11:26 am, Thursday 21 February, 2013

WorkCover NSW issued a reminder for all businesses to give importance on the proper first aid procedures to reduce workplace injuries.

General Manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, John Watson said many businesses are taking for granted the importance of having proper amenities and first aid.

“Every worker should go home safely at the end of the day and under NSW work health and safety laws, businesses must provide adequate amenities and first aid,” said Mr Watson.

“If a worker is injured, first aid can reduce the severity of the injury and, in extreme cases, a quick response can mean the difference between life and death.

Mr Watson said first aid requirements may vary depending on the nature of the work being carried out, as well as several factors including the number and composition of workers and hazards at the workplace.

“Every business must provide first aid equipment and ensure that each worker has access to equipment and facilities to administer first aid.

“They must also ensure there is an adequate number of workers trained to administer first aid that workers have access to them.”

Mr Watson said workers must have a clear understanding of first aid.

“Under work health and safety laws, workers must comply with any reasonable instruction and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety at the workplace, including first aid and the reporting of injuries and illnesses.

“A business should also regularly review their first aid arrangements in consultation with workers to ensure they remain adequate and effective,” he said.

More information is available on the WorkCover NSW website.

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

11:58 am, Tuesday 8 January, 2013

2012 has been the safest year for Victorian workplaces, with only 18 deaths, down from 25 in 2011.

According to figures released by WorkCover, workplace injuries was low in 2012, with only 7.77 people injured for every million hours compared to 7.9 workers in 2011.

Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips through Fairfax Media said inspection and enforcement action by the Victorian WorkCover Authority as well as cooperation from workers and businesses helped reduce fatal accidents.

“In 2012, national data confirmed Victoria’s position as having the safest workplaces of any state to territory in Australia, and that’s a credit to employers, workers and the efforts of the WorkSafe team,” said Mr Rich-Phillips.

He also said more work needs to be done to protect workers from workplace injuries and deaths.

WorkSafe Health and Safety executive director, Ian Forsyth said safety campaigns helped reduce workplace injuries and deaths.

“The campaign has positioned public safety in the people’s minds. They are very high-profile and have a very strong level of awareness and recall. This improvement is a combination of enforcement, education and public awareness campaigns.”

According to a Fairfax Media report, fatalities in the construction and agriculture industries continue to be a cause of concern, with three fatalities on farms in 2012.

Mr Forsyth said seven of the 18 deaths recorded last year happened in November and December.

“That’s a pattern we saw the previous year. We think that’s a time where people are rushing to get jobs done, or their mind is focused on upcoming holidays.”

Around 28,300 Victorian workers claimed an injury claim last year – the lowest on record.

The Victorian Government also reiterated that it would not introduce the proposed new work health and safety model.

“Victoria’s occupational health and safety laws are recognised as best practice and these results support that,” said Mr Rich-Phillips.

“Julia Gillard’s national OHS model would impose $3.4 billion in additional costs on Victorian businesses without any evidence that workplace safety in Victoria would be improved.”

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

03:43 pm, Monday 15 October, 2012

WorkSafe has delivered a strong financial result because of low workplace injuries rate and sound claims management.

WorkSafe Acting Chief Executive, Ian Forsyth, thanked Victorian workers and employers for doing their part in making workplaces safer.

“Thanks to the support of employers and workers, Victoria’s workplaces have never been safer in terms of injury rates, and together with our agents, we’ve continued to achieve strong claims liability results,” said Mr Forsyth.

“We’ve outperformed budgeted results to deliver an actuarial release of $182 million, driving a performance from insurance operations (PFIO) results of $385 million.”

Mr Forsyth said PFIO was the most insightful measure of scheme annual performance given it focused on the fundamentals that management could be held accountable for delivering.

“Performance from insurance operations looks beyond external factors, such as interest rates and investment market performance that can otherwise mask either good or bad scheme management,” he said.

“During 2011/12, factors beyond our control – such as fluctuations in bond yields due to falling interest rates and higher than expected inflation – had a negative impact on all businesses like ours, resulting in an after tax net loss of $676 million.

