05:36 pm, Tuesday 21 May, 2013

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten has released the report of Seacare Scheme review on Monday.

The report sets out 67 recommendations to improve the scheme’s coverage, governance, workers’ compensation costs and legislative inconsistencies.

A number of the recommendations seek to align the Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 with the reforms recently proposed to the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 by Mr Peter Hanks QC.

It also recommends that the Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 be updated to make it consistent with the model Work Health and Safety laws where appropriate for the maritime industry.

“Consistent with the Gillard Government’s approach across work health and safety, we want to ensure we have an equitable and cost-effective workers’ compensation system which has an emphasis on rehabilitation and return to work,” said Mr Shorten.

“The maritime industry is vital to our economy. It is important that those workers and employers covered by the Seacare Scheme have a modern, best practice scheme that reduces the risk of injury in what is an inherently dangerous industry.

“We are committed to harmonising and modernising the Seacare Scheme to help injured workers recover quickly and return to work safely,” he said.

The Government commissioned the review in 2012 to make sure that the Seacare Scheme was useful and effective for Australian seafarers. The Scheme has not been comprehensively reviewed since its establishment in 1992.

“The legislation underpinning the Seacare Scheme has not kept pace with changes in harmonisation of work health and safety laws, workers’ compensation reforms or maritime reforms,” said Mr Shorten.

“This has made the scheme complex and resulted in uncertainties in determining which vessels are covered under the Scheme and which are covered under the various state or territory schemes.”

Minister Shorten will be consulting with Seacare Scheme stakeholders on the review’s recommendations.

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03:42 pm, Tuesday 14 May, 2013

The Queensland Safe Work Awards which is now open for nominations have introduced new categories this year.

Category Five – Most significant improvement to work health and safety performance

This award recognises an organisation that has made a significant demonstrated improvement to its work health and safety performance. This may include making changes that have improved risk management, injury prevention and/or safety culture.

Category Six – Best Workplace Health and Wellbeing Initiative

This award recognises an organisation that has implemented a high standard workplace health and wellbeing initiative. This may include initiatives that seek to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, or address smoking, alcohol or obesity.

Category Seven – Best demonstrated leadership in work health and safety

This award recognises excellence in work health and safety leadership.

A direct entry cannot be submitted for this category. The winner of category seven will be decided by the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Board.

Attorney General and Minister for Justice Jarrod Bleijie invited everyone to actively participate in the Awards.

“Nominations are now open for the 2013 Queensland Safe Work Awards, and I join with Safety Ambassador Mal Meninga in encouraging all organisations to consider nominating and to share their safety solutions,” said Mr Bleijie.

“I look forward to seeing plenty of nominations come in, and to see Queensland continue showing the rest of the country how it’s done.”

Entries close at 5pm on Friday 12 July 2013. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 8 October 2013.

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02:40 pm, Monday 13 May, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

A new study conducted by the occupational health and safety experts at the University of Adelaide have called for a better health and safety education in the State’s secondary schools, to prepare young workers for the workplace.

The researchers from the University of Adelaide’s School of Population Health and the School of Psychology examined 103 public and private secondary schools in South Australia. The results of the survey revealed that although school management is generally supportive, teachers who are responsible for safety education use varying approaches and often lack confidence in discussing the topic.

“This research highlights a need for a standard, targeted program for training teachers in this area, and an evidence-based approach to introductory safety education,” said lead author and Associate Professor Dino Pisaniello, Head of the Discipline of Public Health at the University of Adelaide.

“A number of key issues have come out of this study. For example, the content and delivery of safety education should be tailored to young workers, taking into account factors such as physical and psychosocial characteristics and, importantly, the situations in which young people are likely to work.

“We also believe training activities in schools and industry should be complementary, in order to capitalise on the strengths of both. Such a program will better prepare young people for being safe and healthy in the workplace.

“Young people are more likely to be injured at work and are often unfamiliar with workplace hazards, safety procedures, and their rights regarding working conditions. By improving education about health and safety at an early age, we can more effectively tackle the young worker injury problem,” he said.

