OHS NEWS

For the latest update OHS news and information across Australia.

Farm Death Investigation

January 24, 2007 09:10am Article from: AAP

A Mareeba man was injured on a farm in Mareeba yesterday.

The 33-year-old man was reportedly injured by farm machinery at the property about 10km east of Mareeba shortly before midday yesterday (AEST).

He was taken to Cairns Base Hospital but died while having surgery about 1.15pm.

Detectives had spoken to a number of people present when the man was injured, police said.

Worksafe Inspector tussle leads to fines

January 23, 2007 09:36pm Article from: AAP

Two men have been fined $15,000 for taking film from a Worksafe Inspector and burying it with an escavator.

Mildura Magistrate Dan Muling today imposed the penalty after the men pleaded guilty to charges including assault and failing to comply with an inspector's direction.

WorkSafe Victoria executive director John Merritt said the case reinforced the message that the organisation's inspectors must be allowed to do their job without interference.

"An inspector's camera was taken from him and the film buried in a Mildura drainage project trench in February last year," Mr Merritt said today.

The inspector had sought to photograph a roadside work site after first warning its operators that correct safety measures were not in place, posing a risk to motorists and workers.

Instead, the inspector's camera was forcibly taken from him, its film removed and thrown into the ditch and an excavator used to bury it.

"WorkSafe's inspectors play a vital role in community efforts to stop people being killed or hurt at work," Mr Merritt said.

"We take seriously what we see as efforts to undermine their duties through physical means or intimidation."

Peter Prostamo, 45, of Reservoir, was fined $6500 and ordered to pay costs of $8557, while Marcello De Frenza, 35, of Mornington Peninsula, was ordered to pay $1000.

Convictions were not recorded.

Diver Fights Off Great White

January 23, 2007 03:04pm Article from: AAP

A Professional Abalone Diver Was Bitten On The Head By A Great White Shark Today Before Poking It In The Eye To Escape.

Eric Nerhus, 41, was diving with his 25-year-old son and a group of other divers at Cape Howe, near Eden, when he was attacked by the 3m white pointer about 10.30am (AEDT).

The shark grabbed Mr Nerhus by the head, crushing his face mask inwards and breaking his nose, said friend and fellow diver Dennis Luobikis.

"He was actually bitten by the head down, the shark swallowed his head," Mr Luobikis said.

The shark then took a second bite, clamping its jaws around Mr Nerhus's torso and tearing deep cuts in each side of his body.

Mr Nerhus, a well-known local diver with more than five years' experience, struggled free from the shark's jaws and was pulled back aboard the boat by his son.

Two other divers in a nearby boat gave him first aid and one radioed his father, who was flying overhead in a spotter plane, to call for help.

The Snowy Hydro Rescue Helicopter arrived shortly after 11.10am and took Mr Nerhus, who was suffering from shock and blood loss, to Wollongong Hospital.

He is in a serious but stable condition.

Mr Nerhus told his rescuers he poked the shark in the eye to fight his way free, a Snowy Hydro Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman said.

Mr Luobikis, 53, said it was a miracle his friend was alive.

"Eric is a tough boy, he's super fit," he said. "But I would say that would test anyone's resolve, being a fish lunch."

"He'd have a better chance of winning the lotto (than surviving that attack), and I think he would have rather done that."

There had been a rash of white pointer sightings in recent weeks because of unusually cold water off Eden, but such an attack was unheard of, Mr Luobikis said.

"I have been a professional diver in Eden for 36 years and I'm not aware of any white pointer attacks in that time," he said.

Rough conditions deterred many divers from venturing out this morning, Mr Luobikis said.

Swimmers were evacuated from three popular south coast beaches last week after sharks were spotted during aerial patrols.

The white pointer, or great white shark, is the world's largest known predatory fish, with an average length of 4m-5m.

It can grow up to 6m and thrives in colder waters.

Fallen tree kills logger

January 22, 2007 06:45pm Article from: AAP

In Tasmania A Forestry Worker Has Been Killed While Logging a Tree

The logging contractor was working near Geeveston when he was struck on the head at 8.15am (AEDT) today.

Police said colleagues tried to resuscitate the man, but paramedics pronounced him dead a short time later.

A coronial investigation is underway and Workplace Standards and Tasmania Police are investigating.

The age and identity of the man, who was a local resident, are yet to be released.

Bee Sting Allergy Kills Rubbish Collector

January 19, 2007 11:09am Article from: AAP

A Bee Sting Has Killed a Rubbish Collector in the NSW Riverina District.

The 45-year-old Narrandera man died in Griffith District Hospital yesterday, police said.

He was stung while collecting rubbish from a property at Willbriggie, near Griffith, and died in hospital.

The man was allergic to bee stings, an ambulance spokesman said.

Teenage Killed at Work

4:40 p.m. January 18 2007

A 14 year old teenager on work experience has been killed while a shipping container was being unloaded in the southern suburbs of Brisbane at around 1:30 p.m. today. It is believed that the teenager was squashed between the container and a truck as it was being unloaded from at a shopping centre car park located at Woodridge.

