SafetyNet Journal

DO WE NEED A NEW HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS?

Posted on 9 July 2025

Until the 1940s safety was basically a trial-and-error endeavour – in 1941 the National Safety Council (NSC) in the US began in-depth examinations into the...

AKZ FINED AGAIN FOR REPEAT INJURIES

Posted on 9 July 2025

Morwell based company Retired AKZ Pty Ltd (formerly known as AKZ Reinforcing Pty Ltd) makes a return to court after injuring their fifth employee in...

NEWCOLD UNDERTAKING DÉJÀ VU

Posted on 9 July 2025

A cold storage warehouse facility operator has entered into their second Enforceable Undertaking (EU) following an incident that crushed a labour hire worker’s ankle.

COURT TRIPLES BLAST FAILURE PENALTY AFTER DPP APPEAL

Posted on 9 July 2025

In February this year we reported on a drilling and blasting company whose failed trench blast incident saw a nearby resident injured, and properties and...

JIB CRANE COLLAPSE RESULTS IN $35K FINE FOR SKILL TILING

Posted on 9 July 2025

Clayton company Skill Tiling Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $35,000 after a jib crane installed by one of their directors collapsed and landed...

DEPT. OF DEFENCE FINED FOR INCIDENT NOTIFICATION BREACH

Posted on 9 July 2025

Following an investigation, Comcare has convicted and fined the Department of Defence $7,000 for failing to immediately notify the regulator of a serious injury incident...

SAFETY ALERT: DURESS ALARMS IN HEALTHCARE

Posted on 9 July 2025

WorkSafe has issued a safety alert for Victorian healthcare employers to remind them of the importance of ensuring that employees have appropriate duress alarms and...

E-SAFETY RESOURCES TO MANAGE WORKPLACE ONLINE ABUSE

Posted on 9 July 2025

Using a digital platform, service, technology or device to bully, harass, threaten, intimidate or humiliate someone is online abuse. The behaviour is sometimes known as...

NEW SWA CODE OF PRACTICE FOR HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE INDUSTRY

Posted on 9 July 2025

SafeWork Australia has published a new WHS Code of Practice for the healthcare and social assistance industry, with a focus on hospitals, aged care facilities,...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 9 July 2025

Hi Renata - My employer has poorly notified staff of some major changes to our work processes without undertaking any consultation to identify risks. The...

PSYCHOSOCIAL REGULATION LEADS TO MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS

Posted on 2 July 2025

A multi-study evaluation from the University of South Australia’s Psychosocial Safety Climate Global Observatory has found that Australian jurisdictions that have already adopted amended safety...

LIGURE CONSTRUCTION FINED $16K FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH PROHIBITION NOTICE

Posted on 2 July 2025

Residential construction company Ligure Constructions Pty Ltd have received a fine without conviction for their failure to comply with a prohibition notice served on them...

DIRECTOR FINED $45K IN ADDITION TO COMPANY’S $500K FOR RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT

Posted on 2 July 2025

In follow up to a previous article in SafetyNet 764, a company director has been fined $45,000 for recklessly engaging in conduct that placed another...

ELECTROCUTION FATALITY COSTS NORDIC ELEVATOR COMPANIES $980K

Posted on 2 July 2025

Electrical apprentice Adam Pasek died at work in March 2021 after his father, the director of Nordic Elevators Pty Ltd and Nordic Elevator Services Pty...

FATAL FALL FINE QUADRUPLED ON APPEAL

Posted on 2 July 2025

WorkSafe Victoria has shown that it is serious about preventing falls from heights in an appeals case last week. Regular readers of SafetyNet may remember...

AHRC RELEASES 2025 SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE REPORT

Posted on 2 July 2025

Last week the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) released their report from the Speaking from Experience project, with 11 recommendations for change developed from victim-survivor...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 2 July 2025

Hi Renata – An employee in my DWG (receptionist in a medical clinic) has been approached online by a client. She blocked him and reported...

