An organisation that failed to act on a serious risk identified in an audit has been fined $160,000 over a death, while two related businesses have been fined a total of $250,000 for unsafely failing to comply with engineering drawings for a major project, and disregarding a regulator's request for information.
Work-focused support programs can help workers with common mental disorders return to work, but employers should be aware of the ethical considerations arising from their use, researchers say.
A right-of-entry dispute surrounding the Australian Taxation Office's new rules for permit holders has confirmed that occupational health and safety requirements "can condition the exercise of entry rights".
Two PCBUs that drafted and approved the design of a structure, which subsequently collapsed, have been convicted and fined for WHS contraventions, with a magistrate highlighting the safety value of the "humble check list".
The Federal Government has committed millions of dollars to enforcing the impending WHS ban on engineered stone at the border, and conducting a comprehensive review of the Commonwealth jurisdiction's workers' compensation laws, under a "safer workplaces" package in its 2024-25 budget.
A company with an entirely remote workforce supports its workers' wellbeing by paying for them to get out of the house and ensuring their designated contactable hours are respected regardless of what time zone they are in.
Three companies and an individual face maximum fines totalling more than $10.5 million, in what could be the first finalised prosecutions under Western Australia's version of the national model WHS laws.
Australia's WHS and workers' compensation ministers have agreed to: work towards a major asbestos-removal plan targeting commercial buildings; implement WHS provisions to further crack down on silica risks; and reinstate the push for a national approach to protecting the psychological safety of first responders.
