A woman in her 50s and a teenage girl are recovering in hospital after falling from their horses north of Sydney.Emergency services were called to the incident at Calga shortly before 9.45 am on Saturday morning.The woman was airlifted to the Royal North Shore Hospital with a head injury, while the teenager was transported by road to the same hospital.…
WorkSafe Victoria has issued a safety alert to remind farmers about the dangers of riding on trailers.The safety regulator issued the alert following an incident in which a worker died after falling from a trailer in February. “In 2022, we have already had a death and one very serious incident involving people riding on trailers behind farm vehicles, s…
Safe Work Australia has released a new guide to assist duty holders in managing the risks associated with industrial rope access systems. According to Safe Work Australia, the guide provides information about anchor inspection and testing, selection and installation of anchors, rope protection, and exclusion zones.“PCBUs must understand their work heal…
WorkSafe New Zealand is warning contractors against using high-pressure water blasting to clean asbestos-containing roofing material.New Zealand's workplace health and safety regulator says painting contractors are using high-pressure water blasting to clean asbestos-containing roofing material in preparation for painting.Many buildings in New Zealand…
Safe Work Australia has published amendments to the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws.A number of recommendations from the 2018 review of the laws have been implemented in the current version of the model WHS laws.Safe Work Australia said the amendments don’t automatically apply in a jurisdiction.“For the model WHS Act and model WHS Regulations t…
A Canberra construction company has been fined $450,000 after a carpenter fell to his death at a Denman Prospect worksite in 2020.The company was fined by the Industrial Court Magistrate after pleading guilty to a charge laid against it over the fatal incident earlier this year.ACT Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius, said duty holders…
A Perth engineering company faces charges following the death of a worker in May 2019.The worker died after being crushed by the boom of a welding manipulator.WorkSafe WA has charged the company with failing to provide a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing the death of an employee.The case will be mentioned in the Midland Magistrates Co…
SafeWork SA has partnered with relevant stakeholders in the construction industry to publish new guidance on managing the risks of silica dust.The guidance material contains information on how to control exposure risks, Safe Work Method Statements and the duties of principal contractors on construction projects. Information on what causes exposure, hea…
The NSW Resources Regulator is conducting a casual investigation into a misfire incident at a gold mine last month.The Resources Regulator said the incident occurred due to an “unexpected initiation of electronic explosive detonators.”The incident happened on 18 May 2022, when two locations were loaded for firing with electronic detonators. The detonat…
WorkSafe Victoria has issued a safety alert about the dangers of overhead powerlines on farms following reports of large machinery making contact with powerlines across Victoria and South Australia.The safety regulator says incidents of farm machinery contacting powerlines have increased over the last two years.“If contact is made with an overhead powe…
Safe Work Australia has developed a new online tool to help workers in the agriculture industry meet their obligations under the model WHS laws.Safe Work Australia encourages workers to use the tool to find out how to meet their WHS duties.Safe Work Australia said, “The tool also outlines common WHS hazards, including working in confined spaces, workin…
SafeWork SA has recently suspended a class B asbestos removal licence holder for failing to ensure work authorised by the licence was performed safely.The safety agency said the business “failed to remove all asbestos from a workplace and did not decontaminate the area where asbestos had been removed.” SafeWork added that the contractor did not receive…