If there is one silver lining from dealing with COVID-19, floods and fires over the past few years, it's that workers and others are now more willing to accept that their mental health can be affected and reach out for help, National Mental Health Commission CEO, Christine Morgan, has told the Comcare National Conference.
The jailing of a business owner for industrial manslaughter, the commencement of a mirror WHS Act, legislative changes across most jurisdictions, and a host of judgments on work-related COVID matters, are just some of the issues covered by OHS Alert's first major review report of the year.
Now is a crucial time for workers, for the sake of their mental health, to be discussing pandemic-related challenges with their managers, but nearly half of Australian workers are uncomfortable initiating these important conversations, according to research released with two guides on the issue.
A case report on a Scandinavian firefighter with melanoma has highlighted the dangers of a banned but still prevalent hazardous substance, and the need to assess the interaction of multiple workplace risk factors and the effectiveness of PPE.
Police officers are among those who have applauded a parliamentary inquiry's call for the NSW Upper House to reject a Bill scrapping presumptive compensation for workers with COVID-19. The inquiry slammed the State Government's cost-blowout claims and its failure to properly consider alternatives to dumping the benefit.
An important ruling on the WHS consultation duties around COVID-19 vaccines, several reckless conduct cases and a string of legislative developments were among the safety and workers' comp highlights of the final quarter of 2021. Read this article for everything you need to know from the past three months.