Forklift Accidents and Asbestos Dangers

$90,000 fine after worker hit by forklift. 

An abattoir has pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court for failing to ensure all persons on site were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

A labour hire worker’s legs were crushed when a reversing forklift crushed him between the forklift and steel barrier as he was stacking cardboard sheets against a wall.

The worker was taken to hospital and suffered nerve damage to his lower legs after the incident on 20 March 2019.

Although the company had a traffic management plan in place, WorkSafe Victoria’s investigation found that pedestrian workers regularly worked within the forklift operating area.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Julie Nielsen said, "This incident should serve as a wake-up call to this company and to others that it is simply unacceptable for pedestrians and mobile plant to mix."

Original article published on WorkSafe Vic website.

Mesothelioma treatment more affordable than ever. 

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the tissue that lines the lungs, chest and abdomen. Asbestos exposure is a known cause of pleural mesothelioma.

A course of immunotherapy drugs called Opdivo and Yervoy are now listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for mesothelioma patients.

Mesothelioma patients would previously pay up to $130,000 per course of treatment; it will now cost as little as $41.

Although there remains no cure for mesothelioma, having access to this medication will help extend the life expectancy of people with the disease.

According to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, this was one of the fastest listings on the PBS ever.

"It's 50 days since the TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approved the medicine, and what that means is bringing this life-changing medicine, life-extending medicines to patients with one of the most aggressive forms of cancer at the earliest possible time," Mr Hunt said.

More about this story can be found on the ABC website.