The model Work Health and Safety Act 2010 will not only achieve harmonisation of OHS laws around Australia, it will remove gaps in coverage and drive greater engagement in OHS at all levels within business. The involvement of company officers will be driven by a new positive due diligence obligation.

Workers who have to carry out tasks at height are exposed to some of the most significant risks for any industry. It should come as no surprise that standards bodies and safety authorities highly regulate the work methods of such workers and the safety equipment they use. But it may surprise many to learn that our comprehensive standards don’t cover the structural point that is designated to support the forces that are generated when arresting a fall - the anchor points.

Treating workers for injuries that cost little or nothing to prevent has cost the Victorian community $956 million in the last year.

Safe Work Australia recently launched a publication on overcoming barriers to effective noise control and hearing loss prevention in the workplace.

A number of changes to the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 and the Dangerous Goods Safety Management Regulation 2001 commenced recently.

A recent Australian court decision has further highlighted the additional risks which migrant workforces face in relation to workplace safety.

A major revamp of the fans and their associated safety and maintenance equipment at the Railcorp Explorer and Endeavour Service Centre in Sydney has been carried out by the Turnkey Fitout Division of Fanquip. The Service Centre, which is located in the North Eveleigh Precinct at Australian Technology Park, had old and outdated fan equipment that required considerable maintenance, frequently exposing workers to the hazards of working at height.

Safe Work Australia has recently issued two research reports that outline methods to reduce the risk of exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace.

A new safety campaign by the Optometrists Association is aiming to minimise the incidence of eye injuries in the workplace.

New accident compensation legislation came into effect in Victoria as of 1 July 2010.

A Safe Work Australia survey has found that a high percentage of workers in Australia are exposed to airborne hazards.

According to a recent report, if all truck drivers used safety belts, the number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents in Europe would decrease by 40%.

The Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner recently released its ‘Biannual Report July to December 2009’, an analysis on OHS data collected from reports from accredited construction companies for the second half of the 2009 calendar year.

I find it interesting that many executives that I’ve met over the years say “I want a strong safety culture in my organisation”, but when I enquire about their goal, most can’t explain what safety culture is, and even fewer know how to achieve it.

Western Australia’s largest workplace safety trade show, the WA Safety Show, returns to Perth from 24 to 26 August 2010.