He also said that having a standard approach to health and safety education will benefit the society, industry and businesses in the long term.

The research was funded by SafeWork SA and is linked to the South Australian Government’s new Youth Work Health and Safety Strategy. Results of the study are now published online in the journal Safety Science.

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06:18 pm, Thursday 2 May, 2013

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WorkCover NSW is reminding businesses to prioritise managing hazardous noise in the workplace.

WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division General Manager, John Watson said businesses are required to manage the risk of hearing loss from workplace noise under NSW work health and safety laws.

“Hazardous noise can destroy the ability to hear clearly and make working safely more difficult,” said Mr Watson.

“From 2008/09 to 2010/11 there were 10753 claims for hearing loss throughout NSW at an estimated cost of more than $171 million to the NSW WorkCover Scheme.

“Hearing damage generally occurs gradually over a number of years and is often irreversible.

“Hearing can also be damaged immediately from exposure to impulse noise such as explosive powered nail guns, firearms and stamping presses.

“By managing the risks associated with noise, businesses can protect workers from hearing loss, improve conditions for communication and create a less stressful and more productive work environment.

“WorkCover inspectors can provide advice and assistance to businesses on the basics of managing noise and preventing hearing loss in the workplace as well as who is responsible and how to identify and manage noise hazards.”

Mr Watson said WorkCover recognises that safety improvements can be financially challenging.

“WorkCover recognises that finding money for safety improvements can be challenging,” he said.

“To support small businesses and sole traders, WorkCover offers rebates of up to $500 to help purchase and install safety improvements through its Small Business Rebate Program.”

Further information can be obtained on the WorkCover NSW website.

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04:03 pm, Friday 19 April, 2013

Persons with the management or control of earth moving machinery at workplace will now be exempt from regulation 217 of the Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

Regulation 217 requires person with management or control of earthmoving equipment at a workplace to ensure that earth moving machinery is not used unless securely fitted with a protective structure.

Duty holders in the Commonwealth jurisdiction will now be exempt from this provision. It is however important to remember that duties under regulations 214 and 215 relating to powered mobile plant continue to apply.

Inquiries on the exemption should be directed to Comcare on 1300 366 979 or email whs.help@comcare.gov.au.

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12:50 pm, Friday 19 April, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

WorkCover NSW has released a new safety alert on working with or around mobile plant to remind officers and workers of persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) of the risks associated with mobile plant in the workplace.

WorkCover said mobile plant, such as forklifts, elevating work platforms, delivery vehicles, order pickers, earth moving equipment, prime movers and cranes, have the potential to seriously injure or even kill people if they run into them.

Ten fatalities and more than 2000 injuries have been recorded in incidents involving mobile plant on construction sites.

PCBUs are required under work health and safety legislations to ensure that health and safety risks for workers and the public are reduced or eliminated so far as is reasonable practicable. PCBUs should consult with workers when they identify hazards and make decisions about how they can eliminate or minimise the risks.

Workers should also receive adequate information, training, instruction or supervision to protect people from plant-related risks.

More information about working safely with or around mobile plant is found on the WorkCover NSW website.

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04:31 pm, Wednesday 17 April, 2013

SafeWork SA is calling on South Australian businesses, organisations and individuals who are leading and achieving outstanding work health and safety outcomes to share their stories in the Safe Work Awards 2013.

Nominations are now accepted for the Awards.

• Read the Call for Entries booklet
• Decide which category best fits your safety initiative
• Complete an entry form for each award category entered at http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/sw2013/awardentry
• Address the judging criteria and attach supporting documents
• Refer to the Conditions of Entry
• Lodge your completed submission and entry by 5pm, Friday 5 July 2013.

Safe Work SA offers the following suggestions to improve your chances of securing an award:

• Check with SafeWork SA if you are not certain about the category best suited to your entry well before you submit your entry
• If in doubt about any aspect of your entry, contact SafeWork SA
• Always address all of the entry criteria in your entry category as entries that do not address all criteria will not be shortlisted
• Provide supporting material or attachments that support your entry
• Ensure the layout of your entry meets the criteria
• Ensure you submit all materials referred within your entry

More information is available on the SafeWork SA website. You can also email safeworkweek@sa.gov.au or contact SafeWork SA on 8303 9980.

