SafeWork Regulator News: Safety blitz targets Aged Care facilities

SafeWork inspectors are set to audit residential aged care facilities in an effort to reduce the risk of worker injuries caused by manual handling tasks.

The campaign will ensure compliance with work health and safety legislation, as well as checking measures required to control the risks associated with resident handling.

More than half of manual handling injuries in residential aged care facilities happen when nurses and carers move residents. SafeWork routinely audit businesses for manual handling procedures, as part of their regulatory role. 

SafeWork SA Acting Executive Director Dini Soulio said the audit, to be conducted by the organisation’s regulator arm, was one of many to occur each year.

“These initiatives are in addition to the reactive work inspectors carry out every day in response to notifications and incidents,” Mr Soulio said.

“The inspectors will be looking at a range of things in the aged care sector, including resident aids and equipment, systems for assessing residents for mobility aids and environmental factors such as building access. They will also be checking that there are appropriate injury reporting mechanisms for nurses, carers and others involved in the care of residents and that, in an overall sense, there is a ‘safety first’ workplace culture.

“The audit will determine whether safe systems of work are in place and that they are reviewed regularly so the risk of manual handling injuries is eliminated or reduced.”

The Australian Government has estimated that the number of aged care workers in Australia will increase from 352 100 in 2012 to 827 100 in 2050.

ISOsafe help aged care businesses comply with regulatory duties. Don’t get caught out. Contact ISOsafe today on 1300 789 132 to organise your independent workplace safety review. Our mobile work health and safety advisory service can visit you at your workplace to deliver training and prepare manual handling procedures.
 

Get serious about forklift safety, this December

Forklifts (or industrial lift trucks) are used to stack and transfer loads in many workplaces. At ISOsafe we see the statistics, year after year reporting on workplace deaths and injuries resulting in substantial financial and human costs for workers, businesses and the wider community

The main reasons why people are killed or seriously injured by a forklift include:
✓   hit by a forklift because of driver error, working too close to the forklift or inadequate traffic management
✓   hit by a load a forklift was moving because the driver did not use an attachment when one was needed, or assisting to adjust or steady the load
✓   not wearing a seat belt in a tip-over. The forklifts mostly tipped because operators were turning on uneven or sloping ground

Forklift incidents can be prevented, contact ISOsafe today to learn more about our solutions for your workplace, email us at: enquiries@isosafe.com.au

Two workplace deaths in just over 24 hours

Earlier this week two workplace deaths resulting from falls were reported. The first incident took place on Tuesday 25 October, 2016 where a man plunged to his death at a construction site in Sydney's northwest. Police officers who first arrived at the scene administered CPR until paramedics arrived, but the man died at the scene. A crime scene has been established and police have begun working with SafeWork NSW to investigate. 

The next day another workplace related death was reported where a man fell to his death at a construction site. The sub-contractor was working at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Expansion project in South Wharf when he fell from a piece of equipment about 3.30pm. Union officials said the man was a boilermaker aged in his 50s, who was operating a boom lift on the work site. A witness said he heard screaming and yelling at the building site. "I looked up and there was a man slumped on the lift. Everyone was yelling and screaming and stuff and trying to wake him up," the man told Channel 10. The man was a member of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and came from a family heavily involved in the state's construction industry, officials said. The South Wharf site is operated by national construction firm Probuild. Probuild Group managing director Simon Gray said his thoughts were with the man's family. "It is with great sadness that we confirm a fatality involving an employee of one of our sub-contractors occurred this afternoon at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Expansion project. "Our sincerest thoughts and condolences are with all those impacted - family, friends and workmates. "We are awaiting further details on the incident and are cooperating fully with Victoria Police and WorkSafe Victoria. Support and counselling is being offered to all affected construction workers and staff." The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the AMWU sent safety officials to the work site on Wednesday afternoon. WorkSafe is investigating and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

No doubt, the impact of these incidents will extend beyond the family and friends of these workers… Business owners should protect their workers, including subbies. Don’t risk non-compliance, contact ISOsafe today on 1300 789 132 to learn more about our services for Australian businesses

