When hospital senior management supports the creation and maintenance of a strong safety culture, patient outcomes improve, staff productivity increases and there is less clinical employee turnover, according to research reported in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, the peer-reviewed publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). [ + ]

Zombies might not be the most obvious candidates to use when researching how crowds evacuate buildings, but they have proved a key factor in a new study into crowd behaviour. [ + ]

In a paper just written for the Australian Drug Foundation, workplace drug and alcohol experts Dr Ken Pidd and Professor Ann Roche report that alcohol use is responsible for 5% of all Australian workplace deaths and up to 11% of non-fatal injuries. [ + ]

The National Mental Health Commission has launched (1 July 2013) a landmark Alliance to help create Australian workplaces that are mentally healthy. [ + ]

The first eight finalists nominated in the WorkSafe Awards - Victoria have been announced. One of the finalists included in this year’s ‘OHS Invention of the Year’ category is a solution that has been designed to address the literacy barriers and communication challenges associated with understanding written procedures in the workplace. [ + ]

An innovative mobile phone app is helping organisations improve the safety of their workers out in the field - with Melbourne water retailer South East Water launching Lone Worker on iTunes. [ + ]

Xtralis, provider of early detection and visual verification safety and security solutions, has announced that version 1.14 of its IntrusionTrace has been approved as a primary detection system for operational use in sterile environments by the UK Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB). [ + ]

Following a spate of incidents of non-compliance relating to asbestos handling, Telstra has announced a number of requirements for its three key NBN rollout contractors. [ + ]

Chester Wholesale Meat improved the safety and efficiency of its cold storage and holding area using Munters IceDry technology. [ + ]

Illicit drug use and alcohol misuse are now recognised as factors that can affect health and safety in the workplace. The same may not be true for prescription drugs. [ + ]

Globally, there are a wide range of laws concerning work in confined spaces with generally the same intent, which is to protect workers when they enter such spaces. They lay out training guidelines and entry procedures and, in most cases, explain the hazards associated with entry. Where the information falls short is the experiences of the people that actually enter the spaces to do the work and the supervisors that oversee it. On-the-job training is a valuable asset that needs to be shared more often. [ + ]

NOJA Power Recloser App, available free from the Apple App Store and compatible with iPhone and iPad, communicates via Wi-Fi link with A=automatic circuit recloser (ACR) allowing electrical utility linesmen to control and interrogate devices without having to climb the pole. [ + ]

If staff are a company’s greatest asset, then it is in the interests of that company to keep them safe and productive. There are obvious forms of protection such as guardrails and automatic machine cut-offs but more sophisticated technology is increasingly being used to address workplace health and safety issues, particularly in industries such as oil and gas, mining and utilities where employees are often working in hazardous and remote locations. [ + ]

Academic researchers have found that breathing motor vehicle emissions triggers a change in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, altering its cardiovascular protective qualities so that it actually contributes to clogged arteries. [ + ]

You have heard of a ‘shock absorber’ before, but what does it have to do when it comes to fall protection? Or, maybe you have heard of a shock absorber but have you ever wondered how it works? [ + ]