In March 2016 The Victorian Premier announced the establishment of a dedicated agency to target and prioritise the removal of asbestos in government buildings – including hospitals and schools - across Victoria.

The Andrews’ Government stated that the Victoria Asbestos Eradication Agency (VAEA) will create a comprehensive and consolidated register of asbestos in Victorian government buildings to ensure the removal of asbestos in buildings of greatest concern are dealt with first.

*UPDATE* Quadrivalent Vaccine NOW AVAILABLE 

Each year the World Health Organization (WHO) puts forward its recommendations for the composition of the influenza virus for the Southern Hemisphere influenza season. This year this includes two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain.

Over the past 10 years, these three recommended strains have accounted for an average of 94% of all influenza cases reported in Australia.

For the 2016 flu season, some manufacturers have chosen to include a fourth strain – an additional influenza B strain.

Statistics show that 1 in 5 adult Australians suffer from a mental illness, often as a result of chronic stress, which ultimately impacts their work. Therefore, taking care of employee mental health not only shows good ethics, but it’s also good for business.

It’s been estimated that the annual cost to a company of an employee with untreated depression is $9,660. Amazingly, untreated depression results in over 6 million working days lost each year in Australia. That’s a lot of wasted production!

Did you know that Construction workers are among the most affected by industrial deafness? Safe Work Australia research shows that the construction industry is the third noisiest industry sector.

Many of the workers are surprised at this result, particularly when they may have considered it to be a ‘Quiet’ Day during which they only conducted the occasional noisy activity. However the meaning of a ‘Quiet’ Day to a Tradie is somewhat different to somebody who works in an Office.

According to this year’s Tradie National Health Month, “Nearly a quarter of all roofers, labourers and plumbers experience back pain, muscle stress and strain from lifting equipment or slips, trips, and falls when handling materials”.

The Australian Physiotherapist Association (APA) states that there is a substantial number of tradies who suffer severe and debilitating back pain due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's), in which some cases are highly preventable.

A study involving 209 dosimetry measurements and 100 area measurements in four Swedish paper mills supported the use of dosimetry, in the characterisation of noise exposures in conjunction with sound pressure levels, over sound pressure levels on their own. The analysis showed that dosimetry measures, had the highest estimated validity coefficient (0.70), and that area measurements (0.40) were significantly less accurate at predicting exposure.

Now we’re in the midst of summer our exposure to ultra violet radiation from the sun generally increases due to the larger area of skin exposed to sunlight and the increase in sunlight UV levels.

These two factors result in an increased risk of developing skin cancer, with outdoor workers receiving five to 10 times more sun exposure than indoor workers, putting them at a higher risk.

What is an Otoscopy?

An Otoscopy is a visual ear examination through the use of an otoscope. The purpose of the examination is to check for any abnormal features in the external auditory canal of the ear. The part of the ear being examined is the tunnel that leads from the outer ear (pinna) to the eardrum. The most common abnormal features that may be found through the examination include;

In Australia, asbestos products were used in the construction industry from the 1940’s to the late 1980s, and in the production of plant and car parts up until 2003. In some overseas countries, asbestos is still being made and can be found in some imported products.

Inhalation of Asbestos fibres can lead to a range of diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestosis causes scaring of the lungs while mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung linings and can take a long period to develop after exposure.

Noise induced hearing loss is an irreversible condition that can have significant impacts on people’s lives.

Section 3.2.11 – Audiometric tests, of the Victorian Regulations states: “If an employer is required under regulation 3.2.4(1)(d) to provide hearing protectors to an employee, the employer must provide for audiometric testing for that employee..."