A recent Queensland court decision has reinforced a critical principle in work health and safety: identifying hazards and documenting control measures is not enough. Controls must be implemented, supervised, and enforced in practice.   The matter arose from an incident at a worksite in Queensland involving interaction between mobile plant and pedestrian workers, a well-regarded high-risk activity. A pedestrian worker sustained serious injury when struck by operating machinery

Chemical risks are not confined to laboratories or manufacturing plants, they exist in workplaces across every  industry, from hospitality and cleaning services to healthcare, construction, and community care. Whether it’s a cleaning product, disinfectant, or industrial sealant, hazardous chemicals can cause serious injury, illness, or even fatalities if not handled, stored, or supervised correctly.   Under the WHS Regulation , the business has a legal duty to provide adequat

Two recent bullying cases addressed by the Fair Work Commission highlight a need to understand what is bullying and what are “reasonable management actions."

For some time now, there has been a steady stream of news reports where food delivery riders in our major cities have been involved in accidents with buses, trams, cars, and pedestrians. It is common for foreign students to do this kind of work while they study in Australia. During February 2021, SafeWork NSW undertook field inspections and compliance assurance activities of food delivery riders. There were 287 inspections. The inspections revealed that the riders were pred

2025 so far has seen the courts in New South Wales handing down eight major convictions  involving forklift-related incidents. These cases involved both companies and sole traders and have resulted in substantial fines and public scrutiny.   A worker was fatally pinned by a 7-tonne forklift after alighting the forklift at an Electrical contracting site. The business was convicted and fined $150,000, with a project order imposed. A 43-year-old forklift operator was struck and

It is important that warehouses have correct control measures to mitigate risks from hazards that exist in the workplace. A common hazard...

It comes up from time to time, the question of what WHS training can or should be done by a Registered Training Provider (RTO), or by...

Courtenell put considerable effort into expanding its scope of WHS services in 2023. Being one of the oldest training providers in New...

17 April, 2025. 5 minute read A company (that shall remain unnamed) recently advocated for including menopausal staff on their workplace...

From 16 September 2024, industrial manslaughter has been a formal offence under New South Wales work health and safety (WHS) legislation.

A recent case in New South Wales serves as a stark reminder of the importance of workplace health and safety (WHS) compliance and the...

Many commercial businesses operating in Australia are owned and managed by overseas companies. In most cases, a company from another...

Safe Work Australia is an advisory body of the Australian government that advises and develops laws concerning workplace health and...