The accident is being investigated by Workplace Health and Safety Officers.

Construction Worker Picks up Maserati with Fork Lift

January 18, 2007 - 12:00PM

Forklifts move a lot of old crates ... but can you count a $110,000 Maserati as an old crate?

A building worker in Elizabeth Bay's exclusive Bilyard Avenue did this morning when he found the dark blue luxury car parked in a construction zone.

But things didn't quite go according to plan.

As the unidentified worker from SMS Construction hoisted the car two metres into the air, it flipped off the forks and crashed on its roof.

Brad Harrison, a plumber who was working at a building when he came out to get some tools, described what happened.

"He picked up the car with his forklift, and then he turned while it was on, and suddenly the car rolled over and fell on its roof.

"It was a large crunch, the car was rocking [while it was on the forklift] the whole time."

A crowd of up to 50 gathered to inspect the damage, which included a smashed roof and windows.

It is unclear if the 1999 3200 GT model can be salvaged.

The owner of the car, left for a holiday to South America last week and left the car in the care of his sister, who has just moved into a house on the same street.

Two days ago Ms Huljich moved the car to a construction zone, where parking is not permitted after 7am.

"It is very surprising," a stunned Ms Huljich said.

"He's away for another two weeks in South America, so I haven't decided whether I'll tell him now or when he comes back."

Resident Stephen Gray said workers for SMS Construction had been moving cars in the street with forklifts for some time while they work on a four-storey building.

"They've been doing it for months now," he said. "It's outrageous and just really arrogant."

Inspector Peter Brooks said charges against the man who moved the car were possible.

"Only council and the police have the right to move cars from a street," he said. "We're still contemplating whether or not charges will be laid."

Workers Evacuated from Fire

January 18, 2007 11:25am Article from: AAP

WORKER'S fled as Cabinet Maker goes up in Smoke

Fire Brigade crews were called to the factory in Edwardes Road, Reservoir, part of a seven-unit complex, about 10.20am, a spokeswoman said.

Workers initially tried to fight the blaze, but were over powered by the fire.

Explosions could be heard coming from the building.

The factory was fully alight when fire crews arrived, but firefighters have stopped the blaze from spreading to adjoining buildings.

They got the fire under control in 15 minutes.

No one was injured.

Silo no longer a risk

January 16, 2007 12:16pm Article from: AAP

THE threat of explosion from a fire smouldering inside a NSW grain silo is over.

Firefighters stifled the fire overnight with thick foam pumped through a hatch of the silo in the town of Cootamundra.

It was feared there may be an explosion in the 10,000-tonne concrete structure, with grain dust particles posing a gunpowder-like combustion threat.

Fire investigators woulld today determine whether the fire was still alight beneath the blanket, but the danger appeared to have passed, NSW Fire Brigades Superintendent Craig Brierley said.

"At this stage the foam seems to have worked,'' he said.

"From our point of view the stages of the incident are moving along as we would hope.''

It is hoped some of the 275 tonnes of grain inside the silo can be salvaged.

B-Double Truck Plunges into Valley

January 16, 2007 08:50am Article from: AAP

A TRUCK driver was critically injured when his rig plunged off a highway in the NSW southern highlands early today.

The truckie was trapped in the wreck for about 30 minutes after his B-double rig crashed shortly before 7am (AEDT), an NRMA CareFlight spokesman said.

The northbound truck veered off the Hume Highway at the Cordeaux Creek bridge and plunged between the two divided sections of the road.

The 57-year-old was ejected from his rig when it crashed.

The man, of White Rock in Queensland, was taken to Liverpool Hospital with head, chest and internal injuries.

Mining Accident in WA

January 10, 2007 06:32pm Article from: AAP

A 30-year-old man has been crushed to death in a heavy vehicle accident in an underground mine in western NSW.

The man was operating a front-end loader by remote control at the Perilya Southern Operations mine site near Broken Hill last night when the accident happened about 11pm (CDT) yesterday, a NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) spokeswoman said.

Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union western region president Wayne McAndrew said investigators had worked throughout the night to try to determine what caused the accident.

"The vehicle appears to have crushed him against the wall of the mine,'' Mr McAndrew said.

"We should have some more information on exactly what's occurred tomorrow.''

The dead man, a Broken Hill local, would not be identified until his family had been informed, Mr McAndrew said.

DPI investigators went underground last night and had prepared a preliminary report, a DPI spokeswoman said.

The DPI would submit a full report on the man's death to the coroner in six to 12 months.

Perilya has temporarily suspended operations at the site and offered counselling to the dead man's family and colleagues.

NSW Mineral Resources Minister Ian Macdonald today offered condolences to the man's workmates and loved ones.

"This tragic accident is devastating for the family of the deceased man, his colleagues and, no doubt, the entire Broken Hill community,'' Mr Macdonald said.

He said more than 15,000 NSW men and women worked in and around mines every day and the Government would continue to work with the industry and unions to reduce the amount of accidents in the state.

