Finalists for the 24th annual WorkSafe Victoria Awards have been announced following a record number of entries in 2012.
The awards attracted 286 entries from across Victoria, with 35 finalists from a range of industries and workplaces chosen across nine categories, representing safety, health and wellbeing and return to work.
WorkSafe Acting Chief Executive Ian Forsyth said that the strong interest in the awards demonstrated the value Victorian employers and workers place on making workplaces safe and supporting people who are injured at work. “Through their efforts, [the finalists] are not only improving the health and safety of their colleagues, but helping make Victoria a safer state in which to work."
"Victoria has Australia’s safest workplaces, recording a record low injury rate for 2011/12, and its employers pay the lowest premiums for workplace injury insurance; however this will only continue if high safety standards are maintained.”
Winners will be announced at an awards presentation on 1 November, during Work Safe Week.
For more information about the WorkSafe Awards, to view the finalists’ and their entries or to register to attend the free awards presentation, visit www.worksafeawards.com.au
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Source: http://www.worksafenews.com.au/component/k2/item/258-worksafe-awards-finalists-announced.html
Monday, October 1, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Fines of $162,400 proposed for New Jersey company cited with 18 health and safety violations
A New Jersey company is facing fines of up to $162,400 after it was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with 18 alleged safety and health violations at the company's warehouse.
Citations have been issued for two willful violations that involve permitting employees to ride on the forks of forklifts and a failure to provide fall protection on platforms. Other violations include locked or sealed emergency exit doors, improperly labelled doors, the improper storage of liquid propane tanks, unsafe material storage, exposing employees to live electrical parts, failing to implement a hazard communication program and failing to provide training or material safety data sheets to employees handling hazardous chemicals.
"These violations reflect the company's lax attitude toward workplace safety and health," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Area Office. "Without the proper safeguards in place, employees are vulnerable to accidents that can cause injuries and even death."
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Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23013
Citations have been issued for two willful violations that involve permitting employees to ride on the forks of forklifts and a failure to provide fall protection on platforms. Other violations include locked or sealed emergency exit doors, improperly labelled doors, the improper storage of liquid propane tanks, unsafe material storage, exposing employees to live electrical parts, failing to implement a hazard communication program and failing to provide training or material safety data sheets to employees handling hazardous chemicals.
"These violations reflect the company's lax attitude toward workplace safety and health," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Area Office. "Without the proper safeguards in place, employees are vulnerable to accidents that can cause injuries and even death."
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Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23013
Three serious workplace safety incidents in the last week prompt safety plea
WorkSafe Commissioner Mark McCabe urged workers and bosses to take care at work after two workers have been injured in workplace falls and a construction site has been shut down in Canberra in the last week.
A workman was taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries and broken bones after a four-metre fall from a ladder at a house he was painting. In a separate accident, a 20-year-old apprentice electrician suffered an electric shock and fell five metres from a ladder on to a concrete pavement.
An inner city building site has also been shut down because of fears over asbestos handling. The building union stopped work on the site, alleging that a load of rubble contaminated with asbestos had been rejected at the tip because it was not sealed properly. ''We just hope that fibres weren't flying off this thing all the way from Civic to Symonston and back” the union's branch secretary Dean Hall said. He also said workers on the site had not been trained and proper safety gear was not being used.
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Source: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/painter-injured-in-4m-fall-20120926-26l94.html#ixzz27cdRKc8K
A workman was taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries and broken bones after a four-metre fall from a ladder at a house he was painting. In a separate accident, a 20-year-old apprentice electrician suffered an electric shock and fell five metres from a ladder on to a concrete pavement.
An inner city building site has also been shut down because of fears over asbestos handling. The building union stopped work on the site, alleging that a load of rubble contaminated with asbestos had been rejected at the tip because it was not sealed properly. ''We just hope that fibres weren't flying off this thing all the way from Civic to Symonston and back” the union's branch secretary Dean Hall said. He also said workers on the site had not been trained and proper safety gear was not being used.
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Hazardous Chemicals: GHS Classification and Communication
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Source: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/painter-injured-in-4m-fall-20120926-26l94.html#ixzz27cdRKc8K
Monday, September 24, 2012
£167,000 fine for construction company following worker’s death
A construction company has been ordered to pay £210,000 in fines and costs after an employee died following an explosion on a construction site. The explosion occurred following damage to an 11,000 volt live cable within an excavation. The 22-year-old construction operative suffered burns over 60% of his body.
The company had not informed workers that there were live cables in the excavation and the company failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent workers from coming into contact with the cable. The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Lisa Chappell, said: "This incident highlights the absolute necessity for such work to be properly planned and managed. Operatives should be briefed on the presence of cables and a safe system of working should be robustly enforced. The worker’s family continues to grieve the loss of a son and brother following an incident that could have easily been prevented."
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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-ldn-200912.htm
The company had not informed workers that there were live cables in the excavation and the company failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent workers from coming into contact with the cable. The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Lisa Chappell, said: "This incident highlights the absolute necessity for such work to be properly planned and managed. Operatives should be briefed on the presence of cables and a safe system of working should be robustly enforced. The worker’s family continues to grieve the loss of a son and brother following an incident that could have easily been prevented."
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Electrical Safety Essentials
Leadership: Being Proactive in Safety
Construction: Managing Hazards and Risks
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Electrical Safety Essentials – E-learning
Leadership: Being Proactive in Safety – E-learning
Safety Awareness – E-learning
Construction: Fundamentals for Safety – E-learning
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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-ldn-200912.htm
Workplace accidents can happen to anybody - WHSQ film warns of safety risks
‘Workplace accidents can happen to anybody, not just middle-aged men’ is the message of the new film by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
'In it for the long haul: The Tiffany Ward story' is about making sure that young workers are able to return home safely to family and friends at the end of their working day. All workers and employers need to be aware of the unique risk profile young people have which makes them vulnerable in the workplace.
