WorkSafe, Emergency Management Victoria and Victoria Police have made it clear that they will crack down hard on businesses flouting the new mask rules. The latest figures show that about 80 per cent of Victoria’s COVID cases since May were the result of workplace transmission, including private-sector aged care. A new Victorian directive, from midnight on Wednesday 22 July, means that people in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will have to wear a mask. Regardless of whether your staff are able to be socially distant from each other, they will need to wear a mask at work if there is more than one person on site. An inspection and enforcement blitz will be carried out in workplaces across the state.

We’ve compiled a list of links that is useful for businesses in fire affected areas to help manage the risks to people and property. Please let us know if there are any other links you think we should add.

Organisations have a duty to ensure they provide a safe workplace, so far as reasonably practicable and this duty extends to managing exposure to bushfire smoke. Workers with greater sensitivity, such as those with asthma, cardiac or pulmonary conditions or those conducting strenuous or prolonged work outside are at greatest risk, especially in hazardous levels. WorkSafe Victoria has released guidance on bushfire smoke which outlines the general approach organisations should take to managing their workers exposure to bushfire smoke.

Recently much attention has been focused on silica and coal dust exposure. This is due to the multiple positive Silicosis diagnoses from employees working in the engineered stone industry and the spate of mine dust related diseases in Queensland (as reported by ABC news in February). The reason for the recent spate of these illnesses is likely to be due to an absence of control measures or inadequacy of implemented control measures.

The final report on the Model Work Health and Safety Laws review, by Marie Boland, former Executive Director of SafeWork SA, was released in December 2018.  Reassuringly the review found that “the model WHS laws are, for the most part, working as intended”.  However, it also went further into the detail of the regulations, uncovering dissatisfaction with specific provisions and making 34 recommendations which, if implemented, could significantly affect the substance of the current laws and their enforcement.  

As part of the OHS Regulations you have a duty of care to ensure that your employees aren’t exposed to noise which is harmful to their health and safety. In order to comply with the regulations you must identify, assess and control the noise risk to your employees and others

On 1 October 2018, significant changes were made to the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws. They will have an impact on many industries and on many businesses. If you’re in the heavy vehicle transport ‘supply chain’ you will have a duty of care to proactively identify hazards and work to remove or minimise risks. Whether you’re involved in maintenance, construction, transportation or management you will be affected.

One in five Australian workers is currently experiencing a mental illness1. This means that the impact of mental illness in the workplace is going to be significant in terms of lost productivity, turnover of staff, absenteeism and the impact on other workers. Sane Australia conducted research which showed that 95% of respondents believed that employers and managers need more education and training about how to manage the effects of mental illness in the workplace. This makes it easy to understand why Safe Work Australia released a National Guidance on Work-related Psychological Health and Safety on the 14th June this year.

Due to widespread historic use, asbestos roofing is now a major problem in some commercial buildings. Exposure to the elements over the years means it is more likely to have deteriorated than asbestos used elsewhere. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency has just released a new report that looks at current ways of containing and stabilising asbestos, particularly in roofing. The idea is to make the asbestos safer to remain in place or to help make it safer whilst it’s removed.

The case of 27 year old Cameron Harper who has been diagnosed with Silicosis is a lesson for us all. His disease has been linked to lax health and safety standards. As a stonemason he wasn't provided with the proper PPE - clearly the responsibility of his employer. Silicosis, the disease caused by exposure to crystalline silica, is associated with elevated risk of cancer and severe pulmonary fibrosis disease and has been in the news recently due to calls for a national response to protect tradesmen. Are you doing everything you need to do to protect your staff?