SafetyNet Journal

Events

Posted on 11 December 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

International news

Posted on 11 December 2019

India: Factory fire kills dozens Indian authorities are investigating the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 43 people in a crowded market...

Prosecutions

Posted on 11 December 2019

Charges laid in milk processing death WorkSafe Victoria has charged a Cobram engineering company, a Bendigo crane hire company and a New Zealand engineer following...

Regulator news

Posted on 11 December 2019

Victorian news Three workers fall in past week In a media release last week, WorkSafe says three led to the hospitalisation of three workers. On...

Research

Posted on 11 December 2019

Migrants exposed to higher risk in the workplace Migrants to Australia are more vulnerable to hazards in the workplace than Australian-born workers, a Curtin study...

Union News

Posted on 11 December 2019

Ask Renata Hello Renata, I work in a bushfire affected area. What duties does my employer have to me and my fellow workers in these...

Events

Posted on 4 December 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

International news

Posted on 4 December 2019

Canada: new Health and Safety Report The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has just sent out its latest Health and Safety Report. The...

Prosecutions

Posted on 4 December 2019

Company fined, not convicted, after near miss Mandalay Resources Costerfield Operations Pty Ltd (“Mandalay”) owns and operates the Augusta gold-antimony mine in Costerfield. On 22...

Regulator news

Posted on 4 December 2019

Victorian news Charges laid after assault on youth justice worker WorkSafe has charged the Department of Justice and Community Safety for alleged health and safety...

Research

Posted on 4 December 2019

Workplace fitness management may pay off Costly workplace exercise programs might improve workers' physical capacity, but researchers say that employers can gain similar benefits from...

Union News

Posted on 4 December 2019

Parliament passes the Industrial Manslaughter legislation Last week Victoria became the third Australian jurisdiction to enshrine the offence of industrial manslaughter in law, with an...

Events

Posted on 26 November 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

Prosecutions

Posted on 26 November 2019

Hazelwood Power guilty after devastating mine fire Employers that do not do enough to protect the health and safety of either workers or the community, or...

Regulator news

Posted on 26 November 2019

WorkSafe Victoria news Safety Soapbox November edition The latest edition of Safety Soapbox was sent out last week. In this edition, the editorial urges both...

Research

Posted on 26 November 2019

Bullying victims likely to become perpetrators According to a recent study of nearly 1,000 workers who admit to engaging bullying behaviours, those who were bullied...

Union News

Posted on 26 November 2019

Update: Industrial Manslaughter This morning we gathered on the steps of Victoria's Parliament House in a final push to achieve Industrial Manslaughter legislation. In...

Events

Posted on 13 November 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

International news

Posted on 13 November 2019

UK: Revised guidance: exposure to welding fumeIn February 2019 HSE issued a safety alert (Change in Enforcement Expectations for Mild Steel Welding Fume) to inform...

Prosecutions

Posted on 13 November 2019

Formwork company fined $650,000 after worker falls to death Last week an employer was fined $650,000 after a worker was killed in a 12-metre fall...

Regulator news

Posted on 13 November 2019

Victorian news Government announces new WorkSafe Victoria appointments The Andrews Labor Government has announced Colin Radford as WorkSafe Victoria’s new Chief Executive. John Merritt has...

Research

Posted on 13 November 2019

New research on children and quad bikes According to new research, children living in the Northern Territory are almost 12 times more likely to be...

Union News

Posted on 13 November 2019

Two Victorian workers killed 1 - Driver killed at Werribee SouthEmergency services were called to the Princes Freeway following reports a semi-trailer had struck a...

Events

Posted on 6 November 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

International news

Posted on 6 November 2019

ILO launches new statistics portal The International Labor Organization (ILO) Department of Statistics has launched a new statistics’ portal that makes it easy to access...

Regulator news

Posted on 6 November 2019

QLD: regulator issues Christmas party warning In advice that is useful for workplaces around Australia, the Queensland WHS regulator has issued advice on work Christmas...