Comment was being sought from Perilya.

Broken Hill mining death investigated

An investigation is under way into the death of a man at an underground mine in Broken Hill, in far western New South Wales, last night.

The man died when he was crushed against a wall by heavy machinery.

The Department of Primary Industries says a report for the coroner is expected to take six to 12 months.

Mining company Perilya has suspended operations at the mine, and counselling services are being provided for the man's friends and family.

Adding insult to injury

January 10, 2007 12:00 Article from:

Bad law is turning ordinary NSW businesspeople into criminals, TOM SMITH * reports on his disturbing experience

I'VE always considered myself an honest man but, at the age of 62 and after 40 years in business, I'm shocked and traumatised to find myself with a criminal conviction.

What's more painful is I had no control over the events for which I have been deemed guilty.

What happened to me can happen to any person involved in any business in NSW – but if you work in another state it would not happen.

Whether you run a one-person business or are involved in any level of management of larger businesses in NSW, you need to be afraid of the NSW occupational health and safety laws.

I've run small and medium businesses in NSW all my life. I was once proud to live in this state. I operate a labour hire business and we take work safety very seriously. We have a strong safety record in difficult industries.

In 2000 we had an employee working at a company on a machine that pressed out metal caps for power poles. The machine malfunctioned, crushing four of our employee's fingers. We were shocked by the incident and co-operated fully in the investigation. We supported our employee.

In the court case against me, the judge found the machine failure was totally beyond my control and impractical for me to prevent. However, I'm still criminally guilty and I fail to understand why.

I've some questions for the Premier. If I don't own a machine or the property on which it sits, didn't make or design the machine nor have the capacity to direct its use or maintenance, how can I be held responsible when it fails? What sort of strange law holds me guilty for something I can't control?

Mr Iemma, if I drove a car and the wheel fell off, causing an accident, would you convict me over something I could not control?

If you did it would mean everyone who had a car accident would face automatic criminal prosecution. It's nonsense and illogical.

I was convicted because Mr Iemma's OHS laws declare that, as soon as a work accident happens, the employer is automatically guilty whether there's fault or not. I was the labour hire employer of my injured worker. The technical wording of the NSW OHS Act says I'm guilty because I'm the employer.

I did nothing wrong – I'd done everything a good employer must do in following safety procedures.

In NSW under these OHS laws, you are denied a trial before jury and normal rights to appeal.

No other state has these laws. Other states have sensible OHS laws that hold everyone responsible for what they reasonably and practically control.

I'm happy to be held responsible under those circumstances and that's why I'm looking for business opportunities outside NSW.

I'm angry. I've discovered that a labour hire company that had three of its employees killed in the Gretley mining tragedy in the Hunter Valley has not been prosecuted.

The Government refuses to reveal why the directors of the labour hire company haven't been prosecuted. According to a recent report, the labour hire company, United Mining Support Services, was owned by an ALP-affiliated union. Are unions exempt from prosecution? What's happened to justice in this state?

Mr Iemma undertook last year to change these laws but backed down at the last minute because NSW unions would not agree. Instead he pushed the issue off to another inquiry which will report after the March state election.

I feel betrayed. There are plenty of other people in the same situation. We are honest but are technically criminals over occurrences we could not control.

ALP politics created this.

Will they fix it? I don't think so!

* Tom Smith is managing director, DSC Managememt

Man dies under submerged mower

January 03, 2007 09:38am Article from: AAP

A MAN was killed when he was pinned under a ride-on mower after it toppled into a dam in central-western NSW.

Emergency personnel found the body of the 45-year-old man under the submerged mower in the dam at a factory in Oberon about 5.30pm (AEDT).

A crane was used to hoist the mower out of the water before the man's body could be retrieved.

Police believed the man got too close to the edge of the dam while he was mowing the grass and the machine fell in.

Construction worker dies

January 03, 2007 12:00am

Article from:

THE death of a construction worker on the first day of the working year has prompted a warning from the state's work safety authority.

A 30-year-old Langwarrin man was crushed to death when the excavator he was driving toppled from a trailer at a house at Narre Warren North about 8am.

The man was unloading the excavator from a truck in Caithwill Court when he was pinned beneath the machinery.

He was dead when ambulance crew arrived.

The death meant a grim start to the new year, with WorkSafe Victoria reiterating its call for workplace vigilance.

The death toll in Victorian workplace accidents last year was more than 60 per cent above 2005's: 29 were killed and more than 30,000 were injured. This human loss also cost business $1 billion.

WorkSafe chief executive officer Ian Forsyth said that, while Victorian workplaces were Australia's safest, more could be done to prevent tragedies on the job. "Obviously 29 people dying in 12 months is 29 people too many," he said.

Seventeen of the deaths occurred in country Victoria, the others in Melbourne and its suburbs. Construction and manufacturing were the riskiest fields (five deaths each); four people were killed on farms.

For every 1000 Victorian workers, 53.6 were injured at work in 2005-06. The national average was 64.6 per 1000.

Mr Forsyth said workplace and road safety were both important.