New Zealand construction firm fined after worker injured in 2.9m fall

The construction company was fined $34,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $16,000 after pleading guilty to one charge under sections 6 and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.
On 22 October 2015, the worker was installing a flooring system on the second storey of a house in Timaru in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand. The system is a composite steel flooring system made of lightweight, pre-formed steel sheets.
While drilling timber fascia boards to a steel beam, the steel sheets, which the worker was using as a work platform, moved and the worker fell 2.9m onto the concrete floor. He was knocked unconscious, sustained fractures, and suffers fatigue and headaches as a result of his head injury.
A WorkSafe investigation revealed the company had failed to complete adequate planning and hazard assessment in relation to the work, which would have included assessing whether the sheets made a safe work platform and making sure that the sheets were installed in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
The worker was unfamiliar with the installation process and had received no training on how to do so. No one had checked that the worker installed the sheets correctly.
WorkSafe’s Construction Programme Manager Marcus Nalter said “working from height is a well-known risk in the construction industry and it must be managed appropriately at all times.”
Nalter added, “The company should have ensured that the fitting of the flooring system was being done correctly and appropriate controls were in place to prevent a fall from height, such as providing a safe working platform.”
“People working in high risk industries such as construction should be able to trust that the employer has their workers’ safety at the front of their mind. In this instance, The company’s inattention to safety has resulted in injury and ongoing health impacts for the worker,” said Mr Nalter.
The importance of training and hazard management while working at height has been reinforced here. Don’t risk non-compliance contact ISOsafe today on 1300 789 132 

Council in Waikato region of New Zealand sentenced after zookeeper killed by tiger

A council located within the Waikato region has been ordered, by Hamilton District Court, to pay reparations of $5,180 to each of the zookeepers children. The zookeeper was killed by a tiger while working at the zoo last year.
The council was further ordered to pay fines of $38,250 after pleading guilty to one charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the workers safety.
A WorkSafe investigation into the workers death on September 20 2015 revealed that the council, as the owner and operator of the zoo, failed to take a number of practicable steps to ensure the safety of the worker. This included a lack of mechanical and safety features to prevent two gates between the cat chute and the main enclosure being open at the same time, not having a two keeper system in place, or warning signs to indicate that a tiger had not been secured.
“As an employer, the council had a duty to implement safety systems, administrative and mechanical, to ensure that staff never came into direct contact with the tigers, including in the event that a gate was accidentally left open,” said SafeWork NZ Chief Inspector, Keith Stewart.
Mr Stewart added, “Working with large carnivores like Sumatran tigers will always come with the highest possible risk – there are no second chances if you come into direct contact with a dangerous animal”.
Failure to ensure the safety of workers can seriously damage a business’ bottom line. This conviction reinforces the importance of managing the risks through the development of clear procedures and the provision of training and supervision. Don’t risk non-compliance, contact ISOsafe today to find out how we can assist you in providing a safe and legally compliant workplace

Grow your business with an ISO 9001 certification

Many smaller businesses grow very slowly with the capacity to serve a limited customer base, delivering limited volumes and operating within a defined area. Potential customers outside this immediate demographic are sceptical when higher value contracts are on the line. For any business to grow, it must offer it’s customers consistent, reliable results. Keeping existing business, is as important as, winning new business. It has been tried and tested millions of times over, an ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the best way to grow confidence among your customers.
What is ISO 9001? It is the international standard that defines the key parameters that demonstrate the certified organisation is capable of consistently delivering on its stated customer promises. It is the language that businesses and the supply chain understand. It gives confidence to those who deal with your business that you can deliver.
What does ‘certified’ to ISO 9001 mean? This means a recognised independent and accredited organisation has assessed your business against the requirements of the standards and verifies that the organisation meets those requirements.
What is the process for ISO 9001 certification? It is a 3 stage process; the use of an experienced consultancy can make this a painless and seamless process.
1. Gap Analysis– This is an assessment of the current position of the organisation against the requirements of ISO 9001
2. Implementation of ISO 9001– This process involves a range of activities to close the gaps identified in the gap analysis.
3. Certification Audit– An accredited certification body will conduct an onsite audit to independently verify that your organisations’ operations meet the requirements of ISO 9001. An (annual) regime of surveillance audits will be put in place by the certification body to verify continuing compliance.
Following certification, your business' newly acquired credentials should be at the heart of your sales and marketing strategy. It is important that everyone in your supply chain is made aware that your business is certified.
With an ISO 9001 certification your business can confidently apply for both public and private sector tenders/contracts directly, rather than as a subcontractor.
ISOsafe is Australia’s leading supplier of ISO consultancy services supporting SMEs in their effort to be more competitive; by improving quality performance, customer satisfaction and, ultimately, their market share. Get in touch today on 1300 789 132 to learn more about our services for your business. 