MORE PRESUMPTIVE ILLNESS NEWS – ASU(VICTAS) PETITIONS GOVERNEMENT TO INCLUDE FIRE SERVICES SUPPORT STAFF

Posted on 2 July 2025

In a May 2025 edition of SafetyNet we shared the sad story of the passing of ASU life member and CFA hero Simon Lund. The...

FIREFIGHTER UNION FIGHTS FOR VICTORIAN PRESUMPTIVE ILLNESS EXPANSION

Posted on 2 July 2025

The United Firefighters Union (UFU) is pushing for more cancers to be added to the Victorian presumptive rights list – including pancreatic cancer. In an...

QLD WORKER PENALISED $15K AFTER FORMWORK COLLAPSE

Posted on 25 June 2025

A sales consultant for a Queensland formwork company has been fined $15,000 for breaching his employee WHS duties after an incident that resulted in serious...

HQ SOLAR & ELECTRICAL PAYS PALTRY PENALTY FOR ENDANGERING APPRENTICES

Posted on 25 June 2025

After exposing two young apprentices to the risk of falling from a height of almost six metres, HQ Solar and Electrical Pty Ltd have been...

CORMACK PLUMBING FINED $25K AFTER EMPLOYEE’S THROAT PINNED BY EWP

Posted on 25 June 2025

An employee of Cormack Plumbing Pty Ltd had their arm and throat pinned between an Elevated Work Platform (EWP) railing and fire service piping despite...

$35K FINE FOR DE BORTOLI WINES CRUSHED LEG

Posted on 25 June 2025

Following a serious incident at their Dixons Creek site, De Bortoli Wines Pty Ltd has been fined $35,000, without conviction. The winery business operates across...

WORKSAFE CHARGES THREE COMPANIES FOLLOWING FATAL EWP CRUSH

Posted on 25 June 2025

An investigation into the death of an employee who was crushed in an Elevated Work Platform (EWP) incident has resulted in WorkSafe charging three companies...

NEW GUIDANCE – WORKING SAFELY WITH PLASTERBOARD

Posted on 25 June 2025

WorkSafe has published new guidance on their website to assist employers in the construction industry to safely control the risks associated with the installation of...

SAFETY ALERT: CLIMBING CENTRES AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Posted on 25 June 2025

WorkSafe has issued a safety alert to remind climbing centre employers of the risks associated with climbing equipment and of the need to maintain safety...

SAFETY ALERT: OPERATING MOBILE EQUIPMENT IN OR NEAR BODIES OF WATER

Posted on 25 June 2025

WorkSafe has issued a safety alert following an incident that resulted in an excavator being submerged in a flooded quarry pit.

WORKING IN COLD ENVIRONMENTS

Posted on 25 June 2025

Renata is not enjoying the freezing weather and wants to have a little chat about working in the cold. Up until a few short weeks...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 25 June 2025

Hi Renata – Can our manager be the HSR? This is a good question. Under the OHS Act the primary eligibility requirement for an HSR...

TRUMP PLANS EPA REVIEW OF ASBESTOS BAN

Posted on 24 June 2025

A court filing from the US Environmental Protection Agency has flagged the Trump administration’s plans to ‘reconsider’ the ban on chrysotile asbestos that was implemented...

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE INGESTION IN THE WORKPLACE

Posted on 18 June 2025

Oral exposure to hazardous substances is not often addressed during risk assessments, but a new review and analysis highlights that it may be relevant in...

MUA AND ITF CONDEMN DETENTION AND ASSAULT OF SEIU’S DAVID HUERTA IN L.A.

Posted on 18 June 2025

MUA STATEMENT: The MUA, alongside over 700 global transport trade unions that make up the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), condemn the violent assault and...

$15K FINE FOR APPRENTICE FALL

Posted on 18 June 2025

In yet another example of employers putting apprentices at risk of falls, Elotan Pty Ltd (trading as CBH Roofing) has been convicted and fined $15,000...

$500K FINE FOR REPEATEDLY RISKING EMPLOYEE’S LIFE IN GAS LEAK REPAIR

Posted on 18 June 2025

National Infrastructure Solutions Pty Ltd (NIS) has been fined $500,000 for repeatedly recklessly endangering an employee by sending him into an excavation to repair a...

