Injuries caused by biomechanical demands, such as repetitive hand movements or heavy lifting, cost Australian business $361 million a year in compensation payments - and 99 per cent of employees are at risk, according to new Safe Work Australia research.
The draft model Work Health and Safety Regulations and Codes of Practice contain a "retrograde" definition of "manual task", an ambiguous rule for emergency plans and inadequate provisions for urinals, according to submissions made to Safe Work Australia.
A Queensland secretary who injured her back while lifting a box of paper has been awarded nearly $240,000 in damages, after a judge found she had not been trained to lift things safely.
A Victorian worker should not have been permitted to perform heavy manual-handling work alone and without mechanical assistance, the Supreme Court has found, in awarding him more than $1,000,000 in damages.
Post-holiday complacency can be fatal, employers warned; WorkSafe WA warns employers about heights and inspection campaigns; New Western Australian rail safety laws commence; and South Australia appoints new Industrial Relations Minister.
A Northern Territory office worker has been denied compensation for an eight-year-old manual handling injury due to a "disconnect" between her medical records and the history she gave doctors.