Feb 15th 2021 |
Monday 15th February 2021
Weekly Safety News Round-Up: Monday 15th February 2021
Welcome to our safety news wrap for Monday 15th February 2021. Today we cover a Ballarat hospital penalty, a serious workplace incident in the Southern Highlands, and a new manufacturing safety initiative from SafeWork NSW.
Ballarat hospital fined $20,000 after staff assault
Ballarat Health Services pleaded guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court for failing to provide information to employees to allow them to perform work safely and without risk to their health.
On 2 August 2018, a female nurse at Ballarat Base Hospital was exposed to inappropriate, sexualised behaviour while attending to a patient with an impaired mental condition.
An inspection later found that the health service had failed to update the patient's Behavioural Observation, which exposed workers to potential future incidents of inappropriate, sexualised behaviour from the patient.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Julie Nielsen stated that putting up with occupational violence and aggression should never be just another part of the job.
"When someone's clinical condition means their cognitive functions are affected, employers must take every reasonable step to reduce their workers' risks," Nielsen said.
More information can be found on the WorkSafe Vic website.
Man airlifted after workplace incident at Southern Highlands work site
A 40-year-old man was airlifted to hospital after falling into a deep hole at a Southern Highlands work site last Tuesday, 9 February 2021.
He fell seven metres into a hole dug for concrete foundations, suffering spinal and internal injuries. NSW Ambulance paramedics stabilised the injuries before he was airlifted to Liverpool Hospital.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Kevin Milne said work colleagues should be commended for extricating him out of the hole before paramedic crews arrived, noting the patient was lucky not to have sustained more severe injuries.
SafeWork is currently investigating this incident. Staff at Liverpool Hospital have confirmed the man is now in stable condition.
Full details are available on the news.com.au website.
Manufacturing sector leaders to promote safety
Industry leaders from the manufacturing sector have been engaged by SafeWork NSW to use experience and new workplace tools to establish a culture where safety starts at the top.
SafeWork NSW Director of WHS Metro, Sarina Wise, said with more than seven per cent of the workforce employed in manufacturing, the workplace regulator was focusing efforts on improving industry safety.
This program aims to change perceptions gathered relating to major risks of injuries, including forklift safety plus the importance of machine guards and proper uses involved.
Objectives include educating manufacturing workers while focusing on consultation and optimisation across manufacturing sites, designing safer workplaces, and promoting value in safer manufacturing environments. Businesses reviewing their own procedures may find it useful to consult a safe work method statement as part of broader compliance planning.
In 2021, SafeWork inspectors across Sydney and New South Wales will undertake compliance activities, including inspections of manufacturing businesses.
Further details can be found on the Manufacturers Monthly website.
Catch up on more safety news
Stay informed with our weekly round-up, published fresh every Monday, keeping safety professionals across construction, manufacturing, and healthcare up to date on incidents, prosecutions, and regulatory action from the 15th February 2021 news cycle and beyond.
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