Health and safety in the workplace has often been associated with parallel improvements in productivity. Less often have the improvements been supported by scientific study.

Manual handling can be a necessary part of getting a job done at many workplaces. Where manual handling involves moving people, repetitive actions, unstable loads and other factors, the work can become hazardous and it is the biggest cause of injury at many workplaces.

OHS (or WHS outside Victoria) is principally a state and territory responsibility. The Federal Government supports national organisations such as SafeWork Australia which is important for establishing national standards including the workplace exposure standards. The change of Federal government may influence the way in which some or all of these organisations operate and their funding.  

Australia is in the middle of one of its largest ever labour shortages. There is no doubt that many of you are struggling to fill vacancies for experienced staff. As reported by the Australian Financial Review¹, almost one-third of businesses in Australia are having difficulty finding staff.

On the 6th June this year Safe Work Australia announced major amendments to the model Work Health and Safety Act and model Work Health and Safety Regulations. Whilst the amendments cover a range of issues, there are two key changes you should be aware of. They are in relation to managing psychosocial risk and a proposed prohibition on insurance for penalties. How will these, and the other changes, affect you?

New obligations were introduced in Victoria in November 2021 aimed at protecting workers from exposure to deadly Crystalline Silica dust. There was a phased approach to the introduction of the regulations to give you enough time to prepare for the changes to your duties and obligations. However, the 15 November 2022 deadline for the introduction of the remaining Victorian Crystalline Silica Regulations is fast approaching. What does this mean for you?

The fire on the carrier ship Felicity Ace, carrying many luxury cars including electric cars, has prompted us all to have another look at how we store and use lithium batteries.

After an extreme weather event, it is difficult to know where to start the clean-up. The feeling of being overwhelmed can make it hard to digest conflicting information, much of which is incomplete and can leave you exposed to unforeseen risks.

The relationship between ventilation and the airborne transmission of COVID has been in the news over the last few months. Is this something that you should be considering? The simple answer is a resounding YES! A research article titled ‘A guideline to limit indoor airborne transmission of COVID-19’ says: ‘Airborne transmission arises through the inhalation of aerosol droplets exhaled by an infected person and is now thought to be the primary transmission route of COVID-19.’