12th Victorian workplace fatality in 2011
A workplace accident at Mingay on August 9, 2011 has taken Victoria’s workplace fatality toll to 12 for the year. A 62-year-old contractor was killed while cutting down trees with a number of other workers. A blue-gum tree fell on top of the man and also hit a car. A 27-year-old who was in the car was also taken to hospital, suffering some minor injuries. WorkSafe investigators arrived at the scene and are continuing their investigations into the tragic accident. A WorkSafe spokesman has sent out a reminder to all, that it does not matter “whether you’re a farmer, officer worker or anything in between, safety should always be the priority.”
In July, a worker died from electrocution while his colleague suffered severe burns when their cherry picker touched power lines. The men are believed by WorkSafe to have been undertaking routine maintenance work for a plumbing business on the roof of a building when the cherry picker struck power lines. This caused the cherry picker to burst into flames which delayed paramedic’s access to the men.
In another accident a 56-year-old truck driver unloading timber at a worksite has been crushed to death when bundled timber fell on him. The timber and building materials company he worked for has been issued with two improvement notices by WorkSafe following the accident. WorkSafe will be returning to continue their investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and have renewed calls for businesses to take action to address risks in the workplace.
All workplace accidents can have serious long term effects on the workplace, family, friends and the community.
Vocam Safety Training
Safety Awareness
Safety Awareness – E-Learning
Understanding Safety in the Office
Understanding Safety in the Office – E-Learning
Understanding Safety at Work
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Company fined almost $60,000 for safety accidents
A tuna processing company was fined almost $60,000 by the Industrial Court in early August 2011 after two employees were injured using the same machine within a month. The fine comes after the company plead guilty to breaches of the Occupational Health and Welfare Act 1986 for failing to ensure the safety of its workers. In the first of the incidents, a male employee suffered deep lacerations to his finger. At the time he was trying to clear a blockage in the caser machine, which is used to seal cardboard boxes.
A few weeks later the second accident took place when a female employee suffered severe injuries to her hand after it was trapped by moving parts in the same unguarded opening of the machine. As a result she sustained serious damage to her bone, nerve and tendon, leaving her right hand permanently impaired. The investigation conducted by SafeWork SA revealed that there were a number of crucial safety deficiencies such as the lack of a written safe operating procedure, explaining how to manage such a hazard.
Vocam Safety Training
Training is an effective measure to increase everyone’s awareness of the appropriate and adequate safety procedures for the workplace.
Lockout / Tagout – Making it Safe
Hand Aware
Safety Awareness
Safety Awareness – E-Learning
Understanding Safety in the Office
Understanding Safety in the Office – E-Learning
Understanding Safety at Work
Slips Trips and Falls
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Court finds workplace death could have been easily prevented
The NSW Industrial Court has found that a construction worker’s death would have been prevented had proper safety protocols and training been utilised. The 34-year-old, in his first month of work at the particular company, was struck by a steel concrete mould in 2008. The company he worked for and its director were fined $137,500 in a 23-page judgement handed down in late July 2011. It was found that the company failed to provide a safe work method statement for subcontractors completing the particular task the worker was. The necessary safety measures to prevent the shutters around the concrete from becoming unstable were not used. There also should have been an exclusion zone in place so that workers were not in the vicinity if the steel concrete moulds fell.
It was this combination of safety hazards that lead to the concrete mould suddenly falling, striking the worker on the head, neck and shoulder. He was rushed to hospital with fractures to his face, skull, spine and ribs, swelling to his brain and significant spinal cord damage. The severity of his injuries resulted in his death a few days later. The company was fined specifically for breaching the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000. The general manager of WorkCover NSW’s health and safety division said the potential for injury at the time was foreseeable and preventable if adequate safety procedures were implemented. “Working in the construction industry is dangerous. Every precaution must be taken to protect workers”.
Why is construction safety important?
Every year many construction site workers are killed or injured as a result of their work; others suffer ill health, such as musculoskeletal disorders, dermatitis or asbestosis. The hazards are not, however, restricted to those working on sites. Children and other members of the public are also killed or injured because construction activities have not been adequately controlled.
Major safety and health risks in construction work
Construction is one of the most dangerous work sectors because there are numerous sources of risk involved. Some of the prominent safety hazards include falls from heights, being struck by falling objects, injury caused by heavy machinery and electrocution. There are also many health hazards such as noise, solvents, asbestos and manual handling activities.
How can construction accidents be prevented?
Quality training and education is vital to ensuring workers are familiar with the risks of construction work and how to prevent avoidable accidents. Appropriate work methods, careful behaviour and attentiveness from workers are also important.
