WorkSafe Victoria New Safety Alert: Rock fall hits worker
Worksafe has issued a reminder about the importance of managing the risks associated with rock falls whilst developing headings in underground mines. An employee was recently struck in the head by a rock whilst developing headings in an underground mine. He sustained serious injuries to the head and shoulder, including a depression to the skull, requiring hospitalisation.
The Safety Alert sets out the details of the incident, the issues and recommended ways to control the risk.
Read more: Rock Fall hits employee during ground support activity of an underground development heading
SafeWorkNSW news
New COVID-19 work guidance
NSW Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson has launched new suites of guidance materials for managing work-related COVID-19 risks, with the guides including "simple yet powerful tools to map out a safe way back to business that puts customers and workers front and centre".
"80,000 businesses have already downloaded the NSW Government's COVID Safety Plans, and we've now created additional resources," the Minister said.
Warning to construction industry
The Minister also warned that any construction industry duty holders that endanger workers' lives through unsafe or unlicensed activities face heavy on-the-spot fines, in announcing a SafeWork NSW blitz of construction sites in north-western Sydney early this week.
"Far too often our inspectors identify concerns with the way scaffolding is set up and other dangers involving working from heights so we will be targeting this area in particular. Falls from heights are the number one killer on NSW construction sites with most people who are seriously injured or killed falling from a height of four metres or less," he said.
Source: OHSAlert
Safe Work Australia news
National Fatality Statistics
On July 2 Safe Work Australia updated its workplace fatality statistics: as of that date, there had been 91 worker fatalities notified to the national body - this is five more than the previous update on June 18. The five fatalities were in the following sectors: 2 in the Transport, postal & warehousing; 2 in Agriculture, forestry & fishing; and one in in Public administration & safety. The fatalities this year have been in the following sectors:
- 28 in Transport, postal & warehousing
- 17 in Agriculture, forestry & fishing
- 15 in Construction
- 11 in Public administration & safety
- 9 in Manufacturing
- 4 in Mining
- 2 in 'other services'
- 1 in Arts & recreation services
- 1 in Accommodation & food services
- 1 in Retail trade
- 1 in Health care & social assistance
- 1 in Administrative & support services
To check for updates, and for more details on fatalities since 2003, go to the Safe Work Australia Work-related fatalities webpage.