FATAL TAILGATE FALL RESULTS IN CHARGES FOR TWO COMPANIES

Posted on 18 June 2025

Following the June 2023 workplace death of truck driver in Dandenong South WorkSafe has charged both a transport company and a commercial laundry operator with...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 18 June 2025

Hi Renata - I've been advised that due to our company going through a transfer of business, all current HSRs and DHSRs will need to stand...

MEU SAYS NEAR MISS AT YALLOURN POWER STATION IS A WAKE-UP CALL

Posted on 18 June 2025

The Mining and Energy Union (MEU) has characterised the collapse of an air duct at the Yallourn power station as a wake-up call to improve...

SLEEP AND WORKPLACE SAFETY

Posted on 11 June 2025

Fatigue has long been recognised as a contributor to workplace incidents. When workers are fatigued their work performance is impaired - and there are many...

$400K FINE FOR FATAL WORKPLACE EXPLOSION

Posted on 11 June 2025

James Frizelle’s Automotive Group Pty Ltd (trading as Gold Coast Isuzu) has recently been fined $400,000 after a preventable explosion caused the death of 21-year-old...

$7.5K FINE IN PURE RISK FALLS CASE

Posted on 11 June 2025

Walliker Plumbing Pty Ltd has pleaded guilty and received a fine of $7,500 for failing to provide a safe system of work in the form...

FABCON FINED $15K AFTER WORKER CRUSHED BY FORKLIFT

Posted on 11 June 2025

Fabcon Pty Ltd has pleaded guilty to a charge under s.21(1) of the OHS Act for failing to reduce or eliminate mobile equipment risks, following...

TRUE FOODS FINED $35K AFTER WORKER’S HAND CRUSHED AND TRAPPED

Posted on 11 June 2025

True Foods Pty Ltd has been fined $35,000 after failing to provide guarding on equipment which resulted in an employee’s serious hand injury in July...

$25K FINE IN AHWAZ ROOFING PURE RISK CASE

Posted on 11 June 2025

In April 2024 WorkSafe received an observation report of four workers pressure washing a residential roof in Hamlyn Heights without fall protection in place. An...

SECOND COMPANY CHARGED AFTER GARBAGE TRUCK FATALITY

Posted on 11 June 2025

WorkSafe has charged Beyond AG Pty Ltd (trading as Bardee) for the death of their 26-year-old employee who was killed in an incident in Hosier...

SAFETY ALERT: HANDLING OF ELECTRICAL SWITCHBOARDS

Posted on 11 June 2025

WorkSafe has issued a Safety Alert following many reports about incidents involving the handling of electrical switchboards.

WORKSAFE AWARDS 2025 NOMINATION OPEN

Posted on 11 June 2025

Nominations are now open for seven award categories in the WorkSafe Awards 2025. Enter yourself or nominate someone else for their health and safety achievements.

ASK RENATA

Posted on 11 June 2025

Hi Renata – What are my employers’ obligations to notify an HSR of an injured employee within their DWG? Thank you for your query about...

PETROL CLASSIFIED AS GROUP 1 CARCINOGEN BY IARC

Posted on 4 June 2025

In a meeting convened in Lyon, France by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) a working group of 20 international experts from 16...

PRECARIOUS WORK, SUICIDE, ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS

Posted on 4 June 2025

Recent studies have suggested that rising rates of suicide, drug poisoning and alcohol related mortality – sometimes referred to as “deaths of despair” – may...

ITALIAN REFERENDUM QUESTION TO ADDRESS WORKPLACE SAFETY – VOTE SI

Posted on 4 June 2025

In a citizens’ initiative referendum Italians will have the opportunity on 8 and 9 June 2025 to vote on five important citizenship and workers’ rights...

$550K SUPAGAS FINE CONFIRMED AT APPEAL

Posted on 4 June 2025

Supagas Pty Ltd’s appeal against both their conviction and their $550,000 sentence arising from a serious 2017 incident has been refused leave to appeal by...

