Archived News for OHS Sector Professionals - December, 2013
Many will be intimately aware of the compounding effect of a snorer sleeping on their back, but researchers in Adelaide are conducting trials of a new pillow that could silence the annoyance.
Audit app update brings more safety to mobiles
An Australian company has released the latest version of a smartphone app to help all kinds of workplace safety auditing.
Local group out-designs dusty dumps
An engineering firm in New South Wales is testing its new dust-suppressing dump truck, which is aimed at reducing the amount of harmful and valuable material flying loose from the back of loads.
Asylum seeker health group cut down to one
All but one of the medical professionals advising on the health and well-being of asylum seekers have been sacked, following a purge that could leave thousands at risk.
Brief breaks from binge for a less destructive holiday
A well-timed report has made a few suggestions to minimise the damage from excess mirth and merry-making this Christmas, unfortunately they involve something other than the couch and leftover turkey.
Parents against clearly contrary sport sponsors
Most Australian parents do not want fast-food companies plugging their products to kids at sporting grounds.
Worker falls in waste as Ranger probe begins
A worker has reportedly fallen into contaminated waste while cleaning up a large spill of uranium slurry at the Ranger mine in NT.
Gun-toting school cops defend line of duty
The Australian Education Union (AEU) has raised concerns after Northern Territory Police suddenly armed its school-based police officers.
WA hooks in to shark cull for safety
In Western Australia, peoples’ right to swim in the ocean has trumped sharks’ right to live.
More control for locals, miners less impressed
A bill is being considered which will hand more control to Queensland governments for approval of mining leases, but some say it does not go far enough.
One in five cite bullies in Victorian Education probe
A recent survey has shown a high level of workplace abuse and bullying in the Victorian Education Department.
Safety seen as big winner in Qld. builds
Two firms have been recognised for their safety-conscious engineering efforts in Queensland.
Watery model allows best practice to float
A new model has been created to show, with enhanced clarity, the best ways for mining companies to manage water resources and other environmental assets.
Weekend pile-driving approved to hurry port
Construction work at the Hay Point coal port expansion on the Queensland coast will occur on weekends and public holidays, with the extended times hoped to bring completion up to twenty days closer.
Medical board backs refusal for repeated haters
The Australian Medical Association says it is okay for clinics to turn down people who complain about their services on social media.
Million-litre uranium spill contained, calls for closure still
The recent spill of about a million litres of uranium ore and acid has been used as a platform to call for the end of uranium mining at the Ranger site.
Councils given megaphone for rally against bats
Local councils in Queensland have been given permission to frighten flying foxes into retreat, and possibly to bring out the big guns next year.
Ground lost in push for workplace engagement
Figures show that there a fewer work opportunities for people with disabilities than there were twenty years ago.
Study finds Neanderthals lived clean, neat and tidy
Most modern humans arrange their homes just the way they like them, and new research suggests Neanderthals did the same thing.
Watchdog says sunscreen claim's meaning has changed
Australia’s consumer watchdog has barked-down claims about the alleged danger of nano-materials in sunscreen.
Audit finds room for improvement in hospital OHS
Victoria’s Auditor-General has found hospital workers routinely face high risks to their safety, and there is much room for improvement in the way hazards are handled.