International Workers' Memorial Day

April 28 was Workers’ Memorial Day, an international day of remembrance for workers who have lost their lives in workplace accidents.

On average, 300 Australians die at work each year. So far in 2013, 46 people have died on the job, according to Safe Work Australia.

A national memorial has been unveiled in Canberra, with eight stone poles representing the states and territories, and concrete ripples to symbolise the ripple effect a workplace death has on family, friends and colleagues.

"The National Workers Memorial is a place of reflection and acts as a reminder of the importance of staying safe at work," Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten said.

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Source: The Canberra Times

Crane overturns in workplace accident

In a recent workplace accident, a poorly maintained crane overturned during a lifting operation, causing serious damage to a car.

The incident

The incident occurred when the crane was being used to lift a yacht and the controls locked up during the de-rigging phase. Though the driver successfully freed the controls, the 35-tonne crane overbalanced and fell because the jib was still extended.

An investigation discovered that the crane was overdue for its annual examination and testing, and the controls were prone to locking up. The company also failed to provide a suitable lifting plan, which is an essential safety requirement.

The company pled guilty and was ordered to pay a total of £8,000 in fines and costs.

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Source: Isle of Wight Radio

Young workers have a much higher workplace injury rate than over 25s

A recent report has revealed that around 20% of workplace accidents are incurred by workers aged 25 and under. The report was compiled by Safe Work Australia and is titled Work-related injuries experienced by young workers 2009-2010.

Key findings on work health and safety

• The injury rate of young workers was 18% higher than for workers aged 26 and over. The rate of work-related injuries per 1000 workers is around 66.1 for young people, compared to 56.2 for workers aged 26 and over.
• The difference in work-related injury rates is highest in the manufacturing, accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance and construction industries
• Nearly 2/3 injured young workers did not apply for workers’ compensation after their work-related injury
• 2/3 traumatic injury fatalities to young workers involved a vehicle

Work health and safety regulators are finding practical ways to raise young people’s awareness of workplace hazards, and are working to improve work health and safety for young people and support employers to reduce these statistics.

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Source: Safe Work Australia media releases
The report can be accesed at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Manufacturing company cited for workplace safety hazards

A manufacturer of roof insulation panels is facing $123,000 in fines, following an Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection at the firm’s production plant.

The company was cited for various hazards, which included deficiencies in the plant's emergency response, confined space and hazardous energy control programs, lack of personal protective equipment, and fall and respirator hazards.

The plant’s process safety management program also had deficiencies, such as missing process safety information and failing to develop and implement safe work practices.

Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York said:
"One method of enhancing workers' safety is for an employer to develop and maintain an effective illness and injury prevention program in which management and employees work together to identify and prevent hazardous conditions."

Source: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration

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Worker receives compensation for mental health problems following workplace death of colleague

A cold storage company was ordered to pay over $325,000 in compensation to a worker who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and depression after the death of a colleague.

The fatal accident occurred when the worker was driving a loaded forklift at a factory and a co-worker walked in front of it, and pallets loaded on the forklift fell on him.

WorkSafe argued in the County Court that the company’s negligence was to blame for the incident. An investigation found that the company did not have an adequate traffic management system at the time.

The company was ordered to pay $326,047 for medical expenses, past losses and another year of future loss, including superannuation.

Source: Hobsons Bay Weekly

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Workplace death at factory after machine falls from forklift

A metal manufacturer has been sentenced after an employee was killed when a machine weighing half-a-tonne fell from a forklift truck.

The 25-year-old was walking alongside the forklift when the machine fell and struck him on the head. The company had been moving machines into a bigger workshop at the factory. During one move, a machine became unstable and fell, resulting in the worker’s death.

The company had only recently taken over the factory and a health and safety audit had not been carried out. The company had not planned the work in advance so that the machine could be moved safely.

The firm, which went into administration in 2011, was found guilty because it failed to ensure the safety of its employees. The company received a nominal fine of £1.

Source: The Health and Safety Executive

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Electrical safety hazards lead to $65,000 fine for construction contracting company

A construction and services contracting company was fined $65,000 and ordered to pay nearly $8000 in costs following an incident in which a street light came too close to high-voltage power lines.

The company was contracted to install two assembled streetlights. A crane was hoisting one of the streetlights into place, and the operator believed the power line was not in service. However the power line was live and the streetlight swung too close, causing a flashover.

The electricity travelled through the streetlight and the crane before entering the earth, causing one of the crane’s tyres to blow out. The incident caused damage to pipework. Fortunately there were no injuries, however there was a high potential for serious injury or death from electrocution or explosion.

The company had failed to perform an adequate pre-job onsite inspection, and they did not test the line before starting work or adhere to safe working distances. The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safe workplace.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said: “Working in the vicinity of power lines is extremely hazardous, and it is vital that every possible measure is taken to ensure the safety of the job, especially in ensuring that everyone on the site is fully briefed on the issues.”