Sydney car auction company fined more than $250,000 after death of forklift operator

A Sydney car auction company has been fined more than a quarter of a million dollars after a forklift operator was killed while unloading a truck at Milperra, NSW in 2013.
A 36 year old forklift operator and a 19 year old labourer were moving a cabinet from a truck onto a forklift at the company’s motor vehicle storage and auction site, when they both lost control of the load. The incident resulted in the death of the forklift operator and the labourer was left with fractured ribs and an injured knee.
SafeWork NSW charged the company with a breach of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 for failing to ensure the health and safety of workers.
The company were found guilty by the District Court in June this year and fined $255,000.
Executive Director of SafeWork NSW, Peter Dunphy said the incident highlighted the risks of working with forklifts and need to provide effective supervision and support to young workers.
“Forklifts continue to be a major factor in workplace deaths and injuries,” Mr Dunphy said.
“Between July 2012 and July 2014, 1,360 workers were injured in forklift incidents, including five fatalities.
“The social and economic impact is also significant, including a cost of $15.8 million to the NSW workers compensation scheme.
“Young workers make up approximately 12 per cent of all employment injuries and occupational diseases across the State, and are more vulnerable to workplace safety risks because of their inexperience or reluctance to speak up about safety concerns.
“Our investigation found that a lack of safety systems, instruction and supervision were major contributors to this incident.
“The company failed to train and instruct the workers how to safely remove the cabinet from the truck and did not tell them which forklift could safely carry the cabinet."
“This resulted in the workers selecting the wrong sized forklift with tragic results.”
“This incident highlights the need for employers to have appropriate systems in place to ensure that all workers, particularly young workers, receive sufficient training and support to work safely.”
Failure to manage health and safety can result in serious incidents. So, as well as putting staff wellbeing at risk, businesses can be left exposed to substantial financial penalties, criminal and civil prosecution and loss of reputation.
Don’t risk noncompliance. ISOsafe’s services will protect your business. We will prepare safe systems of work, safety instructions and all other documentation you require. Call us now 1300 789 132 or email us at enquiries@isosafe.com.au, to learn more about our services for businesses and their owners.

Nearly a million dollars in safety fines after bricklayer almost killed

A Granville bricklaying company and its director have been fined nearly three quarters of a million dollars after a worker almost died from electric shock on a Hammondville construction site in 2012.
The worker had been installing vertical metal bars into brickwork at a residential and commercial construction when he made contact with overhead power lines, suffering electrical burns to his hands, arms and torso. After being pronounced dead at the scene, he was revived by the Director.
SafeWork NSW charged the bricklaying company and its director for failing to comply with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW). The judge found that the Director of the company failed to exercise due diligence by not checking that the scaffold was a safe distance from power lines and verifying that a risk assessment had been conducted.
Two other companies, at the same site, were fined $500,000 in 2014 and $75,000 in 2015 respectively, over the incident.
Executive Director of SafeWork NSW, Peter Dunphy said the incident could have been prevented if the business had a few simple safe work systems in place.
“There was a clear risk that the bricklayer could receive a potentially deadly electric shock if they came into contract with the power lines while working from the scaffolding,” Mr Dunphy said.
“The Director should have verified that a safety assessment had been conducted, ensured the scaffolding was a safe distance from power lines and advised the bricklayer of the risk.
“Unfortunately, this did not occur and the bricklayer almost died in an incident that was completely preventable.
“Fines from this incident now total almost three quarters of a million dollars, serving as a strong deterrent to those in the construction industry thinking about ignoring safety laws.”
Failure to manage health and safety can result in serious incidents. So, as well as putting staff wellbeing at risk, businesses can be left exposed to substantial financial penalties, criminal and civil prosecution and loss of reputation.
Don’t risk noncompliance. ISOsafe’s services will protect your business. We will prepare safe systems of work, safety instructions and all other documentation you require. Call us now 1300 789 132 or email us at enquiries@isosafe.com.au, to learn more about our services for businesses and their owners.