The NSW Government says it wants to promote mentally healthy workplaces.
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Authorities want to help with changes to the workplace exposure standard for silica dust.
The workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (silica dust) has recently halved.  A CONVERSATION CAN CHANGE A LIFE R U OK? inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with anyone who may be struggling with life. You don't need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend and a great listener. Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:  Source: www.ruok.org.au/
The NSW Resources Regulator has released the Quarterly Safety Report for April to June 2020, to help the industry improve safety management systems and undertake risk assessments at their sites. The report details incidents and trends relating to hazard management, alongside sector-specific information.
A new strategy by WorkSafe Victoria aims to improve health and safety outcomes for healthcare and social assistance workers, a sector that accounts for almost 15% of the state’s workforce, with most of those workers in frontline roles. The industry also attracted the most claims for workplace injuries in 2018 and 2019, and has recorded six workplace fatalities in the past six years.
Under new regulations issued by WorkSafe Victoria under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers are now required to notify WorkSafe immediately when they become aware that a worker has received a confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis. The regulations will help reduce the risks to health and safety in the workplace arising from COVID-19. Timely notification of potential workplace transmission of COVID-19 is critical to manage the related health and safety risks, and the prompt investigation of potential breaches of employer duties.
Today, the Workers Compensation Amendment (Consequential COVID-19 Matters) Regulation 2020 commenced to support recent legislation that introduced a presumption for some COVID-19 affected workers.
The presumption means that workers in prescribed employment who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are automatically presumed to have contracted the disease in the course of their employment. These workers have a presumptive right to workers compensation. US research published in 2020 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has found that several behaviours that contribute to higher health risks — such as smoking and binge drinking — are more prevalent among construction workers than workers in other industries.
Construction work can be physically demanding, with workers exposed to many chemical and physical workplace hazards, such as falls, which account for about one-third of the total number of fatalities in this industry. Previous studies suggested that construction workers who exhibit certain health risk behaviours may be more likely to experience work-related injuries. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers investigated how common health risk behaviours are among this workforce. The Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) has setup this webpage to assist our members with addressing the growing and looming issues of prolonged economic impacts, disruption to the construction industry, and health and wellbeing of the Australian population in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Planning, collaboration, and leadership for the industry is urgently needed to mitigate the very real possibilities that threaten the construction industry, a major driver of the Australian economy. Further, with the growing number of people infected or staying away from workplaces due to fear of infection or restrictions on trade, this is having a major impact on the construction industry and the Australian workforce as a whole. What is the Blueprint?
Following the 2016 Construction Industry Mental Health Roundtable initiated by MATES in Construction and Beyond Blue, The Blueprint was developed to address significantly higher rates of suicide and mental health issues amongst our workers when compared with the general population. The roundtable group, comprised of mental health and industry representatives, adopted a shared vision of where the future industry should be positioned around mental health and suicide, with the strategy necessary to achieve changes including workplace cultures and legislation. |
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