Scientists are coming up with new ways to assess the risk of exposure to asbestos, leading to improved management of sites contaminated with the potentially lethal material. [ + ]

Resource contractor Ostwald Bros has taken a major step to address mental health issues for the benefit of its construction workers using the Mates in Construction (MIC) program across its sites. [ + ]

The FirePass Oxygen Reduced Fire Prevention system was installed recently at the Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) located in Wahroonga on Sydney’s north shore. The system has the unique ability to create an environment of breathable, controlled oxygen-reduced air that prevents fire ignition. [ + ]

In the lead-up to World first Aid Day (14 September), Red Cross has released a free First Aid App to make learning First Aid on the go an easy option for smartphone users. [ + ]

The modular, no-weld Moddex balustrade and guardrail system was used at the Peninsula Link Project in Victoria for a wide range of sloping and curved pathways and many sections of unlaid concreting under a tight install deadline. [ + ]

CSIRO has developed the Wireless Ad hoc System for Positioning (WASP) which can track people and objects to an accuracy of about half a metre where traditional technologies do not work and clear reception of radio signals is difficult. It has now been commercialised by mining communication company Minetec and incorporated into its Trax+Tags II suite for applications in underground mines. [ + ]

Without protection, outdoor workers in Australia are at serious risk of being bitten by harmful animals with the potential of serious injury or worse. This article explains how products such as HexArmor, Bushman and Para’Kito from the Blackwoods range can provide workers with protection from these risks. [ + ]

Researchers at Virginia Tech have won a 'Best Paper Award' from a prestigious scientific and engineering community for their helmet that is designed to protect construction workers from carbon monoxide poisoning. [ + ]

To date, Victoria's workplace health and safety regulator, WorkSafe Victoria, has chosen not to investigate events at the Essendon Football Club, choosing instead to keep its options open as other "more appropriate bodies" look into the issue. [ + ]

After a terrible injury at its Geelong plant, in which a worker sliced his hand severely, metal manufacturer Backwell IXL overhauled procedures across its entire operation to better protect employees. [ + ]

A New Zealand study of occupational dermatitis in cleaners has found rates of eczema among them nearly twice that of people not exposed to cleaning agents. [ + ]

Mental health issues are reported to affect 20% of the population, with depression and anxiety among the highest in prevalence and incident rates on the rise. The direct effects of emotional and behavioural disorders are clearly significant and distressing for the person, family and community.  However, the impact of mental health issues to workplaces and employers has been less clear and received less attention to date. The magnitude of the issue both in terms of costs and the dangers of mental health problems to organisations should not be underestimated: there is a greater need now more than ever for business and employers to consider how to make work a safer place to be. [ + ]

The importance of protecting employees and providing a safe work environment has seen an increase in the use of reflective and high-visibility tapes. Whether it is on work clothing or personal protective equipment (PPE), it is a common requirement and practice. [ + ]

In the future, employees exposed to risks will only have to put on a glove in order to receive a toxic substance warning. A textile has been developed that identifies poisonous substances and turns blue in the presence of hazardous substances. [ + ]

Engineers at Oregon State University are studying a new approach to organise and route truck transportation that could save millions of dollars, improve the quality of life for thousands of truck drivers and make freight transportation far more efficient. [ + ]