Friday 26th February 2021

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 new 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 asbestos removal licence if they want to be able to remove LDB after May 1 2021.

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

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

Contractor fined $40,000 for failing to comply with their 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 a 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 the stretcher stairs to the decks of formwork. It was apparent to inspectors that there were no controls to prevent persons from entering the scaffold stairs and accessing the formwork.

Further investigations revealed incomplete scaffolding that exposed workers and others to the risk of falls from height and the risk of being hit by falling objects.

Although safety systems such as Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), prestart meetings, checklists and risk assessments were in place, the 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 article can be found 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.

It is believed he was trapped between the machine and workbench while using a turret punch to perforate sheet metal.

View the WorkSafe Victoria website for full media release