11:00 am, Wednesday 19 December, 2012

A central Queensland truck driver who works as a sub-contractor has raised concern that roads that “bleed” and flick loose stones into traffic is a risk for him and other truck drivers.

Recently his windscreen was cracked on a stretch of road in Emerald and his question according to the Central Queensland News is who foots the bill for the damage when it is caused while he is working.

His livelihood and safety in his workplace partly relies on the roads being in a proper state of repair.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has called for the government to consider all heavy vehicle road accidents to be investigated as workplace incidents. Six trucks have been involved in three accidents with three fatalities on Queensland’s roads recently.

Peter Biagini the TWU Queensland Branch secretary said that the job of a truck driver is to drive yet if they are involved in an accident a workplace health and safety investigation is not conducted.

He said that truck accidents needed to be scrutinised as workplace incidents to understand what caused them.

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11:48 am, Thursday 26 April, 2012

A project to commemorate people who have been killed in industrial accidents was launched on the 20^th April by Minister for Industrial Relations, Russell Wortley.

Families of South Australians who lost their lives as a result of workplace accidents have supported the project to create a special quilt which will tour the State to increase awareness of work safety.

The Life Quilt Project will commemorate the lives of 10 people who died at work. SA Unions State Secretary Janet Giles says that ten people died in workplace accidents in South Australia for the past twelve months, while thousands more were injured.

“No family should ever have to go through the trauma of losing someone they love in a workplace accident. The tragedy is that so many could have prevented if proper health and safety procedures were in place.”

Sue Morley, project manager and textile artist said that the Life Quilt has been a year-long project from around SA contributing to the making of one metre by two metre quilt.

“We have also had wonderful support from the Country Women’s Association, whose members made some of the decorative flowers for the quilt.”

Sandra Dann from the Working Women’s Centre said that the project has created a life quilt which reminds us that families lose loved ones in work accidents and that it is important to remember them.

“The quilt, the stories of families and a series of short films will be used to spread awareness of the importance of safe workplaces but also the need for ongoing support for the families.”

The life quilt will be displayed at conferences, seminars, workshops and community events around South Australia to promote the importance of work safety.

The Life Quilt Project is supported by SA Unions, Working Women’s Centre, Arts SA, Australian Safe Communities Foundation and Effective Australia.

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11:57 am, Friday 2 December, 2011

Five more fatalities have been added to Victoria’s workplace toll for this year. These recent incidents bring Victoria’s workplace fatality toll to 21 for this year, according to a media release by WorkSafe Victoria.

WorkSafe Health and Safety Executive Director Ian Forsyth said that the accidents including the five recent fatalities which happened in the past 11 days are a gruesome reminder of the importance of workplace safety.

“Christmas is traditionally about spending time with loved ones and we want to ensure this happens. Every worker deserves to go home at the end of the day. Tragically, 21 workers so far this year didn’t get that opportunity,” said Mr. Forsyth.

The latest fatality occurred yesterday at a boat manufacturing company in Campbellfield when a 26-year old victim suffered from fatal head injuries when a 150kg piece of machinery fell on him from an overhead crane. He was brought to a hospital but was later on pronounced dead.

A night before this incident, another worker lost his life when he was run-over by a reversing street sweeping truck in Bayswater. He was directing traffic when the truck hit him.

Concurrently, a 37-year old worker was brought to a hospital after sustaining life-threatening injuries when he was crushed while doing repair works on a dock leveller at a company in Laverton North yesterday.

WorkSafe investigators are working with emergency workers at a water treatment plant near Carrum after a sub-contractor carrying out routine sampling failed to return from the tank area.

Other horrific workplace accidents which happened last week include a 73-year old farmer who died after being gored by a bull near Alexandra; a 45-year old man who was killed after a cherry picker collapsed with a man on board at Lara; a 46-year old man who was killed after being crushed by a vehicle in Westmeadows.

Mr. Forsyth encouraged workplaces to be extra vigilant in the lead up to Christmas as this month is one of the busiest periods for most industries. He also urged Victorian workplaces to take action in improving safety.

“We’re calling on Victorian workplaces to stop, think and take action about improving safety. Simple steps make a real difference to individuals, families and businesses.”

WorkSafe will relaunch its ‘Homecomings’ campaign on December 11 which aims to highlight the fact that the most important reason for making a workplace safe is not at work at all. The campaign will end on January 7.

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