Prosecutions

Posted on 6 November 2019

There have been no new prosecutions loaded onto the WorkSafe Victoria website - but to keep up to date with prosecutions, go to the WorkSafe Prosecution...

Union News

Posted on 6 November 2019

Union HSRs recognised at WorkSafe Awards Last week WorkSafe announced the winners of the annual WorkSafe awards. The Award ceremony, held at the Melbourne Town...

Research

Posted on 6 November 2019

Ex-footballers (soccer players) at greater risk of degenerative brain diseasesA landmark study funded by the charitable arm of the UK footballers’ union PFA and the...

Events

Posted on 30 October 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

Prosecutions

Posted on 30 October 2019

Plumbing company fined after trench collapse All In One Plumbing Pty Ltd operates in the inner south eastern suburbs of Melbourne and specialises in residential...

Regulator news

Posted on 30 October 2019

Victoria: Huge toxic waste sites clean up bill It appears that it might have to be taxpayer money - at least $230 million - which...

Research

Posted on 30 October 2019

UK: Workers fear the sack for reporting sexual harassment One in four young women are scared they will be sacked if they report sexual harassment...

Union News

Posted on 30 October 2019

Two more Victorian fatalities On the day new industrial manslaughter laws were introduced into parliament, and just up the road from the dreadful trench collapse...

Events

Posted on 23 October 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

Regulator news

Posted on 23 October 2019

WorkSafe Victoria news Safety alert issued after three year old killed last weekAfter last week's tragedy when a three year old was fatally injured on...

Research

Posted on 23 October 2019

DNA Breaks: Cell Phone Radiation Led to "Significant Increases" The National Toxicology Program tested two common radiofrequency radiation (RFR) modulations emitted by cellular telephones in...

Union News

Posted on 23 October 2019

Victorian HSRs and deputies: October 29 HSR Conference There are now over 1600 HSRs (and deputies) who have registered to come to our 2019 conference! ...

Events

Posted on 16 October 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

Prosecutions

Posted on 16 October 2019

Solar panel installation company convicted and fined $120k Sandarra Electrics Pty Ltd (now in liquidation) was a company that installed solar panels. On 23 November...

Regulator news

Posted on 16 October 2019

Victorian news HSR Newsletter promotes new online support channel WorkSafe today sent out the latest edition of its HSR Newsletter. In it there's news of...

Research

Posted on 16 October 2019

X-rays not reliable in detecting lung disease Chest X-rays on workers exposed to dust from manufactured stone are ‘‘failing to reliably detect’’ serious lung disease,...

Union News

Posted on 16 October 2019

Victorian HSRs and deputies: October 29 HSR Conference There are now over 1500 HSRs (and deputies) who have registered to come to our 2019 conference! ...

Events

Posted on 9 October 2019

Please remember: If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost...

International news

Posted on 9 October 2019

Europe: EU action after chemical firms flout the lawEU government delegates on the European Commission’s REACH committee have agreed to increase the minimum compliance check...

Prosecutions

Posted on 9 October 2019

Vic company fined for not providing safe workplace Technicolor Pty Ltd manufactures optical media at a workplace with a number of separate areas, including a...

Regulator news

Posted on 9 October 2019

Victorian news Government extends quad bike rebate In the same week a three year old was killed on a quad bike, the Victorian Government announced...

Research

Posted on 9 October 2019

ILO: Older workers most discouraged in Australia Recent research from the International Labour Association (ILO) has found that Australia and Chile, 13,000 kilometres apart, have...

Union News

Posted on 9 October 2019

Child killed in quad bike incident In tragic news, a three-year-old child was killed on Sunday in a quad bike incident in rural Victoria. The...

Events

Posted on 2 October 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost (if any),...

International news

Posted on 2 October 2019

Resources from Canada The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety produces a regular "Health and Safety Report" newsletter - which is free to subscribe...

Regulator news

Posted on 2 October 2019

WorkSafe Victoria news Health and Safety Month - events and competitionWorkSafe's Health and Safety Month has begun, with events starting this week - check out...

