Bushfires are part of life in Australia. These fires can produce vast amounts of smoke, off-gases and ash, and there is a need to consider the most appropriate ways of providing respiratory protection for those exposed to these contaminants. [ + ]

Do you have ‘chair disease’ from sitting all day at your desk? The University of Queensland researchers have developed a device that may help. It’s called the ‘sitting pad’ and uses an alarm to alert workers to stand up more regularly. [ + ]

Mobile technologies are helping and hindering workers as they are causing increased fatigue and burnout, according to a survey. [ + ]

Energy-saving power factor correction (PFC) technology should be housed separately from switchboards and motor control centres to minimise damage and downtime resulting from any failures, according to a leading consulting forensic electrical and mechanical engineer. [ + ]

The Merlo Remote Explosive Blasting Unit provides a solution to keep mine personnel safely away from the hazards of open pit mining. [ + ]

Moore Industries-International helped an oil and gas company comply with new federal safety regulations relating to communications with offshore oil platforms. [ + ]

Research by Australia’s most prominent ergonomist may make the committee rethink the standard AS1657. [ + ]

PPE companies Bata Company and Hutchwilco have both had their products certified with Bureau Veritas ‘S’ mark certification. [ + ]

More than 2700 people will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer and 450 more will die this summer, according to a top Australian dermatologist. [ + ]

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico are comparing supercomputer simulations of blast waves on the brain with clinical studies of veterans suffering from mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to help improve helmet designs. [ + ]

Older North American farmers work fewer hours than their younger peers but spend more time operating heavy machinery and equipment - raising their risk of serious injury, according to new research from the University of Alberta. [ + ]

Sitemed managed the health and medical needs of Downer EDI staff working on an NT rail project by creating an on-site medical centre and mobile response service. [ + ]

Some day, your car and the roadway could be in constant communication and able to suggest route changes to avoid accidents, construction and congestion; coordinate your vehicle with traffic lights, other vehicles and lane markers; and let you know where you can park. Right now, a fleet of instrumented vehicles is testing these systems on two instrumented test beds - one in Northern Virginia and one in Southwestern Virginia. [ + ]

Noisy workplaces can be costly, both economically and physically, so all care should be taken to try and reduce the noise before it affects workers’ health, says WorkCover NSW. [ + ]

Shock resistance is the great benefit of safety glass. However, the cut of the glass pane can make this difficult: with conventional processes, only straight cuts are possible. Yet a newly developed method makes it possible to apply any cutting technique. Researchers displayed an undulating-cut pane of safety glass at the Glasstec trade fair in Düsseldorf. [ + ]