COVID-19 updates
Media Statement: Prime Minister announces
nationally-consistent work health and safety guidelines for
COVID-19
National Cabinet agreed to develop nationally-consistent,
industry-specific work health and safety guidance on COVID-19,
accessible via a central hub provided by Safe Work Australia.The
guidance will be developed and endorsed through Safe Work
Australia, working with its members (the Commonwealth, states and
territories, employer groups, and unions). The guidance will be
housed on a revamped Safe Work Australia website.
Australian workplaces will be able to use this central hub of WHS
guidance and tools to help manage health and safety risks posed by
COVID-19. The
Media Statement is accessible here.
To support the development of nationally-consistent guidance,
National Cabinet agreed the 'National COVID-19 Safe Workplace
Principles' (
Attachment A).
Rail construction continues with safe work
practices
The Australian Government has welcomed additional public
health and safety measures implemented by the Australian Rail Track
Corporation and its contractors to protect the health and safety of
workers and the local community mean we can continue to deliver
projects, such as the transformational Inland Rail (24 April 2020).
More...
Resources sector launches national COVID-19
campaign
Resources sector councils have joined forces to deliver a
national television and digital campaign to spread the sector's
coronavirus safety protocols (20 April 2020).
More...
Farmers go out on a limb to protect workers' health,
food security during crisis
Despite official regulations not requiring self-isolation
for essential workers such as farm staff, some Queensland farmers
are laying down their own protocols (18 April 2020).
More...
Slashed licence fees a big win for business
Up to 200,000 licence holders operating across the trades
and construction sectors will not have to pay up to $50 million
worth of licence fees, thanks to the NSW Government (15 April
2020).
More...
Expert urges caution on healthcare worker cloth mask
use
Workers should ensure they understand the current evidence
and make an informed choice before choosing to work with inadequate
personal protective equipment (PPE), while the sector should use
evidence and provide clear guidance to workers, especially when
alternatives are selected in situations where appropriate PPE are
stretched or unavailable, Professor MacIntyre said (15 April 2020).
More...
Expert urges caution on healthcare worker cloth mask
use
Workers should ensure they understand the current evidence
and make an informed choice before choosing to work with inadequate
personal protective equipment (PPE), while the sector should use
evidence and provide clear guidance to workers, especially when
alternatives are selected in situations where appropriate PPE are
stretched or unavailable, Professor MacIntyre said (15 April 2020).
More...
SafeWork NSW: Regulatory approach to NSW work health and
safety legislation - COVID-19
This
statement sets out the enforcement approach that SafeWork NSW
will take to ensure compliance with the Work
Health and Safety Act 2011 and the
Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic (31 March 2020).
Icare: Maintaining mental health during a pandemic
Whether you're working from home or from your office,
there's no doubt that your life has been impacted by COVID-19.
Our Risk Education eXpress online learning platform is creating a
raft of new best practice resources on topics including mental
health and working from home (21 April 2020).
More...
WorkCover Qld: Coronavirus (COVID-19) workplace risk
management
It doesn't matter if you're a worker or someone
who is responsible for workers, you must identify and manage work
health and safety risks including the exposure to COVID-19.
Businesses should also plan to respond to cases of COVID-19 at work
in line with advice provided by Queensland Health. (23 April 2020).
More...
In the media
CFMMEU Tas assistant secretary hit with personal payment
order for latest breach
The Federal Court ordered CFMMEU state assistant secretary
Richard Hassett personally pay a $10,000 penalty for the latest in
a series of right of entry breaches. The Court concluded he must
have known that he could not enter site under a State occupational
health and safety right (21 April 2020).
More...
Concrete pump operator fined $375,000 in relation to
workplace fatality
A Sydney concrete pumping company has been fined $375,000
by the NSW District Court while its director has been fined $10,000
after a worker sustained fatal head injuries when he was struck by
an unsecured hose attached to concrete pumping equipment at a
Fairfield building site (14 April 2020).
More...
Charges laid over Campbellfield chemical fire
WorkSafe has charged Bradbury Industrial Services Pty Ltd
over an explosion and chemical fire at a Campbellfield warehouse in
April 2019 (14 April 2020).
More...
Published – articles, papers, reports
ABCC Industry Update - April 2020 edition
The April edition of Industry Update features the latest
information from the ABCC in response to COVID-19: FAQs,
information on how to keep your worksite safe and more (15 April
2020). More...
Safe Work Australia fatality statistics
As at 23 April, there have been 63 Australian workers
killed at work in 2020. The numbers and industries
may vary from one report to the next, as Safe Work receives more
detailed information (to check for updates and more details on
fatalities since 2003, go to the Safe Work Australia Work-related
fatalities
webpage).
In practice and courts
ARPANSA Radiation at work explained
A new suite of occupational exposure factsheets have been
designed to keep you informed about the type of radiation you may
be exposed to, any possible health effects and how to adequately
protect yourself (20 April 2020). More...
New Standards
AS 4399:2020
Sun protective clothing - Evaluation and
classification
Standards Australia.
More...
Queensland
ESO warns unlicensed electrical work is potentially
lethal
With household budgets squeezed at the moment,
Queensland's Electrical Safety Office is reminding everyone not
to take risky and illegal shortcuts with home electrical jobs. If
you are wanting to get electrical work done, you can check the
person has the right electrical license here. Notify of
suspected illegal electrical work or advertising, contact the ESO (15 April
2020).
More...
Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria
Released 21 April 2020.
More...
Cases
Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v
Hassett [2020] FCA
498
INDUSTRIAL LAW – penalties – contraventions of
s 494(1) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) – quantification of
penalties for admitted breaches – personal payment
order
Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) s 4AA; Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 484,
494(1), 500, 512, 539(2), 546(2), 550, 793
Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth) Ch 8 Pt 3; Work
Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas)
This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.
