Friday 26th February 2021

Safety News Roundup: Friday 26th February 2021

This week's safety industry update covers a major asbestos regulation change in Queensland, a $40,000 penalty for health and safety breaches at a major infrastructure project, and a fatal workplace incident in Melbourne. Read on for full details on each case.

New Asbestos Regulations to Take Effect in Coming Months

WorkSafe Queensland has announced that, as of May 1, 2021, low-density asbestos fibreboard (LDB), also known as asbestos insulating board, will be classified as a friable material in all circumstances.

With this change, LDB can only legally be removed by a class A asbestos removal licence holder. Class B asbestos removal licence holders will need to apply to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland for a class A licence if they want to remove LDB after the effective date.

Businesses and tradespeople who carry out maintenance and service work involving LDB installed in buildings, plant, or equipment prior to December 31 2003, will also be affected by this update.

Further information on these changes can be found on the WorkSafe QLD website.

Contractor Fined $40,000 for Failing to Comply with Health and Safety Duty

Toowoomba Magistrates Court fined a contractor who worked on the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC) $40,000 for failing to comply with its health and safety duty, exposing workers and others to risk of severe injury or death.

Inspectors from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland attended the TSRC site on April 23, 2018, where they were able to climb stretcher stairs to decks of formwork. It was apparent to inspectors that no controls existed to prevent persons from entering scaffold stairs and accessing formwork.

Further investigations revealed incomplete scaffolding that exposed workers and others to risk of falls from height, along with danger of being struck by falling objects.

Although safety systems such as Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), prestart meetings, checklists, and risk assessments were in place, work had not been completed in line with the SWMS.

Magistrate Howard Osborne imposed one penalty for two charges under sections 32 and 19(1)/19(2) of the Work Health Safety Act 2011, fining the defendant $40,000, with no conviction recorded.

Original case details are available on the WorkSafe QLD website.

Metal Fabricator Fatally Crushed in Melbourne

WorkSafe Victoria is investigating a tragic incident that occurred at a metal fabrication business in Epping, Victoria.

On February 19, a 46-year-old man was crushed to death while operating machinery at the business in Melbourne's North. Investigators believe he became trapped between the machine and a workbench while using a turret punch to perforate sheet metal.

View the WorkSafe Victoria website for full media release details on this incident.

Stay Informed on Workplace Safety Updates

Keeping track of regulatory changes and enforcement outcomes helps safety professionals in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare maintain compliant, safer worksites. Businesses handling LDB or overseeing high-risk infrastructure projects should review their compliance documentation ahead of the May 1 date to avoid penalties similar to those imposed this week.

For more safety news from this week, catch up on our previous roundups: Friday 19th February 2021 and Friday 12th February 2021. Readers can also look ahead to next month's update in Friday 26th March 2021.

Share this update via email with colleagues who need to stay current on these regulatory changes. Subscribe today to receive our safety news roundup direct to your email inbox every week, and never miss an update again today.