New era for Work Health and Safety legislation in Australia
29 October, 2010 byThe Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council has approved model provisions that will be adopted throughout Australia from 1 January 2012 as the Work Health and Safety Act. There have been a number of significant changes to the model Act since the draft was first released for public comment.
Bakery injury easily preventable
24 September, 2010The SA Industrial Court has heard that a simple interlock device could have prevented an incident which cost an experienced baker her livelihood.
Brickworks fined over conveyor injury
24 September, 2010A brickworks and its operators have been jointly fined more than $50,000 by the SA Industrial Court for a series of breaches of workplace safety laws, found to have arisen from an incident in which an employee was trapped by a conveyor belt.
Crushed arm results in $26k fine
22 September, 2010A metal fabricating company has been convicted and fined by an industrial magistrate following an incident in which an 18-year-old worker had his arm trapped by machinery.
The model Act - moving OHS forward
02 September, 2010 by Barry Sherriff*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.
Danger! Peligro! Publicity order in five languages
20 August, 2010 by Michael Tooma*A recent Australian court decision has further highlighted the additional risks which migrant workforces face in relation to workplace safety.
Ford Geelong workers urged to join asbestos register
12 August, 2010Former Ford employees in Geelong are being encouraged to lodge their details on the Slater & Gordon asbestos register.
Industrial Court of Queensland finds against High Court’s Kirk decision
01 July, 2010 by Aaron Anderson*The Industrial Court of Queensland has found against the principles set down by the High Court in the Kirk decision, on the basis that the relevant legislation in Queensland and New South Wales can not be considered analogous.
Senate supports Greens call for new OHS laws to set high standards
29 March, 2010A motion by the Australian Greens calling on the government to ensure there is no reduction in OHS standards, in implementing their new laws, has been backed by the Senate recently.
Kirk’s new Enterprise - The High Court reigns in OHS regulators
05 March, 2010 by Andrew Douglas*The implications of the recent High Court ruling in the Kirk case have far-reaching effects on the powers of OHS regulators.
High Court decision means fundamental changes to OHS prosecutions in NSW
17 February, 2010 by Stephen Nettleton*A recent High Court decision is likely to fundamentally change the investigation and prosecution of alleged safety breaches in NSW.
Views expressed on the new OHS laws voiced at The Safety Show
02 November, 2009A number of safety experts recently spoke at the Safety Show in Sydney to answer the wide range of questions that employers and workers had about the forthcoming national OHS laws.
High Court win for WorkSafe
16 October, 2009WorkSafe Victoria has won a landmark court case in the High Court, confirming its right to prosecute companies for alleged OHS offences committed before they joined Comcare.
No harmony likely under new OHS laws
02 October, 2009Unions and employers will clash over Australia’s new OHS laws at The Safety Conference in Sydney on 27 October, but increasingly the regulator - rather than the law itself - is in the hot seat.
Court-enforceable undertaking for Asciano
30 September, 2009A South Australian company has undertaken a court-enforceable commitment to improve its workplace safety environment.
