OHS Alert

A "key mechanism" in a multinational banking company translating psychosocial risk assessments into "concrete, localised actions", is a system of field visits by a specialised internal team, according to one of a series new case studies from a peak international safety authority. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has released nine case studies of what workplaces across Europe are doing to prevent psychosocial risks (PSRs).

A worker who claimed a missed leadership opportunity was the "straw that broke the camel's back" has failed to convince a tribunal that his psychological injury was caused by long-term unreasonable conduct by his supervisors. The Australian Federal Police officer claimed he suffered his injury as a result of being treated unfairly by his superiors at various points in his career.

A PCBU that failed to implement basic training for workers operating around dangerous gas has been handed a category-3 WHS penalty, with a court finding this failure "surprising" in light of the PCBU's other extensive safety measures. In considering the appropriate penalty, NSW Industrial Court Acting Justice Geoffrey Bellew noted the significant remedial steps the PCBU took after an employee was exposed to a chlorine gas leak demonstrated it didn't "put a price upon worker safety"...

A worker assaulted by a client is no longer entitled to medical expenses because any condition he has can't benefit from any treatment, a commission has found. Queensland Industrial Relations Commissioner Samantha Pidgeon acknowledged that the injury and worker's comp process had "taken a toll" on the worker, but stressed that the evidence affirmed the decision to deny him compensation... You need to be logged in to read this article. Subscribers log in here Having trouble using your subscription?

WHS information-sharing and psychosocial clauses amended in NSW; and Psych injuries marked as major concern on launch of Tas review. You need to be logged in to read this article. Subscribers log in here Having trouble using your subscription? Contact us for help or check our FAQ page here for answers to commonly asked questions. Non subscribers: Access OHS Alert by starting your subscription here. Haven't seen OHS Alert before? For a 28-day free trial sign up here. Go back to our homepage here.

A PCBU has failed to overturn its WHS conviction, with a court finding it should have expressly prohibited its workers from setting up and operating high-risk equipment on "suspect ground". Queensland District Court Judge Sarah Farnden agreed that the previous ruling against Kat Concrete Pumping Pty Ltd contained errors, but concluded that it had been reasonably practicable for Kat to add the suspect-ground prohibition to its safe work method statement...

A company director has been convicted and fined $195,500, after failing to heed the warnings of workers, including scientists, that a project was unsafe and they needed special PPE. In sentencing, NSW District Court Judge Wendy Strathdee found Peter Fusarelli was the "sole directing mind" of his company, and "had all necessary control over the business, the equipment, the employees and the relevant policies and procedures".

A second duty holder has been convicted and fined over an inexperienced worker's arm amputation, taking the penalties imposed over the incident to nearly $800,000. The NSW Industrial Court heard machine operator Timothy David Jones' breaches occurred in circumstances where his offsider had not been trained or assessed as competent in the relevant tasks, but ruled that the objective seriousness of his offending was still significant... You need to be logged in to read this article.

Dismissing a worker for mishandling a dangerous package was unfair where the employer had failed to ensure the safety procedures he breached were closely followed by all employees, a commission has found. Fair Work Commissioner Stephen Crawford ordered FedEx Express Australia Pty Ltd to reinstate the worker, finding footage from the workplace showed "packages being thrown and kicked", dangerous goods packages unsafely placed on a conveyor, and workers climbing over the conveyor...

A commission has refused to strike out parts of a worker's stop-bullying claim, despite accepting some of the alleged conduct didn't occur while she was "at work". NSW Industrial Relations Commissioner Christopher Muir said that because the non-work allegations might potentially be relevant in assessing any prospects of future bullying, it wasn't appropriate to remove them from the application... You need to be logged in to read this article.