WorkCover and Safety news around Australia update

Some of us, injured authors,  have been sleepless from the pain and have trolled the net at ungodly hours and summarised all recent WorkCover and safety news from around Australia, for your convenience…

WorkCover and Safety news around Australia update

WorkCover NSW is holding three free harmonisation webinars on consultation, managing risks and hazardous work over the next few weeks.

WorkSafe ACT has published an information sheet on the role of health and safety representatives under harmonised OHS laws. It includes a list of WorkSafe-approved HSR training courses and information for training providers.

WorkSafe Vic: Vic employer fined for withholding documents after safety concerns raised

A Victorian importer and supplier of agricultural equipment has been fined for failing to provide sales receipts and other requested documents to a WorkSafe inspector.
The WorkSafe Vic inspector visited Agricat Australia Pty Ltd’s premises in April 2004 and found that three models of tractors it supplied “displayed potential non-compliance with the OHS Act”.
Agricat’s director was then instructed – under s100 of the State Act – to produce the sales receipts, invoices and delivery dockets for all relevant tractors supplied over the previous six months, as well as data sheets and static and dynamic testing reports.
When the WorkSafe inspector returned to the site two weeks later, the director provided a 13-page report on the tractors, but refused to produce the receipts, invoices and dockets.
The employer pleaded guilty to breaching the Act, and was fined $3500 without conviction in the Magistrates Court.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has created an interactive virtual factory to help employers in the metal manufacturing industry reduce injuries by improving workplace layout and design.

The Queensland Mines Inspectorate has published its December 2011 serious accidents and high potential incidents report. It shows there were 47 incidents in the mining and quarrying sector where vehicles lost control, and that a worker was nearly struck by a 100kg lump of falling coal.

The Queensland Electrical Safety Office has warned that generators – commonly used in flood-affected areas – can cause fires, carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution if manufacturers’ instructions are not followed.

Comcare has updated its pharmacy policy to clarify injured workers’ entitlements under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and to ensure that medicines that can be misused – such as benzodiazepines and opiates – are safely prescribed.

The Commonwealth regulator has also issued a safety alert on the risks associated with rigid hull inflatable boats. Former Liberal Senator Nick Minchin’s son was apparently seriously injured while riding in one of these vessels in 2010. Amazing that something gets done about safety when a high ranking dude gets hurt!

The NSW Independent Transport Safety Regulator has released its 28th quarterly report on the implementation of recommendations made by the inquiry into the 2003 Waterfall train crash, which killed seven people. As with the previous report, two of the 177 recommendations remain open, it says.

And WorkSafe WA has published a bulletin on the dangers of unguarded wool presses.

FEDERAL MPs have today voted to abolish the Life Gold Pass retirement perk for all future politicians in return for a $44,000 pay rise for backbenchers.

The package also scraps the first-class round-the-world overseas study junket for serving MPs and will for the first time provide workers’ compensation cover for MPs.

Politicians are likely to receive their pay rise in the next two months. Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s pay will increase by $114,634 to $481,000 and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott gets an extra $81,566 to $342,250.

For the first time, Mr Abbott’s shadow ministers will get an extra 20 or 25 per cent, giving them a pay rise of up to $90,000.

Read article in the Herald Sun