RM The Risk Manager, Pty Ltd
My Mission is to Make Your Workplace Safer
A.B.N. 85 131 901 703
To contact us:
RM The Risk Manager, Pty Ltd
Ross Macfarlane
3 Cambridge Road
Bentleigh East 3165
Victoria, Australia
ph +61 (0) 417 370 371
e rm@rmtheriskmanager.com.au
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Latest News
OHS Newsbriefs
Join the Central Safety Group2 September 2010 - Another Rig Fire In The Gulf of Mexico
- A fire has broken out on a Mariner Energy oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico, southwest of New Orleans. All 13 platform workers were rescued.
- Latest reports (3 September) say the fire is out and there is no sign of an oil spill. Source: CNN
3 August 2010 - WorkSafe WA inspection program looks at licences for forklift operators
- WorkSafe WA has commenced an inspection program looking at high-risk-work licences for forklift operators in the manufacturing sector.
- The program will be conducted over the next six months in metropolitan and regional areas, focusing on ensuring that forklift operators in the industry have the relevant licences or certification. Read more...
- Do you comply with new High Risk Work licensing laws? All States and Territories have now adopted regulations requiring workers who operate forklifts, cranes, hoists or pressure equipment, or carry out scaffolding, dogging or rigging work, to progressively upgrade to a nationally recognised High Risk Work license.
- Licenses bear a photograph similar to a driver's license, and must be renewed every 5 years.
- Classes of High Risk Work are listed in Safe Work Australia's National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work.
2 August 2010 - Laing O'Rourke convicted on Cyclone George charges after successful WorkSafe WA appeal
- WorkSafe WA has successfully appealed the acquittal of charges against Laing O'Rourke (BMC) Pty Ltd over events surrounding Cyclone George in March 2007.
- The charges were for failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment, causing serious harm to an employee when his donga broke free during the cyclone, and failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment for a contractor's employee in a matter over which Laing O'Rourke had control.
- One of the men died at Fortescue Metals' railway camp, about 100Km south or Port Hedland. The other died later of his injuries. Laing O'Rourke were undertaking track and bridge work as part of the construction of a rail line. Read more...
2 August 2010 - Safe Work Australia releases two reports on nanomaterials and nanotechnology
- Safe Work Australia Chair, Mr Tom Phillips AM, today announced the release of two research reports on engineered nanomaterials - substitution and modification options, and feasibility of establishing exposure standards, and a nanotechnology risk assessment tool. Read more...
30 July 2010 - Gulf of Mexico oil leak: oil spill to be permanently plugged soon
- BP hopes to have permanently plugged its Gulf of Mexico well by Monday, marking an end to the leak that caused the worst oil spill in US history.
- Its clean-up effort was boosted as US scientists confirmed reports that oil in the sea appears to be clearing. Source: The Age.
- On 12 May 2010, I posted this commentary on the disaster's implications for BP, on Kevin Jones' SafetyAtWorkBlog.
27 July 2010 - WorkCover NSW: 10-year inspections of cranes
- The NSW Industry plant consultative committee, comprisingWorkCover NSW, the Master Builders Association and the Construction, Fire, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU), has issued a Safety alert outlining the requirements formajor inspection of cranes after 10 years.
- This safety alert clarifies the requirements for a major inspection of cranes at the nominal 10-year interval, as specified in AS2550.1-2002, Cranes, hoists and winches ? Safe use ? General requirements, and other specific parts.
23 July 2010 - Pedestrian struck and killed by forklift at NSW paper mill
- WorkCover NSW is investigating the death of a 69-year-old plumbing contractor who was struck from behind by a moving forklift, at Australian Paper's Shoalhaven Mill at Bomaderry on the NSW South Coast.
- The forklift operator's vision may have been obscured by a high-stacked load of paper pulp. Read more...
- Does your site have a Traffic Management Plan in place? In many workplaces mobile plant such as forklifts, earthmoving equipment, trucks and other vehicles,creates a hazard for pedestrians and plant operators alike.
- Sites must take action to eliminate or control the risk of collision, rollover or other incident involving mobile plant. RM The Risk Manager has assisted many clients to implement Traffic Management Plans to control this hazard. Contact me for more information.
15 July 2010 - WorkSafe WA revised codes of practice: Manual Tasks and Concrete Cutting
- WorkSafe WA has release two revised codes of practice: Manual tasks and Concrete and Masonry cutting and drilling.