COUNCIL’S CANNABIS APPEAL FAILS

Posted on 4 June 2025

A Fair Work Commission full bench has rejected the Glamorgan-Spring Bay Council’s appeal against a FWC previous ruling that a council employee’s sacking was unfair....

TOY COMPANY FINED $100K AFTER HARASSMENT BY DIRECTOR

Posted on 4 June 2025

An employer who didn’t appear at any stage of the legal process to hold it accountable for workplace sexual harassment has been fined $100,000.

$45K FINE FOR FALL IN APPRENTICE’S FIRST WEEKS

Posted on 4 June 2025

Highrise Enterprises Pty Ltd was engaged to perform air conditioner repairs at a double storey residential property in Springvale, when their failure to provide a...

WORKSAFE TO GET TOUGH ON FALLS BREACHES

Posted on 4 June 2025

A recurring theme across the WorkSafe prosecutions highlighted in previous SafetyNet articles is the risks relating to falls from height. We are beginning to see...

SERVICES AUSTRALIA CHARGED AFTER STABBING ASSAULT ON WORKER

Posted on 4 June 2025

ComCare has charged Services Australia with breaches of s.19 (primary duty of care) and s.32 (failure to comply with health and safety duty) of the...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 4 June 2025

Hi Renata – Recently our disability services organization reviewed its budget and has concluded our expenditure is too high. House supervisors are being encouraged to cut...

PILOT STUDY: CAN LONG WORK HOURS CHANGE OUR BRAIN?

Posted on 21 May 2025

The results of recent research from South Korea underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and highlight the need for workplace...

LACK OF GUARDING LEADS TO $12.5K FINE FOR EL CIELO

Posted on 21 May 2025

Authentic Mexican Foods Pty Ltd (trading as El Cielo) manufactures Mexican food products at their Airport West facility. In November 2022 WorkSafe Victoria visited El...

THIRD FINE FOR FRUIT CANNERY INCIDENT

Posted on 21 May 2025

Harris Plumbing and Welding Pty Ltd was sub-contracted to undertake pipe work on the plant room roof of a vegetable and fruit cannery in Mooroopna...

COSTLY BREACH RISKS THREE APPRENTICES’ LIVES

Posted on 21 May 2025

We reported recently about the prevalence of employers putting apprentices at risk, and this week in yet another example of employers failing to protect employees...

PUBLIC SECTOR SCORECARD SHOWS GENDER PAY GAP FALLING

Posted on 21 May 2025

The second Workplace Gender Equity Agency (WGEA) scorecard on gender equality in the public sector shows that the public sector gender pay gap was reduced...

SAFETY ALERT – 7 SAFETY MEASURES FOR DELIVERING ELEVATED WORK PLATFORMS (EWPs)

Posted on 21 May 2025

Following the death of a worker on April 29 in West Melbourne, WorkSafe has issued a safety alert to remind employers that safe systems of...

HISTORIC MILESTONE – WORKSAFE 1 : ENGINEERED STONE 0

Posted on 21 May 2025

Bathroom wholesale company Fienza Pty Ltd faces 22 charges following alleged breaches of the prohibition on the processing and supply of engineered stone. New Victorian...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 21 May 2025

Hi Renata – I work in a warehouse on a large worksite and management has told us our breaks start as soon as we are...

MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA AND SUICIDE IN FLY-IN/FLY-OUT WORKFORCES

Posted on 14 May 2025

Suicide is estimated to be the fourth leading cause of death globally, with those working in male-dominated industries such as mining and construction at higher...

NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK - DRIVE SO OTHERS SURVIVE

Posted on 14 May 2025

The week 11-18 May marks National Road Safety Week (NRSW) 2025, with statistics revealing that around 1,200 people lose their lives on Australian roads annually,...

INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE WORKCOVER SCHEME MODERNISATION ACT

Posted on 14 May 2025

The Victorian Government appointed Dr. Claire Noone to conduct an independent review of the Modernisation Act focusing on the financial sustainability challenges of the WorkCover...

