Employers urged to make workplaces safer for staff in 2015
Companies should put the health and safety of workers at the forefront of their business strategies this year, according to an industry organisation. Safe Work Australia called on the country’s enterprises to make staff wellbeing a 2015 New Year’s resolution, adding that improvements to workplace environments don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Hundreds of thousands […]
WorkCover encourages farm safety in NSW
Agriculture is among Australia’s most dangerous industries, with total and permanent disability (TPD) just one of the potential career-ending hazards farm workers face on the job. This is why WorkCover sent inspectors to last weekend’s (November 1 and 2) Farming Small Areas and Lifestyle Expo in Clarendon, in an effort to raise awareness of the […]
Australian injury fatality rate drops
New figures from Safe Work Australia have been released, and there is an indication that workplace safety is improving across the board. Published in the 16th edition of the Comparative Performance Monitoring report, the number of work-related compensated injury fatalities are at the lowest in a decade. Based on high results in the early 2000s, Safe […]
Taking the shine off glass industry injuries
The glass industry is full of sharp edges, but a new WorkCover NSW initiative hopes to take the gloss off the number of preventable workplace injuries. As part of the initiative, the state authority will work alongside more than 100 small glass and glazing businesses around New South Wales to offer comprehensive information and support. This assistance […]
New codes of practice for NSW workplaces
The construction, electrical and manufacturing industries often face the scrutiny of the media and the general public over their poor safety record. However, WorkCover NSW hopes to change the focus following the introduction of 12 new codes of practice. These codes are aim to improve safety in these key sectors and promote good practice for […]
Aim to lower injuries in wood industry
After close to 2,000 workplace related injuries in recent years, there has been a significant move to invest in employee safety in the NSW wood industry. Figures indicate injuries cost the NSW workers compensation scheme at least $19.5 million in the three years to July 2010. This highlights that further funding is needed in this high-risk industry. […]
Inspections aim to reduce workplace accidents
With the NSW construction industry one of the most dangerous sectors in the state, a collaborative effort between inspectors from both sides of the Victorian border continues to reduce workplace accidents. In the three years to 2011, there were more than 1,200 injuries and illnesses caused by neglected safety requirements, including three fatalities. This was […]
Explosion of tank raising safety concerns
The importance of safely removing underground storage tanks has been highlighted by WorkCover NSW after three workers were seriously injured in an explosion in New South Wales. The accident occurred during attempts to pull up an underground storage tank which had previously contained unleaded petrol. As two workers watched nearby, another worker on an excavator lifted the […]
Worker lucky to be alive after gas cylinder explosion
Workers in regional and rural NSW are warned of the dangers when dealing with gas cylinders used for fire suppression systems. This comes following a recent Safety Alert from Work Cover NSW that tells the story of a demolition worker who received significant injuries stemming from a gas cylinder explosion. The gas cylinders, different from […]
NSW businesses promote WHS, reduce TPD claims
When businesses don’t make workplace health and safety (WHS) a priority, this can result in serious injuries, workers’ compensation and personal disability claims and – in some cases – even death. In 2012, a total of 212 employees died as a result of work-related injuries. While this number dropped to 186 employees in 2013 – a […]
