Search Results for: heat

Sorting by date order. Sort by relevance.

Case study of existing hazards in the new legislative context

Last month Joe Catanzariti of the Australian law firm, Clayton Utz, wrote a short article that links two OHS issues in a manner that others should follow. Catanzariti made the jump from a prosecution under current New South Wales OHS legislation (according to many the most draconian in Australia) to identify how such a decision would be made under the harmonise OHS … Continue reading “Case study of existing hazards in the new legislative context”

ACTU industrial officer is new WorkSafe executive

SafetyAtWorkBlog has been informed that Cath Bowtell has been appointed the new executive director of WorkSafe Victoria.  Bowtell’s name may be familiar to some Australians due to her recent contest to be the next President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Cath Bowtell is due to take on the position in the middle of 2010.

If safety culture begins at the top, what message is the Australian Government sending on insulation installer deaths?

If safety culture is set and developed by leaders, what does it mean when a Prime Minister launches a scheme that places the creation of jobs over the need for worker safety? Two days before International Workers’ Memorial Day, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners program analyses the failed insulation scheme initiated by the Australian … Continue reading “If safety culture begins at the top, what message is the Australian Government sending on insulation installer deaths?”

Two farmers dead and two injured from contacting overhead electricity cables

On 16 March 2010, two farmers outside Rainbow in Victoria were killed when the windmill they were moving touched live overhead electricity cables.  According to preliminary reports from the emergency ambulance service, two work colleagues went to the rescue and were injured themselves. A video report is available HERE. According to media information from WorkSafe Victoria: “A father and … Continue reading “Two farmers dead and two injured from contacting overhead electricity cables”

Public relations, OHS and a workplace death

In October 2009, Matthew Fuller was electrocuted while installing metal foil insulation in the roof of a house in Queensland.  He was a subcontractor for a registered insulation installation company called Countrywide Insulation. Countrywide and its owner have been heavily criticised in the Australian media.  But Countrywide has “hit back” at critics with a media release on 16 February 2010, the only content on its webpage.  The … Continue reading “Public relations, OHS and a workplace death”

Small business can equal depression, stress and mental health problems

According to an article in  the Australian Financial Review on 16 February 2010 (only available online through subscription): “The isolation of working at home or in a small shop or factory by themselves can wear down many in the small and medium  enterprise sector.  In the most severe cases, it can lead to depression and cause major … Continue reading “Small business can equal depression, stress and mental health problems”

Workplace deaths lead to reforms but not of workplace safety

Australia’s Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, has provided a clear indication that, although Julia Gillard may understand OHS, his department does not. In 2009, several installers of domestic insulation died.  One died from heat stress from working in the ceiling space, another was electrocuted as the metal staple he was using to install foil insulation pierced an electricity cable.  Now the political heat is … Continue reading “Workplace deaths lead to reforms but not of workplace safety”