On Friday, the Fair Work Commission announced a 1.75% increase to minimum wages. This means an increase of approximately $13.00 per week to those on the national minimum wage. In light of the on-going impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission took into consideration the profound economic impact government-imposed restrictions have had on businesses. Because…
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Did you know that it only takes a very small amount of respirable crystalline silica (RCS), commonly known as silica dust to create a lifelong and serious health issue? RCS is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand and totally invisible to our naked eye. It is found in many materials common on construction like:…
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The COVID-Safe Plan Two months ago, businesses around the world came to a standstill as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through major cities. This has been a massive challenge for everyone, both businesses and individuals, if not the biggest challenge the world has come across in the modern-day. We are still far from over this…
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There is a lot of information around about the Coronavirus at the moment. But how do I know what fits my business and what I need to do. What do I need to do in my workplace? Some simple tips that can help minimise risks to you, your workers and others include: Following social distancing…
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Sun safety is paramount in the workplace. South Australia is known as the driest state on the driest continent, and our summers renowned for being very hot and dry. Whilst the weather outside today stormy, we are nearing the summer season. So it’s a good time to remind people to manage the risks associated with heat stress…
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Minister for Employment, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, has launched this year’s National Safe Work Month. Minister Cash’s launch is available to view by clicking here. Every year throughout October, National Safe Work Month encourages workers and workplaces to think about safety in the workplace, and how they can make their workplace even safer. This year’s…
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On Monday 11th September, a poultry contractor was convicted and fined $1.13 million over a forklift tragedy in 2015. The death occurred on a farm near Geelong, when a worker was struck and killed by a forklift. At the time of the incident, workers from the poultry contractor were attending the farm to catch and load live…
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After being battered by a blast of wintry weather during the past few weeks, we are still over a month away from the end of the cold and flu season. And while some will soldier on when sick, staying home is nothing to sneeze at. In fact it could be better for yourself and your workplace. Coming…
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Surprisingly a union and a government department has been in the spot light lately regarding safety. The Department of Transport and Main Roads, in Queensland, pleaded guilty and fined $175,000 for breaching its work health and safety duties, and exposing six workers to asbestos. The Department, trading as Roadtek, put workers at risk over five months…
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Two workers have been taken to hospital after suffering electric shocks from the lightning during yesterday’s wild weather in Adelaide. A Franklin Street construction site was shut down after lighting hit a crane. As the stormy weather crossed the city around noon, the crane worker was reportedly hanging onto chains when he got zapped. Current…
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A “Name and Shame” register has revealed poor food safety standards in numerous NSW businesses. Five councils – Blacktown, Sydney, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland and Parramatta – had the greatest number of food safety law breaches in the past six months. In it’s ninth year, the NSW Food Authority has released its “Name and Shame” register. The register…
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A South Australian steel pipe manufacturing business has been convicted and fined $39,000 over an incident in which a worker’s foot was run over by a forklift. In October 2015, the worker was acting as a spotter while helping a forklift operator to move a steel pipe, when the incident occurred. Following an investigation by…
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Do you know the difference between smoking versus vaping, and how it impacts your workplace? With the increased popularity of vaping and e-cigarettes, it is becoming important for businesses to have a clear company policy. Most workers are aware companies have policies around smoking. However, in a recent study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental…
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A New Zealand company, and its Director, has been fined after a workplace accident left a worker a tetraplegic (otherwise known as quadriplegic).
Disregard for employee health and safety resulted in a total of NZ$386,300 (equivalent to over $360,000 Australian dollars) in fines and reparation.
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SafeWork SA are preparing to audit residential aged care facilities in an effort to reduce the risk to workers due to injuries caused by manual handling tasks. During June and July, SafeWork SA’s inspectors will be out in force, ensuring compliance with work health and safety legislation. They will also be checking measures required to control the…
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Do you work with Elevated Work Platforms (EWP)? If you answered yes, SafeWork SA has introduced new minimum standard of training for Elevated Work Platforms. In the wake of the tragic fatal incidents involving scissor lifts at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital construction site, new minimum standards have been introduced. Their aim is to reduce the…
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A Victorian bakery has been fined $40,000 for breaching the 2004 OHS Act, for: Failing to provide and maintain safe plant, and Failing to provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision This came about after a worker’s fingertips were amputated by a machine filling pastries with custard. The machine places a set amount of custard…
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A Bathurst earthworks business has been fined $90,000 for failing to comply with work health and safety legislation. Two workers were injured during excavation work, when the side walls of a trench they were working in collapsed. SafeWork NSW charged the business with breaching the WHS Act, for exposing workers to the risk of serious injury or…
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Halon is a fire fighting agent that was introduced into Australia in the early 1970s. It quickly replaced many previously accepted fire fighting products because of its superior fire fighting characteristics and ease of use. However, Halon is also a potent ozone-depleting substance. Just one kilogram of Halon 1211 (usually found in hand held fire extinguishers) can…
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Keeping with the theme of our last post, Volunteers in the Workplace, we thought it would be handy to focus on labour hire workers, including your responsibilities if you engage labour hire workers in your workplace. There has been a lot of attention over the past 18 months on the labour hire industry with inquiries being conducted…
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