For more information on this workplace safety news, visit: Department of Commerce - WA

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Mining giant convicted over worker's death

A mining giant has been found guilty of failing to protect the safety of a worker who was crushed to death by a scissor lift in a workshop.

The court found that the mining company had failed to provide instruction and supervision, and had failed to implement and enforce a suitable job hazard assessment, which led to the worker’s death in 2008. The company faces penalties of up to $400,000, with sentencing scheduled for March 19.

In early 2009, the company had its fifth fatality in nine months at its iron ore operations in a WA region and was forced to acknowledge change was needed.

“Of course, no fatality is ever acceptable, and senior management took that commitment extremely seriously and made a number of improvements across the business in this regard” The company commented in a statement.

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Source: The West Australian

Electrical apprentice suffers electric shock at building site

An electrical apprentice suffered an electric shock at an apartment site in Canberra last week.

Early investigations suggested the fourth-year apprentice was working alone on a platform ladder and was shocked by a live circuit that she believed had been switched off.

"It's supposed to be turned off and when it is, it should be tagged so that no one else turns it back on" said Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe.

The government's inquiry into health and safety laws on ACT building sites found the ACT had the worst record for construction site safety in Australia with one in every 40 workers expected to sustain a serious injury on the job each year.

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Source: The Canberra Times

Worker suffers severe burns in workplace accident

A garage has been fined after a mechanic was badly burned while trying to cut the top off an empty oil drum.

The 26-year-old was using a propane torch to remove the lid when the remaining oil inside the drum set alight, causing an explosion. He suffered burns to his hands and arms, and was kept in hospital for five days.

The employees at the garage cut the tops off empty oil drums approximately once every three months so that they could be used to store scrap metal. However, the company failed to consider the risk of the propane torch creating and igniting a vapour from the small amount of oil remaining in the drums.

The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,746 in prosecution costs.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-nw-kankkultd.htm?eban=rss-

Employee injured after being flipped around a rotating roller

A fabric firm has been fined after an employee was badly injured when he was flipped around a large rotating roller.

The 39-year-old was trying to straighten a crease on a roll of fabric as it was being wound up when his clothes became caught in the mechanism. He was dragged around the roller three times, suffering cracked ribs and bruising to the side of his body.

There were no guards on the machine to prevent workers from accessing dangerous moving parts, and the emergency stop button nearest to where the employee was working was defective. The company had carried out an assessment which identified the risk of workers' clothes becoming entangled as a hazard, but it failed to act on this.

The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £3,600 in prosecution costs.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-nw-flameproofingsltd.htm

Two companies fined for exposing workers to asbestos

Workers were exposed to dangerous asbestos fibres following a catalogue of errors by an engineering company and a building firm during a demolition and refurbishment project.

The project was badly managed, with untrained staff put in charge of the operation, and was underpinned by inadequate surveys for the presence of asbestos and poor planning throughout.

The engineering firm contracted the construction company to renovate a building. The engineering firm had two asbestos management surveys for the site, which, although later deemed to be inadequate, identified the presence of asbestos material. Despite this, work was allowed to begin in the building.

The building company failed to appoint a competent Construction, Design and Management co-ordinator and principal contractor to plan and manage the construction work. They also failed to provide a proper assessment of the presence of asbestos and its condition in the building before work started.

The building company was fined a total of £16,000 and ordered to pay £3,287 in costs, and the engineering firm was fined £8,000 with costs of £2,000.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-w-wallcolmonoyoaktree.htm

Worker's serious injuries lead to £7,000 fine for labels company

A labels company has been fined for a safety breach after a worker sustained a serious hand injury when it was caught between two contra rotating rollers on a working machine.

The employee severed the first finger of his right hand to the second knuckle and broke his middle finger in the incident.

He was attempting to clean a coating roller on a finishing machine, and had removed the roller several times to make adjustments and clean away dried on primer. He then tried to brush off the dried primer from the roller while it was in situ on the working machine, but his right hand was caught and pulled between two rollers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive established that the machine was missing suitable guarding, and had been for some time. Had a guard been fitted the incident would have been avoided.

The company was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £5,637 in costs after pleading guilty.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-se-00313.htm?eban=rss-

Steel firm in court after worker struck by large steel girder

A firm has admitted safety failings that led to one of its workers being struck on his back by a large steel girder.

The 46-year-old man narrowly escaped being crushed by the girder and was instead knocked to the floor when it hit him from behind. He suffered severe bruising and soft tissue damage to his foot and lower leg.

Before leaving for the weekend, the worker had brought two girders into the workshop and placed them on powered rollers. On Monday, he set the rollers running and climbed through a curtain screen to put clean cling films on the rollers, forgetting the girders were on the same rollers. He was struck in the lower back as the girder moved toward him and knocked over the rollers onto the floor.

The company had never assessed the risks involved in using the machine and had not provided guards for the rollers to prevent access during operation. They were fined a total of £20,000 and ordered to pay £7,356 in costs.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-yh-00613.htm

WorkHealth program reveals excessive drinking and smoking is common in the hospitality industry

According to findings from WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkHealth program, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are widespread in the hospitality industry.

