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In the midst of the pandemic, many workers will be working from home on a regular basis.
When working from home, it is important to apply the same ergonomic principles of an office environment to your home environment. In order to mitigate the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19), employers and employees must identify and manage work health and safety risks, including the exposure to COVID-19. WorkCover Queensland also advises that businesses should plan to respond to cases of COVID-19 at work in line with advice provided by Queensland Health. COVID-19 is transmitted from person to person much like the flu, via close contact with an infected person or from touching objects or surfaces contaminated by the sneeze or cough of an infected person and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth.
As people and businesses across Australia and New Zealand feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important to look after our health and wellbeing. Taking the necessary protective measures is crucial in the current climate and in all areas where our health and safety can be compromised. Let’s rise to today’s challenge, and ensure we keep our vision in our sights, too.
Surveys have revealed that our vision is the most valued of all of our senses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that more than 19 million people suffer blindness in one eye from injury. With an eye injury in the workplace comes high costs, not only for workers, but also their families, their employers and the community. An eye injury can result in outcomes ranging from lost days at work to permanent loss of vision, as well as reduced productivity and medical and workers compensation costs. Many occupations are at risk of an eye injury. Mining, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing are some of the industries where workers most commonly sustain an eye injury at work.  Australia is continuing to closely monitor the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Cases of the COVID-19 virus are increasing in Australia and the situation is changing rapidly. You can access the latest information from australia.gov.au. The building and construction and trucking industries have welcomed the Australian Government’s second coronavirus (COVID-19) stimulus package, announced on 22 March. These industries have also affirmed their commitment to safety amid COVID-19. This second stage of the government’s economic plan will assist these and other industries in continuing to operate safely. A total of $189 billion is being injected into the economy from all arms of government as part of the government’s economic plan to cushion the fiscal impact of COVID-19.
Comcare has released guidance for workers and employers regarding work health and safety (WHS) and workers compensation in relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The information includes advice about WHS obligations and compensation coverage, for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) and employees. Workers compensation is a form of insurance payment to employees if they are injured at work or become sick due to their work.
Workers compensation is governed by individual states and territories; employers and employees concerned about workers compensation in light of the COVID-19 outbreak can refer to their state’s regulator. Workers compensation regulators in various states and territories include: WorkSafe ACT, the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (New South Wales), NT WorkSafe, Norfolk Island Workers Compensation Agency, WorkCover Queensland, ReturnToWork SA, WorkCover Tasmania, WorkSafe Victoria and WorkCover WA. Australian Government employees and employees of organisations which self-ensure under the scheme should contact Comcare (Commonwealth). From nationwide travel bans to fistfights over toilet paper, coronavirus (COVID-19) has dominated the Australian news cycle in a way few modern issues can. Lawyers AARON GOONREY and ADAM BATTAGELLO set out some practical tips for establishing and maintaining a safe system of work in the shadow of COVID-19.
Since entering the public consciousness in late December 2019, COVID-19 has accelerated out of Wuhan, with cases now identified in a large number of countries. In this heightened situation, the first consideration of businesses should be to ensure the health and safety of their workers. Background
Australia is continuing to closely monitor an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19). On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic (an infectious disease outbreak that spreads on a global scale). Increasing cases of COVID-19 are now being confirmed in Australia. The situation is changing rapidly. You can access the latest information on COVID-19 from the Australian Government Department of Health. Now is the time to prepare for the spread of COVID-19The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in New South Wales is increasing.
All employers and workers must act now to manage the spread of this virus among workers and others within your work environment. The emergence of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been one of the biggest news stories in 2020. It is causing chaos in parts of the world and disrupting world trade.
While the risk to Australian workers is very low, the magnitude of the threat is such that employers should take a quick moment to familiarise themselves with the workers' compensation implications and how they can manage them. |
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