“However when you look through those external factors, the underlying fundamentals of the scheme are very strong.

“As we’ve said year in, year out, actuarial release and the PFIO result along with break even premium and funding ratio are the key measures of financial performance and sustainability.

“Our performance across these measures combined was very strong in 2011/12 and the scheme is well placed in both absolute and relative terms.”

The Victorian Government introduced a dividend payment for WorkSafe in December 2011. A dividend of $147 million was paid from the 2010/11 PFIO.

WorkSafe’s financial performance gave way to additional reduction in employer premiums of 3% for 2012/13.

“The premium cut announced by the Government earlier this year further enhances Victoria’s position as having the lowest average premium rate in the country and quality benefit support for injured workers,” said Mr Forsyth

“This is particularly pleasing at a time when many other schemes are facing considerable financial pressure and have either increased premiums or made changes to their benefit structure.

“In 2012/13 Victoria’s average premium rate of 1.298% is the lowest in the state’s history and the lowest rate in the country, which is good for Victorian businesses.

“In terms of workplace safety, Victoria recorded a record low injury rate of 10.17 claims per 1000 workers in 2011/12, down from 10.34 for 2010/11.

“These results are very encouraging and continue longer term improvement trends, however we believe that in conjunction with employers and workers more can be done to reduce work related injuries and eliminate fatalities.

“We will continue to target poorly performing industries and high risk occupations, with a particular focus on manual handling and dangerous machines over the coming 12 months.

“It was also pleasing that the views of our employees towards WorkSafe as an employer improved significantly in 2011/12 and are above those for the average employer in the public and private sectors.

According to Mr Forsyth, WorkSafe has set more challenging safety, return to work, service and sustainability targets for WorkSafe 2017.

“We have set further challenging safety, return to work, service and sustainability targets in our new five year strategy, WorkSafe 2017, and continuing to support and invest in our people will be critical to their achievement,” he said.

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

11:53 am, Thursday 11 October, 2012

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

It has been reported that the medical profession is treating an increase in workers injuries because there is an expansion of the mining activities in the Surat Basin in the south of Queensland.

A forum is being held today in Dalby to look at the health and safety issues that are emerging and positive ways to deal with them.

Workwise Safety and Rehab’s Jaden Frame, who will be speaking at the forum, said that as a result of these increases there is also a significant rise in requests by people wanting access to health and safety information.

He added that the idea is to equip employers with the right tools to protect the health and safety of their workers and to improve the quality of the services in regional Queensland.

The forum will cover areas such as injury prevention and management and drug and alcohol testing as well as the most pressing safety issues that workers in the mining industry are faced with.

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

02:09 pm, Wednesday 29 August, 2012

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland together with Q-COMP and WorkCover Queensland will conduct a presentation on Queensland employers’ legislative requirements and the financial impacts with workplace injuries.

Guest speakers include:

• Lynne Milne from WorkCover Queensland will talk about the financial costs to an employer when workplace injuries happen, in addition to what happens when claims go to common law.
• Sonia Minniecon from Q-COMP will discuss injury statistics in the agricultural industry and explain how to access the range of Q-COMP’s free services.
• Fiona O’Sullivan from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland will explain the legislative requirements for workplace safety.

The presentation will be held on Thursday, 20 September 2012 at the Bundaberg Enterprise Centre from 1pm to 4pm.

Further information can be accessed through the WorkCover Queensland website.

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

12:53 pm, Tuesday 21 August, 2012

A free webinar will be conducted by WorkCover NSW this month to assist businesses in understanding how to better manage hazardous manual tasks in their workplaces.

General Manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, John Watson said the webinar is part of the Focus on Industry program targeting the 10 highest risk industries in NSW as well as the five most common injuries and diseases in these industries.

“The Focus on Industry Program aims to make NSW businesses and workers more productive, healthy and safe,” said Mr Watson.

“Between 2006/07 and 2008/09 there were more than 100,000 claims for manual handling injuries, accounting for a third of all workplace injuries and almost double any other cause of injury.

“The webinar will outline the basic requirements for managing hazardous manual tasks, including lifting, carrying and restraining.

