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

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

Engineering company fined after an employee's foot was crushed by a machine

An engineering company was ordered to pay over £11,000 after an employee’s foot was crushed by a poorly-guarded machine.

The incident

The employee was operating a machine when his foot was crushed and trapped by the machine’s ram. He had to be freed by colleagues who were able to support him and release his foot. He had to have his right foot amputated, following the incident, and he also sustained fractures to his remaining toes and cut his head.

The Health and Safety Executive investigation

A Health and Safety Executive investigation revealed that if the machine had been better guarded, the incident would not have happened.

HSE inspector Alec Ryan said:
"This incident was wholly preventable and could have been avoided had the company carried out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and taken the necessary measures to make the machine safe.

"The machine in question was very powerful and it is wrong that a worker was put at unnecessary risk because safety devices weren't working.

"Incidents of this kind are all too common and it is vital employers prevent access or exposure to dangerous moving parts at all times."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-se-05713.htm

Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention - New release training programme

The most up-to-date training resource on Hazardous Noise in the Workplace has just been released… “Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention”.

Noise in the workplace accounts for the vast majority of noise induced hearing loss in the community.

Hearing loss usually occurs gradually, over years, and it’s mostly painless, so by the time the damage is done, it is too late. While there is no cure for hearing loss, it can be prevented by proactively managing exposure to hazardous noise levels.


Topics covered:
- Understanding How Sound Works
- Hearing Loss and Health Effects
- Hazardous Noise
- Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
- Reducing Noise
- Personal Hearing Protection
- Proper Use of PPE
- Audiometric Testing

The Australian Version

Based on the harmonised Work Health and Safety Regulations and Codes of Practice, this training resource is suitable for personnel at all levels and reinforces the fundamental concepts that underpin all successful noise management programmes.

The UK Version

Based on The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2006, this training resource is suitable for personnel at all levels and reinforces the fundamental concepts that underpin all successful noise management programmes.

Click here for more information or to preview 'Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention'.
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Worker suffers serious injuries after being dragged into an unguarded machine

A manufacturer was ordered to pay over £40,000 for safety failings, after a worker was dragged into an unguarded machine.

The workplace accident

The worker had been working a nightshift at the company’s factory, when a conveyor belt became jammed. Maintenance workers removed the machine’s guards, as they were unable to fix the fault and this allowed the machine to continue operating. While trying to stop the belt rubbing, the injured worker was pulled into the machine and had to be cut free, suffering a broken arm.

As Health and Safety Executive Inspector Emily Osborne pointed out, the employee’s injuries could have been far worse and the company should not have allowed workers to be put at risk like this.

Manufacturing safety

While only 10% of British employees work in the manufacturing sector, the industry accounts for 25% of all workplace deaths. On average, 31 manufacturing workers die in workplace accidents each year, 4500 workers report major injuries and around 19,500 report less serious injuries.

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

Workplace bullying policy could become part of the federal workplace system

Workplace bullying policy could become part of the federal workplace system for the first time, if Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten's plan is successful.

Under the plan, bullied workers are allowed to take cases directly to the Fair Work Commission and have them listed within 2 weeks. Fines for bullies could be up to $33,000. Bill Shorten said the move could provide workers and their employers with a more timely and affordable method of resolving workplace bullying matters.

Key changes under the proposal include:

- A national definition of bullying and a national training system would be established.
- An investigation by police or state health and safety regulators would no longer be required before a worker could tackle a conflict.
- Safeguards would be implemented to prevent vexatious claims.

The legal position of an employer

Employers are responsible for helping to prevent bullying and harassing behaviour in the workplace. It is in their interests to make it clear to everyone that such behaviour will not be tolerated. The costs to the business may include poor employee relations, low morale, inefficiency and potentially the loss of staff. Training all staff about the standards of behaviour expected can make it easier for all individuals to be fully aware of their responsibilities to others.

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Source: The Herald Sun

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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New study on social media in the workplace

A new international study suggests that colleagues posting embarrassing photos of one another on social media sites is contributing to a widespread breakdown of workplace privacy.

Co-workers using social media sites to make unwanted romantic advances is also said to be blurring the distinction between work and home life.

The findings are based on surveys with 4000 social media users in 10 countries, and were published by internet security firm AVG Technologies.

"This study highlights the need for a combination of greater education around social media, alongside increased attention and care by both employees and employers to their social media etiquette at work," the company said.

Key findings among Australian respondents include:
• 6/10 said social media sites have eroded their expectation of privacy at work
• 1/10 said they have had embarrassing photos or videos taken at a work event and uploaded on to social media sites
• 9/10 believed sending unpleasant or defamatory remarks to or about a colleague using digital communications constituted cyber-bullying
• Employees raised concerns about managers discovering embarrassing or incriminating information on social media sites

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Source: The Australian and Smart Company

Studies show up to half of all heavy-truck drivers suffer from sleep apnoea

An inquest has heard that up to half of all heavy-truck drivers suffer from sleep apnoea, a condition blamed for causing a Victorian truckie to fall asleep at the wheel before a fatal head-on collision.

The 52-year-old truck driver was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnoea after the collision. He pleaded guilty to negligent driving causing death and was given a suspended 10-month jail sentence.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital sleep specialist Anup Desai said that the disorder was prevalent but under-reported, and even though GPs detected symptoms, they didn't necessarily refer truck drivers for further assessment and diagnosis by a sleep specialist.

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Source: The Australian

Worker killed after being crushed by one-tonne steel beam

A 32-year-old man has died after being crushed by a one-tonne steel beam at a tip.

The man was pile driving at the site of the tip's new waste transfer station. He left an excavator to direct a steel beam into a hole.

