty firefighters responded to the call at the plant at Corio at about 11pm on Saturday when flammable sand used in fuel production leaked from a pipe. Roads and a section of the plant were closed as authorities responded to the leak.

The Department of Health has advised people experiencing symptoms of chemical exposure to call on the “Nurse on Call” service on 1300 606 024.

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02:34 pm, Monday 27 February, 2012

A WorkHealth check will be given for free to Victorian workers heading to the Port Fairy Folk Festival from Saturday 10 – Monday 12 March. Workers will also get the chance to learn their risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The WorkHealth checks is part of WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkHealth program, and are completely confidential and take just up to 15 minutes.

“What we’re finding is that around a quarter of workers who have done WorkHealth checks actually have a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes which is something many of them wouldn’t have known about before,” said WorkHealth Director, Rachel Gualano.

“So we’re heading to the Port Fairy Folk Festival because we think it’s important that as many workers as possible have the chance to get their health checked.”

The free WorkHealth checks are performed by trained health professionals, and will be available at the Craft Fair, during the Port Fairy Folk Festival.

The checks will include a lifestyle survey, simple measurements such as cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and waistline. Results of these measurements will be given on the spot. Workers at risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases can get help through the new WorkHealth Coach telephone support service.

More than 465,000 workers have availed the WorkHealth check so far across Victoria. More than 23,000 businesses have signed up for the program.

“If you miss out on the Port Fairy Folk Festival, you needn’t miss out on WorkHealth checks. Just sign at workhealth.vic.gov.au and we’ll come to your workplace and give your whole team the chance to get checked,” said Ms Gualano.

For more information, visit workhealth.vic.gov.au.

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10:21 am, Tuesday 2 March, 2010

As part of it Safe Towns program, Worksafe will conduct a breakfast briefing on March 11 in Portland in preparation for the safety inspection from March 22 to 26.

The free breakfast briefing for small businesses will give information on what to expect from the safety inspection conducted by Worksafe inspectors.

The highlights of the briefing will be:

* Health and safety – Safety systems to help prevent injuries or deaths in the workplace will be discussed. Information on how businesses can ensure that OHS laws are complied with will also be provided.

* Return to work – Businesses will be given advice on the RTW process.

* WorkSafe Injury Insurance and Premium.

RSVPs are essential if you want to attend the breakfast briefing. Contact Donna Lacy or Joanne Armitstead on 5564 3200 or donna_lacy@worksafe.vic.gov.au or joanne_armitstead@worksafe.vic.gov.au by 9 March 2010

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