Archived News for OHS Sector Professionals - February, 2012
Victorian business owners have been put on notice to take immediate action to support the health of their workers after new research shows one in four employees have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a life-threatening yet preventable disease.
WorkSafe Victoria’s study of more than 400,000 WorkHealth checks conducted across the state’s employment landscape reveals nearly one in three men (29.9%) and one in six women (16.4%) have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (23.3% of total workforce).
Getting the 'work, rest, play' balance right
Researchers at the University of South Australia have produced a book, Time bomb: work, rest and play in Australia today, which examines the impact of the combined stresses of managing jobs, home and community life.
MBAV to offer specialised OHS training at new centre
The Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV) has announced it will construct a $10 million Master Builders Building Leadership Simulation Centre (BLSC).
Safe Work Australia launches volunteer assistance
Safe Work Australia has launched a new volunteer assistance package aimed at assisting volunteering organisations better understand new work health and safety (WHS) laws.
Federal anger over Victorian OHS delay
Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has accused the Victorian government of deliberately frustrating progress on the national occupational health and safety harmonisation initative.
Victoria appoints Road Safety Camera Commissioner
The Victorian government has appointed former County Court Judge Gordon Lewis as the country’s first independent Road Safety Camera Commissioner with the aim of increasing integrity measures around speed and red light cameras.
NSW WorkCover overhaul to rein in deficit blow-out
The NSW Minister for Finance & Services, Greg Pearce, has stated that the Government will fast track reforms to WorkCover and the Compensation Authorities following the resignations of the Chairman, Greg McCarthy and CEO Lisa Hunt. The reforms will be aimed at checking WorkCover’s deficit, which in the six months to June 30 the deficit had blown out from $994 million to $2360 million.
"I have made it clear that the WorkCover scheme in its current form is untenable - the deficit is growing and WorkCover must be reformed to get it back in the black," Mr Pearce said.
"Both Mr McCarthy and Ms Hunt agreed there was a need to reform WorkCover and the government will now move to press ahead with the reforms under a new leadership team," he said.
"The reforms will be fast-tracked with Deputy Chair, Nicholas Whitlam, acting as Chair and current Chief Financial Officer, Julie Newman, acting as CEO until replacements are appointed.
"One of the possible reform options, developed by Mr McCarthy, includes merging WorkCover and the four other compensation authorities - the Motor Accidents Authority, Dust and Diseases Tribunal, Sporting Injuries Committee and Lifetime Care and Support Authority to achieve savings.
Mr McCarthy has been a member of the Board of WorkCover since 2002, including the position of Chair since 2005, and was in the process of developing the reforms to turn the scheme around.
Ms Hunt has been CEO since 2010 and was instrumental in driving change in the workplace including the implementation of the new Work, Health and Safety regime.
Leaked documents raise health concerns over new ABC building
Environmental health concerns continue to plague the ABC’s Brisbane offices, with documents leaked that show the environmental consultants employed during construction of the new ABC headquarters at South Bank, Brisbane, temporarily resigned over concerns that environmental health issues had not been addressed in effort to cut costs.
New mobile mine gas laboratory to protect Queensland mines
The Queensland Government’s Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station (Simtars) has developed a fully automated mobile mine gas laboratory that can be rapidly deployed in the event of a mine emergency.