A UK parliamentary inquiry has been launched to better assess the impact silicosis is having on the health and wellbeing of construction workers, following a number of deaths. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (AAPG) on Respiratory Health has joined forces with not-for-profit organisation B&CE to more accurately understand why construction workers are continuing to die fromRead more
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Two independent health and safety reviews into Queensland’s mines and quarries are now underway, after the state recorded its sixth fatality in 12 months last week. This makes it Queensland’s worst year for mining deaths since 1997. CMFEU Mining & Energy QLD president Stephen Smyth said it was “becoming increasingly clear that we have a safetyRead more
Over the coming years there will be a shift in balance from designing environmental controls for avoiding risks, to increasingly designing methods for more safely engaging in potentially risky situations as well, according to futurist Dave Wild. For example, minimising employee risk might lead to policies requiring workers to only operate on company premises orRead more
All new electric cars sold in Europe from July will be required to make artificial engine noises similar to a conventional engine, following criticism that the vehicles’ relative silence on the road was endangering pedestrians. Acoustic vehicle alert systems (AVAS) are now required in all new electric and hybrid vehicles, and will need to beRead more
Ninety-four percent of Canadian workers say that workplace health, safety and mental well-being is an important consideration when choosing a job, according to an Angus Reid poll commissioned by the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC. The poll of 1000 Canadian workers also found that slightly more women than men (97 percent compared to 91 percent)Read more
Law firm Slater and Gordon is preparing a national class action against the manufacturers of popular kitchen stone bench-tops after the products led to thousands of stonemasons contracting silicosis. The firm said it had experienced a surge in the number of workers approaching the firm after being involved in the manufacture of artificial stone benchRead more
Deaths in New Zealand’s construction industry have reached their highest level in a decade, with 11 workers killed so far this year, according WorkSafe NZ figures. This is the most since 19 construction workers were killed in 2009, and is well above the industry average of six fatalities per year. Amalgamated Workers Union (AWU) secretary,Read more
Employers may soon be reviewing their vehicle safety policies under planned new “technology-neutral” driver distraction road laws that would target everything from eating to applying make-up. In its regulation impact statement, the National Transport Commission (NTC) says it has reviewed the Australian Road Rules regulating driver distraction and determined that they do not sufficiently addressRead more
Unions in the U.S. are demanding a new Standard on silica dust exposure, as the prevalence of black lung disease among the nation’s mining workers continues to grow. The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and the United Steelworkers International Union (USW) have written a joint-letter addressed to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), expressing their concernsRead more
Safe Work Australia (SWA) has released an impact statement on the recent review of the national model WHS laws, warning that some recommendations may significantly drive up compliance costs for businesses while doing little to actually improve safety. Marie Boland’s review into the model WHS laws found that while the laws are largely operating asRead more