Prosecutions

Posted on 2 October 2019

Sorrento Hotel fined after forklift incident In September 2018 the Hotel Sorrento, a hotel, bar and restaurant in Sorrento, had approximately 80 to 90 employees....

Research

Posted on 2 October 2019

Injury rates surge as temperature increases Italian researchers from a major workplace health and safety agency and two universities analysed all occupational injuries sustained by...

Union News

Posted on 2 October 2019

Victorian HSRs and deputies: October 29 HSR Conference Registrations to the conference have now exceeded 850. The Conference for Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) is...

Events

Posted on 25 September 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost (if any),...

Victorian Prosecutions Employer fined $10,000 after apprentice falls 4.3m Stephen Reidy, a sole trader operates a business undertaking domestic electrical work and air-conditioning installation. On...

Regulator news

Posted on 25 September 2019

WorkSafe Victoria news Safety Soapbox September edition The latest edition of Safety Soapbox was sent out last week. In this edition, the editorial deals with...

Research

Posted on 25 September 2019

Mindfulness programs can reduce stress A study of 323 American and Canadian emergency medical "911" dispatchers (EMDs) found that short, weekly mindfulness program successfully reduced their...

Union News

Posted on 25 September 2019

Calling all Victorian HSRs and deputies: October 29 HSR Conference: We already have over 600 people registered to attend our Conference for Health and Safety...

Events

Posted on 18 September 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost (if any),...

International news

Posted on 18 September 2019

Amazon (U.S): The cost of next day delivery In a disturbing feature which raises questions in the Australian context, BuzzFeed explores how Amazon, the world's...

Prosecutions

Posted on 18 September 2019

Victorian Prosecutions No new results of prosecutions were put on the WorkSafe site this week - but to check over the next week, go to...

Regulator news

Posted on 18 September 2019

Victorian news New laws protect safety of contractors and gig economy workers Laws designed to provide safer and fairer working conditions for owner drivers and...

Research

Posted on 18 September 2019

PTSD linked to increased risk of ovarian cancer Women who experienced six or more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in life...

Union News

Posted on 18 September 2019

VTHC HSR Conference: October 29. Register NOW! We have just received approval under s69 of the OHS Act to run our hugely successful Conference for...

Events

Posted on 11 September 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including location, cost (if any),...

Prosecutions

Posted on 11 September 2019

Cleaner seriously injured: MCC gets slap on wrist In a puzzling and disappointing decision, the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), the body corporate that has management...

Regulator news

Posted on 11 September 2019

WorkSafe Victoria news Reminder: Health and Safety Month, October 2019 WorkSafe Victoria has launched its program of events for this year's Health and Safety Month,...

Research

Posted on 11 September 2019

Presenteeism bad all around - research proves it A group of Swedish researchers have found that high workloads and other organisational factors have the effect...

Union News

Posted on 11 September 2019

Worker killed in Ballarat this morning A construction worker on a house in Ballarat was killed this morning after being crushed by a collapsing wall....

Events

Posted on 3 September 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including cost, and where to...

Regulator news

Posted on 3 September 2019

WorkSafe Victoria WorkWell Wednesday Bullying videoWorkSafe has a (relatively) new e-bulletin: WorkWell Wednesdays. The theme in this week's bulletin is "Prevent bullying in your workplace"....

Prosecutions

Posted on 2 September 2019

Editorial: The two WorkSafe prosecutions detailed below provide a stark contrast to how the law punishes workers and employers who do the wrong thing. While...

Research

Posted on 2 September 2019

Australia: women; work and menopause Menopause affects women differently and for some it can create issues in the workplace. Yet despite the fact that more...

Union News

Posted on 2 September 2019

SafetyNet 502 September 4, 2019 It is with great sadness that we report there was another workplace fatality in Victoria last week. This brings the...

Events

Posted on 28 August 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including cost, and where to...

Prosecutions

Posted on 28 August 2019

Construction company fined $35 for falling objectCaelli Constructions (Vic) Pty Ltd owned a perimeter protection screen installed at a construction site comprising a 61 story...