Construction safety training videos
Construction: Fundamentals For Safety
Construction: Fundamentals For Safety – E-Learning
Construction: Managing Hazards and Risks
Construction Safety Essentials
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
WA company fined $90,000 for workplace accident
A mining maintenance company has been fined $90,000 for a workplace accident that caused severe injuries to a 15-year-old apprentice. Miscommunications amongst workers lead to a 10-tonne tray coming down on top of the young apprentice. As a result he suffered permanent injuries to his leg and back as well as serious facial fractures. The company, which operates out of Western Australia’s Goldfields region, plead guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to failing to provide a safe work environment and causing serious harm to an employee. The acting WorkSafe WA commissioner pointed out on Monday that this case is a terrible reminder of how vital it is to have the appropriate lock-out and tagging procedures in place and ensure they are applied. “A young employee suffered a permanent injury because safe work procedures were not enforced.”
Lockout/ Tagout safety training
A simple maintenance task can become a life threatening activity when working on operational equipment. Isolation procedures, often called ‘Lockout / Tagout’, are designed to prevent equipment from activating during maintenance and servicing.
The main causes of workplace accident and injury relating to Lockout/ Tagout procedures include:
- Work areas not being cleared before commencing work
- Equipment restarting by mistake
- Not properly disconnecting equipment from the power source
- Failure to neutralize and make safe any residual energy
- Not stopping equipment when necessary
Vocam Safety training includes:
Lockout / Tagout – Making it Safe Video
Lockout / Tagout – Making it Safe E-learning
Electrical Safety Essentials Video
Electrical Safety Essentials E-learning
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Alarming results of research into PPE compliance
A recent survey found that 89 per cent of safety professionals have observed workers not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been. This alarmingly high rate of noncompliance with PPE protocols is a serious concern for the health and safety of workers as it places them at severe risk of injury or even death. It is a requirement by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) that PPE is worn to lessen the risks to employees from hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not adequate. However the data collated by the Bureau of Labour Statistics indicates that the vast majority of workers sustaining workplace injuries were not wearing PPE.
Reasons given for noncompliance
The main reason workers who should be wearing PPE do not is because they think it is unnecessary. Other reasons include that it is uncomfortable, too hot, poor fitted or unattractive.
The importance of PPE
Health and Safety Research indicates that failure of personnel to wear PPE, use PPE properly and use compatible PPE results in accidents and fatalities that cost organisations and the community millions per year.
Although it should only be used as a last resort, personal protective equipment (PPE) can be an essential tool in protecting workers from hazards ranging from falling objects to chemicals. But PPE such as boots, gloves and clothing will only provide suitable protection if it is selected, used and maintained properly.
With such a broad range of PPE available, it is hardly surprising that PPE is widely used throughout industry to help safeguard the health and safety of employees. However health and safety research also suggest that much of one billion spent by companies every year on buying and maintaining PPE is wasted because firms either fail to select the right equipment, or don’t train their staff to wear and look after it correctly.
Personal Protective Equipment Safety Training
Users of PPE will require practical training on the correct use and maintenance of PPE including:
- How to fit, wear and remove PPE correctly
- How to inspect and, if necessary, test equipment before using it
- How to recognize
PPE Essentials
PPE Essentials – E-Learning
Understanding Eye Safety at Work
Understanding Eye Safety at Work – E-Learning
Noise and You
PPE – Personal Protective Equipment
Prevention of Eye Damage
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
New Title: Drug and Alcohol Awareness
From over-the-counter medicines to illicit substances, drug and alcohol misuse accounts for a staggering proportion of deaths, illness and injuries in the workplace and the broader community, costing billions every year.
The impacts of alcohol and drug consumption
Alcohol and drug consumption can jeopardize an individual’s judgment, coordination, motor control, concentration and alertness. It also has a detrimental effect on information processing, reaction time, memory and impairs the performance of complex tasks.
Even after a person’s BAC levels have returned to zero, there can be residual effects of alcohol ingestion, commonly known as a hangover. These include headaches, nausea, fatigue and reduced performance in occupational, cognitive and visual-spatial performance.
Drug and alcohol misuse can cost your business in unexpected ways
An employee at a mortgage company arrived at his workplace drunk carrying a .45-calibre weapon. He opened fire on the company’s $100,000 computer server which was subsequently destroyed.
Occupational health and safety
Drug and alcohol ingestion increases injuries in a wide range of settings such as road traffic accidents, falls, fires and injuries. Research shows that it is associated with 3-11% of Australian workplace accidents, costing approximately $1.3 billion, half of which is born by employers. Around 4% of Australians go to work affected by alcohol annually and a further 2% go to work affected by illicit drugs.
Research estimates that compared to those that rarely consumed alcohol, employees that regularly consume alcohol or drugs are ten times more likely to miss work, 3.6 times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident, 5 times more likely to cause workplace injuries either to themselves or coworkers and 33% less productive.
Drug And Alcohol Awareness Video
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Fatal crane accident leads to suspended operations
BHP suspended its operations in Pilbara following the death of an employee. The man was crushed in the fatal crane accident on July 11, 2011. The onsite emergency team was activated and emergency services including police were also called to the incident. WorkSafe WA are investigating the incident further, but it is believed the man was crushed by a large concrete lid which fell while being lifted by the crane.