7,300 industry employees in Victoria submitted to a 15-minute WorkHealth check between April 2009 and April 2012. The findings revealed 25% smoke and 42% drink excessively.

Wayne Kayler-Thomson, a WorkHealth ambassador, encourages industry employees to adopt healthier life choices, explaining that these current trends pose a real threat to health, safety and productivity in the industry.

Joanne Forde, human resources manager, Mercure Geelong said that employers have a responsibility to help employees achieve good health. “Supporting the health of staff can benefit not only productivity but also safety – we know that healthy workers are less prone to injury,” she explains.

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Source: http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php/01/tests-reveal-poor-health-of-hospitality-workers/

Electrical and machine guarding hazards lead to OSHA inspection and citation

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a building materials company with 7 serious violations for exposing workers to electrical and machine guarding hazards, with proposed penalties of $41,000.

OSHA conducted a safety inspection in response to a complaint about unsafe working conditions and machine hazards. They discovered workers building prefabricated wood trusses without the required machine guarding.

"The lack of machine guarding can lead to serious injuries, including amputations," said Casey Perkins, OSHA's area director in Austin. "OSHA's standards must be followed to prevent accidents, injuries and illnesses."

The serious violations include failing to provide machine guarding while operating saws, ensure that rotating shafts on machines are covered, ensure that electrical wiring is protected and ensure electrical cords are maintained in safe condition.

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Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23481

Logistics company receives £300,000 fine over workplace death

A West Midlands logistics company has been fined £300,000 after one of its drivers was killed by a runaway lorry.

The 44-year-old was crushed against a stationary vehicle when his own vehicle moved off while he was coupling the tractor unit to the trailer. After striking him the lorry continued to roll down a slope, travelling another 27 metres before crashing into a wall.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive identified issues with the company’s drivers coupling up vehicles without following the company's rules. They were not applying the handbrake to the tractor unit or turning off the engine.

This dangerous practice was known to the company who failed to effectively monitor its employees and ensure they followed the correct, safe working procedure.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-em-0313.htm

Worker's severed fingers lead to $45,000 fine

A building products manufacturer has been fined $45,000 following an incident in which a supervisor severed two of his fingers through a flywheel press.

The supervisor was demonstrating to a process worker on his first day of work how to use the press to make gutter clips. The supervisor raised the machine’s finger guards and reached in with bare hands to dislodge a piece of metal that had become wedged in the die.

The worker depressed the foot pedal while the supervisor’s hand was in the press, trapping the supervisor’s right hand and severing his index and middle fingers.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the case was an example of failing to provide workers with adequate protection from the moving parts of the machinery.

“It is also worth reminding workers that they too have responsibility for their own safety and the safety of those around them, and they should not be looking to take shortcuts by bypassing safety measures.”

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Source: Safety Culture

192 Australian workplace deaths in 2012

As at December 31, 192 Australian workers were killed at work in 2012 according to the latest data gathered by Safe Work Australia. During the same period in 2011, 166 deaths had occurred.

Safe Work Australia records cases of work fatality and injury, updates statistics and prepares several reports. The data is an initial estimate for the number of people killed and is based on initial media reports.

Worker deaths by industry of workplace as of December 2012:
Transport, postal & warehousing 66
Agriculture, forestry & fishing 45
Construction 21
Manufacturing 14
Administrative & support services 7
Public administration & safety 6
Arts & recreation services 5
Mining 5
Electricity, gas, water & waste services 4
Wholesale trade 2
Retail trade 2
Education & training 3
Other services 2
Financial & insurance services 1
Health care & social assistance 2
Professional, scientific & technical services 1
Accommodation & food services 1
Government administration & defence 1
Industry unknown 4
Total worker deaths 192

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Source: Safety Culture.

Worker injured after crane collapse

A drilling company has been fined $170,000 after pleading guilty to an incident in which a falling gantry crane injured one man and narrowly missed several others working on a desalination pipeline project.

The company pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to ensure the safety of workers, and was also ordered to pay $2787.52 in costs.

The incident occurred when the company was dismantling a specially designed gantry crane from a pipeline site. A director instructed workers to remove the pins on the portal legs of the crane before the gantry crane’s weight was supported by the mobile crane.

As the pins were being removed, the gantry crane collapsed. A worker on the crane rode it down and was thrown heavily to the ground.

The injured worker suffered shoulder, back, leg and other injuries. He has lost range of movement in one arm and continues to suffer pain as a result of the incident.

WorkSafe’s General Manager of Health and Safety Operations, Lisa Sturzenegger, said “This prosecution serves as a timely reminder that safety must always be a top priority on any work site. As we are getting into a busy time of year for many employers and employees, we want everyone to take extra care at work.”

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Source: http://www.worksafenews.com.au/news/item/280-company-fined-$170,000-over-crane-collapse.html