At 18, Tiffany Ward was severely injured at work when both of her arms were caught in a potato processing auger. It took emergency crews more than 40 minutes to free her and led to more than 30 hours of surgery to save her life and arms.
Now 22 and married with two children, Tiffany has shared her story to make workers more aware that a workplace incident can have life-long consequences. The film describes Tiffany's battle to live with the financial, physical and emotional consequences of her injury.
To view WHSQ’s video or for more information, visit In it for the long haul: The Tiffany Ward story
For information on Vocam safety and HR training videos and e-learning courses visit our website.
Source: http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/tiffany/index.htm
'In it for the long haul: The Tiffany Ward story' is about making sure that young workers are able to return home safely to family and friends at the end of their working day. All workers and employers need to be aware of the unique risk profile young people have which makes them vulnerable in the workplace.
At 18, Tiffany Ward was severely injured at work when both of her arms were caught in a potato processing auger. It took emergency crews more than 40 minutes to free her and led to more than 30 hours of surgery to save her life and arms.
Now 22 and married with two children, Tiffany has shared her story to make workers more aware that a workplace incident can have life-long consequences. The film describes Tiffany's battle to live with the financial, physical and emotional consequences of her injury.
To view WHSQ’s video or for more information, visit In it for the long haul: The Tiffany Ward story
For information on Vocam safety and HR training videos and e-learning courses visit our website.
Source: http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/tiffany/index.htm
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Firm in court over worker's life-threatening fall
A firm has been sentenced after a worker received life-threatening injuries when he fell from scaffolding at a sports centre.
The 43-year-old man suffered a brain haemorrhage, fractured skull, collapsed lung and broken collarbone, ribs, wrist and fingers. His employer was prosecuted by the HSE after an investigation found the scaffolding tower the company provided was unsafe. The brakes on the wheels of the scaffolding tower had not been applied to stop it moving and there was no edge protection around the work platform to prevent employees falling off.
The man fell more than two metres to the concrete floor below when the tower started to move across the room as he was working.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Mark Baker said: "The scaffolding tower the company provided simply wasn't up to the job and [the worker’s] life was put in danger the minute he started to climb it. This case should act as a warning to firms not to cut corners and to make sure they use the right equipment for the job they're doing."
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For more information on this workplace health and safety news, visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-nw-cmeceilings.htm
The 43-year-old man suffered a brain haemorrhage, fractured skull, collapsed lung and broken collarbone, ribs, wrist and fingers. His employer was prosecuted by the HSE after an investigation found the scaffolding tower the company provided was unsafe. The brakes on the wheels of the scaffolding tower had not been applied to stop it moving and there was no edge protection around the work platform to prevent employees falling off.
The man fell more than two metres to the concrete floor below when the tower started to move across the room as he was working.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Mark Baker said: "The scaffolding tower the company provided simply wasn't up to the job and [the worker’s] life was put in danger the minute he started to climb it. This case should act as a warning to firms not to cut corners and to make sure they use the right equipment for the job they're doing."
Vocam Training Video
Height Safety Essentials
Slips Trips and Falls
Construction: Managing Hazards and Risks
Construction: Fundamentals for Safety
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Slips, Trips and Falls – E-learning
Height Safety Essentials – E-learning
Construction: Managing Hazards and Risks – E-learning
Construction: Fundamentals for Safety – E-learning
Available as part of TrainNOW. For more information, contact us or visit our website.
For more information on this workplace health and safety news, visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-nw-cmeceilings.htm
Companies should establish a social media policy, according to new survey results
Businesses that haven't already set up policies about how their staff use social media in the workplace should do so quickly or risk becoming irrelevant to job seekers, according to the Hays Tomorrow’s Workforce report.
The results suggest while businesses don't need to spend a disproportionate amount of time creating a social media policy, it will still affect how potential employees see the company and affect your reputation.
• 19.7% of job seekers would consider turning down a job if they didn't have "reasonable access" to social media sites during work hours.
• 44.3% of employers believe that allowing employees to have access to social media will improve retention levels.
• 25.3% of respondents didn't have a clear idea of how to represent their companies on social media. Businesses have found themselves in hot water over situations where employees have said inappropriate things on Facebook or Twitter, reflecting badly on the company.
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For more information on this HR news, visit Smart Company’s article. Source: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/managing-people/051902-workplace-policies-on-social-media-essential-as-survey-reveals-one-fifth-of-job-seekers-want-full-access.html
The results suggest while businesses don't need to spend a disproportionate amount of time creating a social media policy, it will still affect how potential employees see the company and affect your reputation.
• 19.7% of job seekers would consider turning down a job if they didn't have "reasonable access" to social media sites during work hours.
• 44.3% of employers believe that allowing employees to have access to social media will improve retention levels.
• 25.3% of respondents didn't have a clear idea of how to represent their companies on social media. Businesses have found themselves in hot water over situations where employees have said inappropriate things on Facebook or Twitter, reflecting badly on the company.
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Social Media, Email and Online Etiquette
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Social Media, Email and Online Etiquette – E-learning
Available as part of TrainNOW. For more information, contact us or visit our website.
For more information on this HR news, visit Smart Company’s article. Source: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/managing-people/051902-workplace-policies-on-social-media-essential-as-survey-reveals-one-fifth-of-job-seekers-want-full-access.html
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