Safe Work Australia is calling for public comment on the remaining 168 workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants. Safe Work Australia is reviewing the Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants (WES) to ensure they are based on high-quality evidence and supported by a rigorous scientific approach. Comments are requested on 168 draft evaluation reports from paraffin wax toRead more
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Presented by Brian Jackson (Special Counsel, Moray and Agnew) What’s covered? In the upcoming months, the rollout of the vaccine in Australia will commence and this will open up a range of complex issues for Australian employers. Is it reasonable and lawful for an employer to require its employees to take the vaccine? What willRead more
USA: Only 6 per cent of employers plan to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination for their employees once it is readily available, while around 40 per cent are undecided, according to the results of a recent survey. Littler, a leading employment and labor law practice, surveyed more than 1,800 in-house lawyers, human resources professionals and C-suiteRead more
Presented by Mark Wright and Kate Power (FEFO Consulting) What’s covered? The Health and Safety Index received over 120,000 responses across several Australian and New Zealand industries during 2020. As we reflect on the Health and Safety Index results, there are many Health & Wellbeing lessons learnt which are worth sharing and comparing to research,Read more
The EU Parliament has increased its efforts to protect employees’ “fundamental right” to disconnect from work and not to be reachable outside working hours. According to the Parliament, digital tools have increased efficiency and flexibility for employers and employees, but have also created a constantly on-call culture, with employees being easily reachable anytime and anywhereRead more
The Australian Workers Union says there are 600,000 Australian workers who are breathing in silica dust every day, as it pushes for tougher national regulations. The AWU says these many thousands of workers are at risk of developing the deadly lung disease silicosis, and have accused the Federal Government of bowing to industry pressure in failingRead more
There has been a significant impact on psychological health and wellbeing in 2020 as a result of organisational changes and other restrictions put in place in response to COVID-19, according to a recent analysis. Depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress and mental wellbeing, life satisfaction and resilience were all affected last year, with one of the biggestRead more
Presented by Anthony Gibbs (CEO, Sentis) What’s covered? The landscape of work is changing. Physical distancing, remote work arrangements and a shift in work focus mean we find ourselves needing to connect and interact with our teams in new and different ways. Add to this the increased stress and uncertainty of recent events, and theRead more
USA: OSHA has issued significantly stronger worker safety guidance to help employers and workers implement a coronavirus prevention program and better identify risks which could lead to exposure and contraction. Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace provides updated guidance and recommendations, and outlines existing safety and health standards.Read more
Two in five workers say their work adversely affects their health and wellbeing, but there are four key areas of focus that are extremely useful for employers looking to improve this measure, according to a new report. The Health and Safety Index is an online assessment that enables organisations to measure and improve on safetyRead more