"The beam has started to swing uncontrollably in the air, it's hit him on the head as it has swung around. It has then actually come away from the excavator and rolled onto his chest” Inspector Glen Woolley said.

Other workers tried to administer first aid but the man died a short time later in hospital. Unions Tasmania says the death can only be described as an absolute tragedy.

"We've been to meet representatives of the minister and Workplace Standards Tasmania on numerous occasions, voicing concerns about health and safety in the construction industry” Spokesman Kevin Harkins said.

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Source: ABC News

OSHA inspection leads to fine for company that exposed workers to ammonia

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a company that produces pasta with 12 safety violations following a complaint inspection alleging workers were exposed to ammonia. Proposed fines total $54,000.

Eight serious violations were cited for deficiencies in the company's ammonia refrigeration process. These included a lack of written standard operating procedures for the ammonia refrigeration process, no emergency action plan and failing to perform inspections and tests on process equipment.

Three additional serious violations involve failing to develop, implement and train employees in hazard communication, provide an emergency eyewash station and provide material data safety sheets for hazardous chemicals present in the workplace.

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Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23556

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

Forklift failures lead to fine for company that supplies stones

A company has been fined for failing to keep a forklift truck in good working order, which posed a danger to workers.

The company supplies stone in flexible large bags that hold around a tonne. HSE found that a forklift truck had not been maintained and that two sets of bearings holding the forks in line had collapsed.

As the forks were lowered, they could jam on the mast and then fall when dislodged, putting employees working nearby at risk of serious injury.

HSE found the forklift had been repaired on many occasions in the previous year but all the work had been reactive. The company's maintenance regime was to repair in response to breakdowns.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-yh-00513.htm

Study reveals 20% of Australians have fatigue and exhaustion from lack of sleep

Around 20% of Australians have fatigue and exhaustion due to lack of sleep, according to a national survey.

The Sleep Health Foundation's study of adult sleeping habits showed that one in five of respondents said poor sleep affected their mood and ability to perform daily activities.

The Foundation's chairman Professor David Hillman says sleepiness can significantly increase the risk of an accident on the road or in the workplace.

"A lot of the population work under the misapprehension that they can get by with less sleep than they actually need," he said.

"The average adult needs seven-and-a-half to eight hours sleep a night and if they don't get it, they feel it."

"Sleep's in this rather grim competition with the other things we want to do - social life, family life and work life - and for a lot of people it comes off a rather poor fourth in that competition."

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Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-31/tired-australians-risk-accidents-mood-disorders/4447922

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

2 construction companies cited after 1 worker died, another injured

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited 2 construction companies with a total of 10 safety citations after a truck driver was killed and another worker was seriously injured.

The incident occurred when a crane collapsed at a bridge construction site. A truck driver died when he was struck by the boom of a crane that overturned while bridge girders were being erected with a multiple crane lift.

An employee who was operating the crane was seriously injured when he was thrown from the cab as the crane fell. Proposed penalties for the employing company total $105,000.

The other company was contracted to provide manpower for erecting the girders and faces penalties of $13,220.

"Employers have a responsibility to take all necessary steps to eliminate hazards from the workplace and to ensure that workers are given the proper training to conduct required tasks, such as operating cranes and performing multiple crane lifts," said Nick Walters, OSHA's regional administrator in Chicago.

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Source: OSHA

Power supply company ordered to pay £420,000 following worker's death

A large power supply company has been ordered to pay £420,000 in fines and costs after an employee died while working at one of its Essex sites.

The 59-year-old electrical engineer was killed at an electrical substation when a device he was working on for manually adjusting voltage ratios exploded. The explosion caused a fire at the substation. The man died at the scene despite the arrival of Essex Fire and Rescue within minutes of the alarm being raised.

The Health and Safety Executive found that the company had failed to properly assess work with tap changers and to devise procedures for the work. It had also failed to adequately train employees for carrying out this task.

The company was fined £275,000 with £145,000 in prosecution costs after pleading guilty.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-e-00213.htm

Defence company ordered to pay £376,000 for safety failings that caused a fatal explosion

A defence company has been ordered to pay £376,000 for safety failings that caused a fatal explosion at its factory.

A 37-year-old worker was killed from injuries sustained in the blast. He was emptying industrial ovens that contained high levels of nitroglycerin (NG) that exploded, destroying the factory building.

The company had realized in 2004 that their process for curing pellets as part of the production of military flares produced the explosive chemical as a by-product. None of the company's management team were competent to deal with the issue, and they did not seek external assistance.

Their failure to properly assess and manage the risks put workers and the public in danger. A second explosion occurred in 2008 when the company attempted to dismantle the remaining NG contaminated oven.

HSE inspector Qamar Khan said: "Both explosions were foreseeable and preventable had the company sought and taken appropriate advice and implemented the correct measures."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-se-20412.htm?eban=rss-

$50,000 fine for construction company following worker's fall

A construction company has been fined $50,000 in the Industrial Court after a labourer was seriously injured when he fell through a floor opening. The 54-year-old worker was moving building materials at a 22-unit residential development when he fell through an exhaust hole.

In falling 4m onto concrete he suffered severe head injuries, tissue damage and bruising, and needed emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by a haemorrhage.

An investigation by WorkCover NSW found a lack of safety procedures led to the fall, including a failure to cover or barricade the exhaust hole.

A carpentry company and its director have also been fined a total of $125,000 over the incident, and WorkCover is pursuing prosecutions against other companies and individuals, with six matters still before the court.

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Source: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/50000-fine-for-fall-injuries-20121113-29afv.html#ixzz2CEoRN6xu