REPORT – FINDINGS FROM THE INQUIRY INTO WORKPLACE SURVEILLANCE

Posted on 14 May 2025

The Victorian government Inquiry into workplace surveillance has revealed significant gaps in privacy protections and the need for updated regulations to address modern surveillance practices....

ASK RENATA

Posted on 14 May 2025

Hi Renata – What section of the OHS Act requires that HSRs are to be notified of all OHS issues in the workplace? There are...

HACSU ‘BREAKING THE SILENCE’ WORKWELL PROJECT TARGETTING GENDERED VIOLENCE

Posted on 14 May 2025

The Health and Community Services Union (HACSU), as a recipient of WorkSafe grant funding, has worked with members, employers, academics and service delivery providers to...

VALE SIMON LUND - ASU LIFE MEMBER AND CFA HERO

Posted on 14 May 2025

Simon Lund was a firefighter who spent 25 years as a CFA senior technical field officer on some of the biggest fire emergencies in Victoria,...

AI IN THE FINANCE SECTOR – THE WORKER PERSPECTIVE

Posted on 7 May 2025

The Finance Sector Union (FSU) has released a report detailing the worker perspective on the use of AI in the finance sector, where more than...

EJ LYONS & SONS FINED $25K FOR 20 METRE GEELONG HOARDING COLLAPSE

Posted on 7 May 2025

EJ Lyons & Sons Pty Ltd (trading as Lyons Construction) is a Geelong-based commercial construction company. From 2021 Lyons Construction was the principal contractor for...

TWIN GLAZE FINED $5K AFTER CLIENT’S GRANDCHILD DRINKS INDUSTRIAL SOLVENT

Posted on 7 May 2025

Twin Glaze Pty Ltd, a company that install double glazed windows, has been fined $5,000 after their failure to ensure that persons other than employees...

WORKSAFE SURVEY – HSR REFRESHER TRAINING

Posted on 7 May 2025

To assist WorkSafe in understanding attendance numbers for HSR refresher OHS training courses, WorkSafe have requested HSRs to complete their survey – closes 26 May...

WORKSAFE CHARGES MAD DIESEL REPAIRS AFTER TRUCK DRIVER CRUSHED BY GARBAGE TRUCK IN 2023

Posted on 7 May 2025

Following a WorkSafe investigation into the death of a 26-year-old truck driver in Melbourne’s CBD, charges have been laid against Mad Diesel Repairs Pty Ltd...

SAFETY ALERT – REMINDER TO USE SAFETY DEVICES IN MOBILE PLANT

Posted on 7 May 2025

WorkSafe has issued a safety alert to remind all quarry and mine operators about the risks arising from failing to use safety devices when operating...

ROAD RULE EXTENDED TO KEEP MORE FIRST RESPONDERS SAFE

Posted on 7 May 2025

Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne today announced that Road Rule 79A will be expanded to enable more workers and volunteers to...

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYEES OF BUSINESSES UNDER 200 STAFF

Posted on 7 May 2025

Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe Ben Carroll has announced a new Worker Mental Health Support Helpline for workers in small and medium-sized businesses that...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 7 May 2025

My employer has decided to change the structure of the first aider roles in our workplace without any consultation with HSRs. How should First Aiders...

ASU TOOLKIT FOR MENTALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACES – USEFUL RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL

Posted on 7 May 2025

Psychosocial hazards are any factors at work that increase the risk of work-related stress and can lead to mental or physical harm. When your work...

ANMF OCCUPATIONAL VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION REPORTING SETS EXAMPLE FOR OTHER INDUSTRIES

Posted on 7 May 2025

We know that occupational violence and aggression (OVA) is an increasing problem in many industries – staff in hospitals, emergency services, schools, medical centres, disability...

ADVERSE WORK CONDITIONS A RISK FACTOR IN ADJUSTMENT TO PARENTHOOD

Posted on 30 April 2025

A significant proportion of the global workforce consists of parents – in 2023 34% of adults aged 25 to 54 had a least one child...