8 July 2010 - Safe Work Australia: 39 per cent of workers exposed to airborne hazards
- Safe Work Australia Chair has released two reports from the National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance survey, which is used to determine the current nature and extent of Australian workers' exposure to identified occupational disease causing hazards.
- The reports addressed dust, gases, vapours, smoke and fumes, and vibration. Read more...
1 July 2010 - WorkSafe Victoria: 26 workplace deaths in FY 2009-10
- WorkSafe Victoria has announced that 26 Victorian workers died in 2009/10 due to lapses in workplace safety, one lower than the previous financial year.
- All but one was male, and the toll was much higher in regional Victoria, with 17, than metropolitan Melbourne. Of these, nine occurred on farms, including five tractor-related fatalities. Read more....
18 May 2010 - National Code of Practice: Prevention of Falls in Housing Construction
- The National Code of Practice for the Prevention of Falls in Housing Construction was developed by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council before work commenced on the model work health and safety legislation, and has been released by Safe Work Australia.
- It will provide guidance to those working in the residential sector of the construction industry until the work health and safety legislative framework is implemented on 1 January 2012. Download the Code of Practice here...
28 April 2010 - ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work
- 28 April is the ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work for 2010, and is marked by
28 April 2010 - Victoria: First Reckless Endangerment conviction for workplace death
- On 28 April Orbit Drilling Pty Ltd, became the first company in Victoria to be convicted for recklessly endangering a worker.
- In December 2006, a 21 year-old recently qualified Mack truck driver died when the truck he was driving went out of control on a steep slope, overturned, and crushed him. The driver hadn't undergone an induction or safety training, nor had he had the chance to build up his heavy vehicle skills under supervision.
- WorkSafe's investigation also established the truck's primary brake and the emergency hand brake wasn't working, and the secondary brake had been disconnected. In addition, the truck hadn't been serviced for over six months. Read more...
9 March 2010 - QLD Electrical Safety Office e-Alert: Conductive ceiling insulation and electrical safety
- The Queensland Minister for Industrial Relations has issued the Electrical Safety (Installation of Ceiling Insulation) Notice 2010, effective from 9 March 2010. It requires installers to take additional precautions when installing electrically conductive ceiling insulation (other than metal foil batts) in premises where the insulation is applied onto the ceiling structure.
- Two separate warnings were issued for the risks of foil insulation in ceilings. For more information, visit www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au.
23 February 2010 - NSW Mines and Petroleum Safety Mine Safety Newsletter released
- NSW Mines and Petroleum Safety has released its biannual Mine Safety newsletter, covering topics such as fatigue, human error and musculoskeletal disorders. Read more...
3 February 2010 - High Court Decision means fundamental changes to OHS prosecutions in NSW<
- The High Court of Australia has quashed convictions under the NSW OHS Act 1983 in a key decision on the interpretation of NSW's OHS legislation: Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW [2010] HCA 1.
- The case involved the 2001 death of a farm manager in an all terrain vehicle rollover. The farm owner, Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd and director Mr Kirk were prosecuted and convicted in the NSW Industrial Court, and the convictions were upheld in the NSW Court of Appeal.
- Mr Kirk was a director of the company but took no active role in running the farm because of lack of farming experience and his poor health.
- The High Court overturned the conviction with the key finding being the failure of the prosecution to actually state what measures should have been taken by Mr Kirk and the Kirk Group to prevent the incident, which made establishing a defence under the Act impossible. Commentary from Blake Dawson...
- UPDATE, 13 April 2010: commentary from Clayton Utz...
9 December 2009 - New health and safety laws referred to WRMC
- Australia moved a step closer to harmonised health and safety laws with the majority of Safe Work Australia Members agreeing to refer the national model OHS legislation, to be known as the Work Health and Safety Act, to the Workplace Relations Ministers? Council (WRMC) for decision. Read more...
- UPDATE: 11 December - Western Australia remains the only state which is yet to commit to full adoption of the national model laws. Read the WA Minister's press release here...
3 December 2009 - 25th anniversary of Bhopal - world's worst industrial accident
- Hundreds of people marched through Bhopal with torches before dawn Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of the world's worst industrial disaster and demand the clean-up of toxic chemicals they say still contaminate the Indian city's soil and water.
- Early on Dec. 3, 1984, a Union Carbide pesticide plant spewed about 40 tons of deadly methyl isocyanate gas into the air, killing 4,000 people. Lingering effects raised the death toll to about 15,000 over the next few years, according to Indian government estimates. Read more...
1 November 2009 - RM The Risk Manager celebrates a year of change, challenge and success
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Last updated: Friday, 3 September 2010 5:05:36 PM