Safety Alert – Safe use of nail guns This alert reminds nail gun users to prevent their guns from inadvertently discharging when they’re using them. It also reminds them to prevent nails from inadvertently ricocheting and hitting persons or penetrating other surfaces. Background Nail guns are a high risk tool widely used in the residential [...]
A Mulgrave sign installation company has been convicted and fined $50,000 over an incident that left a worker with severe burns to his body after he suffered an electric shock. Southern Ultimate Sign Installations Pty Ltd (Southern USI) pleaded guilty at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court this week to one charge of failing to provide a [...]
Background Workers have died or sustained serious injuries after their work vehicles exploded. These explosions occurred when gas from leaking portable gas cylinders ignited inside the vehicles. In many cases, the ignition source was the vehicle’s electrical system. Flammable gas cylinders include those containing oxygen, acetylene, liquefied petroleum gas and propane or butane throwaway-style cylinders. [...]
Purpose The purpose of this safety alert is to highlight the importance of correctly locking out the free fall controls on mobile cranes fitted with this feature. Background A worker was fatally injured by a falling load while erecting a transmission tower west of Dalby inQueensland in March 2012. A 20 tonne rough terrain mobile [...]
Purpose The purpose of this alert is to highlight the importance of safe systems of work when performing maintenance on plant, following a fatality that occurred when a worker was replacing parts on a vehicle lifting device. Background A worker was killed when he was crushed by the lifting device while replacing one of the [...]
Under the new work health and safety laws that commenced on 1 January 2012, high risk work licences are no longer required for earthmoving equipment or remotely operated bridge and gantry cranes. However, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) that includes the use of plant must ensure the safe use and operation of [...]
Marissa Deeble from WorkSafe’s Prevention Strategy Division focuses on the safety of workers who perform cleaning tasks. Have you ever thought about the safety of the workers who clean your workshop or office and why are they referred to as the invisible army? Often we focus on the workers who perform ‘high risk’ tasks such [...]
New work health and safety laws commenced in the Commonwealth, New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory on 1st January 2012. Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania have deferred the implementation of these new laws for a further 12 months and South Australian parliament have voted to adjourn the debate on the WHS Bill until 14 [...]
Model Work Health and Safety laws will not commence on 1 January 2012 in Tasmania. On 2 December 2011, Tasmania’s Legislative Council amended the start date of the Work Health and Safety Bill 2011 to 1 January 2013. The Bill will be returned to the House of Assembly for consideration of the change when Parliament [...]
In the second half of 2011, in keeping with the ACT’s commitment to the national harmonisation of health and safety laws, the Legislative Assembly passed a new Work Health and Safety Act 2011. The new Act replaces the previous Work Safety Act 2008 on 1 January 2012. The Work Safety Act 2008 therefore ceases to [...]