Regulator news

Posted on 28 August 2019

WorkSafe Victoria news Silica: Regulations amended to cover working with engineered stone On May 1 of this year, the Premier and the Workplace Safety Minister...

Research

Posted on 28 August 2019

High PTSD in those bereaved by workplace fatalities A new international report from leading authorities in Australia, has confirmed high rates of post traumatic stress...

Union news

Posted on 28 August 2019

HSR Conference: more coming soonThis is a 'teaser' - the VTHC is awaiting sign off from WorkSafe Victoria of our application to run the 2019...

Events

Posted on 21 August 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including cost, and where to...

Prosecutions

Posted on 19 August 2019

Meat processor fined $90 after amputation JBS Australia Pty Ltd, a meat processing company, has been convicted and fined $90,000 after a worker’s hand was...

Regulator news

Posted on 19 August 2019

WorkSafe Victoria Updated guidance on LeadWorkSafe Victoria has released its updated guidance on Lead: Lead: Safety basics (here) – this page sets out the health...

Research

Posted on 19 August 2019

Injured workers at greater risk of suicide or overdose deaths A US study has found that workers injured in the workplace are ‘significantly’ more likely...

Union news

Posted on 19 August 2019

Ask RenataHi, I was working alone after hours one night when someone tried to break in at my workplace - luckily it didn't happen. When...

Events

Posted on 19 August 2019

If you have an OHS related event you would like us to advertise, please email Renata at ohsinfo@vthc.org.au with details, including cost, and where to...

Prosecutions

Posted on 19 August 2019

Prison operator fined $75k after inmates injuredThe Geo Group Australia Pty Ltd manages correctional services at the Fulham Correctional Centre, in Sale, Victoria. The company...

Regulator News

Posted on 19 August 2019

WorkSafe Victoria newsAugust: Mobile crane safety blitzWorkSafe Victoria has been undertaking a targeted blitz on hydraulic mobile cranes operating on construction sites following three serious...

Research

Posted on 19 August 2019

Snacks improve shift worker safetyAustralian researchers observing 44 participants during a seven-day night shift simulation, have identified the ideal amount of food for shift workers...

Union News

Posted on 19 August 2019

Union News Fatality in northern Victoria It is with great sadness that we report that a subcontractor was killed on Monday when he fell from...

OHS Regulator News

Posted on 12 August 2019

WorkSafe has released new guidance to get more defibrillators in workplaces The guidance on the use of automated defibrillators has been created and published to help promote...

OHS Prosecutions

Posted on 9 August 2019

PB Construction Services Pty Ltd (in liquidation) PB Construction Services, which is now in liquidation, have been ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 plus...

Training

Posted on 9 August 2019

Be Trades Hall Trained: VTHC OHS Training Centre Make sure you attend training provided either by your union or the VTHC! HSRs are elected by...

Events

Posted on 9 August 2019

VTHC + IWSN Web Launch Party RSVP here: www.weareohs.org.au/ohs_reps_launch_party In a few weeks, we're having a celebratory launch of the new OHS and IWSN websites. The...

Ask Renata

Posted on 9 August 2019

Every week in SafetyNet we highlight an interesting question we received through Ask Renata. This week we have an unusual one, concerning privacy and surveillance...

OHS Regulator News

Posted on 9 August 2019

Exclusion from work function wasn't bullying says Fair Work Commission A worker who was excluded from a work function has been told that management preventing...

Job Opportunities

Posted on 2 August 2019

Health and Safety Training Officer The AMWU are on the hunt for a new OHS training officer. If you're a strong Unionist, with a healthy...

Training

Posted on 2 August 2019

Be Trades Hall Trained: VTHC OHS Training Centre Make sure you attend training provided either by your union or the VTHC! HSRs are elected by...

Events

Posted on 2 August 2019

VTHC + IWSN Web Launch Party RSVP here: www.weareohs.org.au/ohs_reps_launch_party In a few weeks, we're having a celebratory launch of the new OHS and IWSN websites. The...