EMPLOYEE PROSECUTED FOR INJURING LABOUR HIRE WORKER

Posted on 30 April 2025

An employee of Delta Recycling Pty Ltd who was directly supervising a labour hire worker has been prosecuted for their actions that contributed to the...

$6OK FINE FOR COMPANY THAT IGNORED WARNINGS BEFORE WORKER FELL

Posted on 30 April 2025

Iron Up Australia Pty. Ltd., a construction company that performs carpentry and framing work, has been convicted and fined $60,000 after a contractor was seriously...

COURT UPHOLDS RECORD RECKLESSNESS FINE

Posted on 30 April 2025

In November 2023 Dennis Jones Engineering Pty Ltd (DJE) and sole director Dennis Jones were sentenced for the 2021 serious injury of an apprentice. The...

$1M ENFORCEABLE UNDERTAKING FOR FORKLIFT TRAFFIC FAILURE

Posted on 30 April 2025

Australia’s largest privately owned construction company, J Hutchinson Pty Ltd (JHB), has entered into a $1 million enforceable undertaking to improve their company’s health and...

NEW GUIDANCE: TEMPORARY TIMBER GUARDRAILS

Posted on 30 April 2025

WorkSafe have released new guidance explaining how to create safe temporary timber guardrails to prevent falls from heights. Timber guardrails play an important role in...

NHVR OPERATION MELBOURNE MARKET TO TARGET ALARMING LEVEL OF BREACHES

Posted on 30 April 2025

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will launch Operation Melbourne Market for the third time to reinforce safety compliance after previous operations finds 70% of intercepted...

APPRENTICE AND TRAINEE FREE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Posted on 30 April 2025

The Victorian Government has introduced the Apprentice Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential and free counselling advice to apprentices and trainees employed by Victorian...

ACCC RECALL ALERT – POTENTIAL DEFECTS IN FALL ARREST HARNESSES

Posted on 30 April 2025

Spelean Pty Ltd has issued a recall for specific batches of Petzl NEWTON (European version) fall arrest harnesses due to potential defects in the FAST...

WORKSAFE RELEASES UPDATED COMPLIANCE CODE: ENGINEERED STONE

Posted on 30 April 2025

WorkSafe has released its updated publication Code of Compliance for Engineered Stone. This Code provides practical guidance for those who have duties or obligations under...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 30 April 2025

Hi Renata – My boss has replaced the old forklift in our workplace – I don’t think the new forklift has all of the safety...

DP WORLD PLANS FOR AUTOMATION MAKE AUSTRALIAN PORTS LESS SAFE

Posted on 30 April 2025

DP World, a Dubai Royal family-owned logistics company, controls a third of Australia’s port infrastructure. The company has recently announced that it plans to spend...

MORAL INJURY STRONG PREDICTOR OF PTSD IN PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL

Posted on 16 April 2025

New research from Canada has identified links between moral injury (MI) and the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Public safety personnel, such as...

EMPLOYERS CONTINUE TO PUT APPRENTICES AT RISK

Posted on 16 April 2025

Every week we see reports of employers disregarding the safety and rights of apprentices and other young and vulnerable workers. The following prosecutions are just...

$750K FINE FOR WA MINING COMPANY NORTHERN STAR MINING

Posted on 16 April 2025

Underground mining services company Northern Star Mining Services Pty Ltd has been fined $750,000 after a drill operator sustained spinal and leg injuries while working...

$10K FINE FOR FALL FROM ROOF

Posted on 16 April 2025

A roof plumbing, tiling and general maintenance service company Melbourne Iron Roofing Pty Ltd (MIR) has been fined $10,000 following a fall from heights incident....

FINE FOR MANUFACTURER’S DISABLED INTERLOCK SYSTEM THAT RESULTED IN A BRAIN INJURY INCREASED TO $75K ON APPEAL

Posted on 16 April 2025

Class Plastics (Aust) Pty Ltd manufactures rigid plastic blow-moulded industrial bottles, drums and other storage containers. In April 2022 an employee was crushed by a...