“It will also cover how to control risks, including who is responsible for checking and identifying manual handling risks.

“The webinar provides the perfect opportunity for business and workers to ask questions from the convenience of their workplace.

“Places are limited so go online and register today.”

WorkCover will also conduct webinars on slips, trips and falls and sun safety in September and October.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, 29 August from 11am to 12pm.

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

09:20 am, Saturday 11 August, 2012

The Government Department that is responsible for an Adelaide TAFE campus has been fined $120,000 after an admission of guilt in the Industrial Relations Court. They are also required to pay $20,000 to the student that was injured in the fall.

The fall happened in November 2009 when the construction student needed walk across a roof beam to assist with detaching a panel; he fell from the beam through exposed plasterboard 4.5 metres to the floor breaking bones and received serious injuries.

The government department pleaded guilty to the failure to conduct a risk assessment and provide fall protection to the student.

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

10:39 am, Tuesday 7 August, 2012

Recent statistics released in WA show that the number of Workcover claims for workplace injuries following serious accidents is the highest it has been in 11 years.

The figures show a steady rise since 2006 and that for each hour two workers are hurt seriously and are required to take a minimum of one day off work. Worker fatalities average out to one every nineteen days.

At the same time the data shows that the claims for minor injuries has dropped each year in the same period of time.

The data that is used for these statistics is based on the claims received by Workcover.

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

11:27 pm, Thursday 19 July, 2012

A free webinar to help small businesses understand how to manage workplace risks under the new work health and safety laws will be conducted by WorkCover NSW.

According to WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division General Manager, John Watson, a comprehensive program is being delivered by WorkCover to assist NSW businesses, industry and workers adjust to the laws which commenced in the state on 1 January 2012.

“Under the new laws small businesses must do everything they can to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks,” said Mr Watson.

“This webinar will outline how to manage risks, including what to be aware of and the potential consequences if something goes wrong.

“WorkCover understands that many small business owners are too busy to attend workshops and the webinars provide the perfect opportunity to ask questions about the new laws from the convenience of their workplace.

“Places are limited so go online and register today.”

Mr Watson also said that WorkCover would start a new webinar series in August as part of the Focus on Industry Program.

“The Focus on Industry Program targets the 10 highest risk industries in NSW as well as the five most common injuries and illnesses within these industries,” he said.

Over the coming months we will be holding webinars on how businesses and workers can prevent workplace injuries.

“The August webinar will focus on manual handling with slips, trips and falls and sun safety covered during September and October.

“The Focus on Industry Program involves assisting employers and workers to make their workplaces more productive, healthy and safe.”

In addition, business owners with 20 or less full-time employees may be eligible to claim a Small Business Rebate of up to $500 to be used for purchasing and installing eligible safety equipment after attending the webinar.

The free webinar will be held on Wednesday, 25 July from 10am – 11am.

Participants are required to complete an online registration form. More information on the new laws can be found on the WorkCover NSW website.

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

12:38 pm, Tuesday 3 July, 2012

A transport and logistics company is facing unfair dismissal charges after allegedly spying on staff who take leave to recover from workplace injuries.

The case was taken to the national workplace relations tribunals by one of its workers who said she was dismissed unfairly after private investigators hired by the company followed here in February this year.

According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, the case is the first of two unfair dismissal claims against the company filed this week which involved spying on workers.

Although WorkSafe and its insurance companies use private investigators to check on injury claims, it is not common for individual companies to spy on their workers.

The company claimed that their actions were justifiable as employers can conduct surveillance to make sure employees are really entitled to benefits being claimed.

One of the cases at Fair Work Australia lodged involved a female worker who said she was followed by private investigators hired by the company when she was on sick leave in February.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, she was in the process of lodging a WorkCover claim for a back injury she sustained while working at the company’s warehouse. She was followed by investigators for a day in February.

She was filmed from outside her house, and at a supermarket for 13 minutes.

She was dismissed from work after three days when she failed to mention her trip to the supermarket to her managers.

The worker was represented by the National Union of Workers during a hearing on Monday.

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