The importance of crane safety
Crane related accidents have the potential to cause significant harm to equipment and workers. Employees, contractors and supervisors should learn how to work the safe way to reduce the risk of damage. This includes being properly informed about relevant regulations, how to perform pre-operation checks, operating procedures and shutdown procedures. Companies using cranes for their operations must comply with relevant regulations and safety standards, or risk being fined significant amounts.
Vocam crane safety training solutions
Cranes Hoists and Slings
Overhead Crane Safety
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Third workplace fatality in two weeks takes workplace death toll to eleven
There have been three workplace deaths in Victoria in the last two weeks, taking the death toll to eleven so far in 2011. A 40 year old farmer died in late July after falling approximately three metres from a cage mounted on a tractor. The father of four is believed to have died on impact from the fall.
In another incident a worker died from electrocution while his colleague suffered severe burns when their cherry picker touched power lines. The men are believed by Worksafe to have been undertaking routine maintenance work for a plumbing business on the roof of a building when the cherry picker struck power lines. This caused the cherry picker to burst into flames which delayed paramedic’s access to the men.
In the latest accident a 56-year-old truck driver unloading timber at a worksite has been crushed to death when bundled timber fell on him. The timber and building materials company he worked for has been issued with two improvement notices by WorkSafe following the accident. WorkSafe will be returning to continue their investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and have renewed calls for businesses to take action to address risks in the workplace.
All workplace accidents can have serious long term effects on the workplace, family, friends and the community.
Vocam Safety Training
Safety Awareness
Safety Awareness – E-Learning
Understanding Safety in the Office
Understanding Safety in the Office – E-Learning
Understanding Safety at Work
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Companies fined $155,000 after workplace accident leaves employee blind
In late July, two companies were fined a total of $155,000 after a man was left blind in a workplace accident at a Western Sydney welding company. The 63-year old employee was injured while switching over gas lines when a high-pressure gas hose fitting came loose and an explosion occurred. The man sustained multiple fractures to his face and skull and lost sight in both eyes. The NSW Industrial Court found that one of the companies fitted the wrong kind of hose while the other failed to carry out a risk assessment. The companies were charged for breaching the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000. The investigation conducted by WorkCover found that if the companies had carried out the appropriate safety protocols the accident would most likely have been prevented.
Thousands of workers suffer eye injuries in the workplace each year, and in most cases these could have been easily avoided.
The importance of risk assessment
If the adequate and appropriate risk assessment is conducted, many of the accidents occurring in workplaces each year can be prevented. Sensible risk management is about:
- Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected
- Providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks – both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences
- Enabling innovation and learning not stifling them
- Ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action
- Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility
Sensible risk management is not about:
- Creating a totally risk free society
- Generating useless paperwork mountains
- Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks
- Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed
- Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering
Risk Assessment Safety Training
Risk Assessment Training is an effective measure to increase everyone’s awareness of how to assess safety onsite. Risk assessment is not only for managers, it should be a part of every employees safety toolkit.
Risk Management Safety Essentials
Risk Management Safety Essentials – E-Learning
Risk Assessment for Industry
Risk Assessment for the Office
Safety Awareness
Safety Awareness – E-Learning
Understanding Eye Safety at Work
Understanding Eye Safety at Work E-Learning
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
Gold Coast Company Fined $40,000 for workplace accident
A workplace accident at Paget which caused an employee to have one toe and half of another amputated has lead to a Gold coast company being fined $40,000. The incident happened when two workers were conducting welding work and a third worker entered the site to collect some tools. A steel beam fell, crushing the third workers foot and causing serious injuries which required the amputation of one toe and half of another. The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a safe workplace in the Industrial Magistrate’s Court in Mackay. It was found that there was no proper supervision at the worksite and there was no exclusion zone around the site. The hazards at the site should have been clearly identified.
Why is construction safety important?
Every year many construction site workers are killed or injured as a result of their work; others suffer ill health, such as musculoskeletal disorders, dermatitis or asbestosis. The hazards are not, however, restricted to those working on sites. Children and other members of the public are also killed or injured because construction activities have not been adequately controlled.
Major safety and health risks in construction work
Construction is one of the most dangerous work sectors because there are numerous sources of risk involved. Some of the prominent safety hazards include falls from heights, being struck by falling objects, injury caused by heavy machinery and electrocution. There are also many health hazards such as noise, solvents, asbestos and manual handling activities.
How can construction accidents be prevented?
Quality training and education is vital to ensuring workers are familiar with the risks of construction work and how to prevent avoidable accidents. Appropriate work methods, careful behaviour and attentiveness from workers are also important.
Construction safety training videos
Construction: Fundamentals For Safety
Construction: Fundamentals For Safety – E-Learning
Construction: Managing Hazards and Risks
Construction Safety Essentials
Available as part of train now
For more information, contact us or
visit our website.
