February 2011

The promotion of safety in the workplace is an issue taken seriously by Fair Work Australia (FWA) which has consistently supported employers in terminating employees who breach their drug and alcohol policies.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

March 2011.
The first Safe Work Australia report on Asbestos-related Disease Indicators shows the death rate from asbestos-related disease continues to rise and that Australians are facing a change in the source of asbestos exposure.

Read about it here.

Disclaimer: The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

February 2011.

About seven hours before the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout of 2010, a group of four
company VIPs helicoptered onto the drilling rig in question, the Deepwater Horizon.
They had come on a “management visibility tour” and were actively touring the rig when
disaster struck.

Read about it here.

Disclaimer: The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

February 2011

It is well recognised now that personal liability OHS provisions provide one of
the strongest “drivers” for company officers to use due diligence to see to the
implementation of company safety policies. An officer faced with a potential large
criminal penalty has their mind strongly focussed on not falling foul of the law. But what
if the officer knows all along that, should they be subject to such a penalty, the company,
or an insurance policy, will come to the rescue? It is vital for company officers, and for
regulators considering the impact of laws, to be aware of the law about insurance in these
situations. As this paper will show, it is, however, a difficult question as to how
regulators should respond where the policy of the law prohibits such insurance, but all
the parties concerned continue to behave as if the insurance were legally valid.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

October 2010.

A construction company has been fined $90,000 for failing to provide a safe workplace for two employees who were injured when Cyclone George hit a Pilbara rail camp in 2007.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

March 2011

A NSW employer has been fined $130,000 for a worker's death after an experienced crew varied its approach to
a dangerous task without re-assessing the risks.
In 2008 a crew of Allied Industrial Services Pty Ltd workers were attempting to clean settlement tanks at
BlueScope Steel's Port Kembla Steelworks, when they decided a new approach was needed to dislodge cakedon
sludge, and changed the nozzle on their high-pressure water jetting lance hose to one that produced a greater
water flow.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

 April 2011

Hazard of backfeed on some UPS units
Mine type: All mine types
Incident: A recent electric shock at a mine has highlighted the hazard of
backfeed on some UPS (uninterruptable power supply) units. These
apparatus provide emergency power to a load when the input mains power
is interrupted or disconnected. However, in this case, 240Vac was
measured on the plug pins of the disconnected UPS mains supply cable
while the UPS was powering a load. Subsequent testing of other units on
site revealed 75 per cent of all models and brands tested had backfeed
voltages of 55Vac or more.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

 April 2011

Preventing excavators from rolling over
Excavators — used in mines and quarries to clean-up benches, side cast material from benches and load
trucks from stockpiles and overburden dumps — often operate on uneven ground, narrow working pads
and near edges and ramps. The risk of rolling over, therefore, is high, unless precautions are taken.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

 April 2010

Alert
Tremolite decorative stack-stone wall tiles
This Alert has been issued following WorkSafe Victoria and WorkCover NSW having become
aware of the recent importation from China of decorative stack-stone wall tiles that contained
asbestos in the form of fibrous tremolite, which is a prohibited hazardous substance.

 Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.

 April 2011

 Safety Alert - Powerline incident

Central Highlands Regional Council was transporting a front end loader from Duaringa to a new
worksite behind Dingo. As the CHRC truck driver drove through the Queensland Rail train crossing
the aerials that were on top of the loader made contact with the powerlines which blew apart the
aerials and sent an electric current through the loader and truck with trailer and blew out an inner
middle rear tyre on the trailer. Fortunately neither of the 2 people in the truck were injured and the
electronics in both of the vehicles were also not damaged.

  Read about it here.

Disclaimer:  The content and statements made by BPMS or its related entities in this publication are by way of general observation in summary form and do not seek to address all issues in relation to any particular circumstances. No liability or responsibility is accepted by BPMS for the accuracy of any statement, opinion or issues contained in this publication or any informative publication distributed by or on behalf of BPMS.  Material from other sources and organisations is provided in good faith and does not necessarily reflect the views of BPMS or its entities.