Tuesday 2nd February 2021

New resources available for WHS duties. 

Safe Work Australia has developed new national work health and safety resources. To help prevent workplace sexual harassment, violence, aggression and domestic violence.

The new guide: Preventing workplace sexual harassment is the first comprehensive WHS guidance in Australia to focus on preventing sexual harassment.

WHS duties enforce employers to act on sexual harassment prevention the same as they would with any other risks to health and safety. The information provides guidance to anyone who has a WHS duty to protect workers health and safety.

More information on safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Company fined $15,000 after worker fractures pelvis. 

On 30 January 2019, a supervisor at Central Victorian Welding & Fabrication tasked a 21-year-old apprentice boilermaker and another crane operator with moving steel beams from one location to another.

The apprentice boilermaker suffered a fractured pelvis and muscle damage from being struck and then trapped under the steel beam, which had slipped from the mobile crane.

The crane was used to free the worker, and he was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment. The company did not have any safe operating procedures for lifting and moving loads using plant at the workplace.

Central Victorian Welding & Fabrication has since developed in-depth risk assessments and systems for lifting, suspending and moving loads using plant at the workplace. The company pleaded guilty and was fined $15,000 and ordered to pay costs of $1,654,83; They received no conviction.

More information can be found on worksafe.vic.gov.au

Workers exposed to asbestos results in a company being fined. 

Demolition workers were exposed to asbestos after a principal contractor failed to review an asbestos register.

Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen that causes mesothelioma and lung diseases. SafeWork SA reminds businesses to take caution regarding asbestos.

The principal contractor was fined $3,600 for failing to review the asbestos documentation before commencing work on the site.

More information at safework.sa.gov.au