According to a media release from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in the United States, a new research report says: “Smoking bans are effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and heart disease associated with exposure to secondhand smoke, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The report also confirms there is … Continue reading “Evidence of heart attacks due to secondhand smoke”
On 4 October 2009, Queensland’s Attorney-General Cameron Dick released details of his intentions to increase the compensation available for individuals and their relatives through his Civil Liability and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. Below is a table which shows the level of the increase. It needs to be pointed out that this is not workers’ compensation but OHS legislation is blurring the demarcation … Continue reading “Civil liability and work-related diseases”
As the incidence of asbestos-related diseases increases, the issues associated with asbestos have evolved beyond occupational health and safety. The corporate conduct of James Hardie Industries and the prosecuting of its directors by the Australian Government had asbestos as the product around which corporate misbehaviour occurred. The prosecution has not improved the lot of the victims. The compensation fund … Continue reading “The changing asbestos campaigns”
SafetyAtWorkBlog has kept a watchful eye on the long saga involving the directors of James Hardie Industries and their mishandling of a compensation fund specifically established for victims of the company’s asbestos products. The compensation fund story has been handled well by Gideon Haigh in his book on the company. The saga has since evolved … Continue reading “James Hardie directors face the consequences of their poor decisions”
The issue of driving while using a mobile is a perennial issue for the media but nothing much changes. The New York Times on 20 July 2009 carried an article on the latest research which confirms many previous studies that using a mobile phone while driving increases the risk of an accident. No US State … Continue reading “Driving and talking”
The community is not getting as concerned about nanotechnology as expected (or perhaps as needed). There is the occasional scare and the Australian unions have relaunched their campaign on the hazards of nanotechnology manufacturing. There have been several articles about the potential ecosystem damage of nanotechnology in our waterways. Frequently, it can be heard that nanotechnology is … Continue reading “Fearing the invisible – selling nanotechnology hazards”
A leading Australian OHS lawyer, Michael Tooma, spoke to ABC Radio on 16 April 2009. Tooma spoke about the potential risks employers face by dealing with a substance whose hazard rating is unclear. HE says “Employers at the moment may be unaware of the extent of the potential liability sometime down the track. …We could be … Continue reading “Lawyer speaks on nanotechnology risks”