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02:54 pm, Tuesday 16 April, 2013

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A waste disposal company accused of mishandling asbestos at its depot in Toowoomba denied claims that they put lives at risk.

The company’s branch manager blamed the positive results from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s asbestos test on the illegal dumping of asbestos by clients.

“Customers tend to hide such wastes at the bottom of loads so that we can’t see them at the time of collection,” he said.

“Should such concerning incidents occur, the company has procedures in place to ensure that the waste is handled and disposed of in line with health and safety and environmental legislative requirements.

“We vehemently deny that we are playing with people’s lives, as the TWU has outrageously alleged.

“Our health and safety environmental record demonstrates our commitment to these important health and safety and environmental matters. We welcome audits of our sites by relevant authorities at any time and five the community our assurance that should any concerns be identified, that we will address them with priority.”

SafetyCulture reported on Thursday that the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) demanded for all the company’s yards to be audited and for council contracts to be immediately reviewed after the company’s Toowoomba depot tested positive for illegal handling of asbestos.

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01:26 pm, Tuesday 16 April, 2013

A union is worried the government will axe seven safety inspectors in Wollongong. CFMEU secretary Brian Parker called on the government to come clean with its plan to axe safety inspectors.

Illawarra Mercury reported that Mr Parker believed this move would be “the opening salvo in a bid to slash inspector numbers at the safety authority”.

“Given the important role WorkCover inspectors are meant to play in maintaining safety on construction sites, we are demanding to know what is going on,” said Mr Parker.

“Just last month, a 37-year-old man was killed at a Wollongong glass manufacturer when a sheet of glass fell on top of him.

“It is appalling that we can have fatalities on job sites and at the same time, WorkCover is cutting inspector numbers.”

Mr Parker said that losing safety inspectors meant “no people on the beat”.

“In the industry, there are a lot of inferior products coming in from overseas, a lot of work is high risk… stuff like steel structures and scaffolding coming in, so there will be no policing of that.

“It really means no people left on the beat anymore.”

The NSW government defended the move saying it will not put workers and the public at risk.

A WorkCover NSW spokesperson told Illawara Mercury that the changes will make the department “more agile, flexible and responsive  to community needs to ensure resources are allocated to areas of greatest demand.”

The spokesman also said that the changes aim to achieve improved work safety cultures.

“Following these changes, there will be no reduction in the number of WorkCover inspectors [which] will remain at 315, the highest number of inspector positions in Australia,” said the spokesperson.

“This change will enable WorkCover to meet the challenge of maintaining falling NSW injury and fatality rates, and focus on industries with the highest risk to get injured workers back to work as soon as possible,” he said.

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03:58 pm, Monday 15 April, 2013

Q-COMP is accepting nominations for the Return to work Awards 2013.

In 2012, Q-COMP received over 350 nominations. Now in its fifth year, the awards celebrate “injured workers who have successfully achieved their return to work goals, case managers who care, employers committed to positive return to work culture, health providers that innovate, and rehabilitation coordinators who go the extra mile.”

“Through the Awards program, the many passionate and dedicated individuals and businesses who work in this dynamic industry are given an opportunity to shine and share their achievements and innovations with colleagues,” said Q-COMP CEO Elizabeth Woods.

“In 2012 we were inspired by more than 350 nominations, sharing their wealth of knowledge, experience and insights into what it takes to get an injured worker back to work safely and successfully.”

“Nominating an individual or organisation is quick and easy at qcompconference.com.au and I urge Queenslanders to take a moment to thank those who are truly making a difference in rehabilitation and return to work,” she said.

Winners will receive up to $2,000 in cash prize. Nominees will receive a certificate celebrating their hard work.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 30 October 2013. Nomination period close 14 June 2013. Nominations can be submitted online via http://qcompconference.com.au/

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