WorkSafe

WorkSafe inspectors recently visited a carpentry business where workers were in the process of making a large entertainment unit with an engineered stone top.

The stone had been cut the day before, and the factory was in the process of finalising fabrication of the cabinet.

A prohibition notice was issued to the business that required the stone slab to be disposed of and the evidence of disposal submitted to WorkSafe.

In December 2023, the decision was made to ban engineered stone slabs and panels across Australia, with the ban coming into effect from July 1, 2024.

On 24 October 2022, a tanker trailer carrying an ammonium nitrate emulsion (ANE) caught fire then exploded on the Great Central Highway, approximately 150 kilometres east of Laverton. 

The road train consisted of a prime mover, a dolly and two aluminium tanker trailers containing approximately 34 tonnes (rear trailer) and 27 tonnes (front trailer) of ANE. 

This application is for a person seeking to be recognised as a ‘competent person’ to conduct plant design verification under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.

If an applicant has acquired through training, qualification or experience the knowledge and skills to inspect the plant and is eligible for professional engineer membership of Engineers Australia this form will not need to be completed.

WorkSafe will consider recognising applicants who do not meet these requirements only in exceptional circumstances.

At 13:43 on Friday 15 May 2009, a fuel tanker was unloading petrol into underground tanks at a suburban service station when a fire started at the fill point. The fire spread to the tyres of the tanker and later to its rear fuel compartments. Two of the rear compartments ruptured during the fire. One of the ruptures created a large fireball (about 60 m high and 20 m in diameter) that extensively damaged the petrol station building and associated infrastructure.

Fortunately, no-one was injured in the incident.

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution proceedings against a meat processing facility over the 2022 death of a process worker at its Katanning operation.

Western Australian Meat Marketing Co-operative Ltd (WAMMCO) has been charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker.

In December 2022, a process worker at the facility suffered fatal injuries when he was entrapped by the moving parts of machinery.

This form is to be completed and lodged with Dangerous Goods Safety within 21 days of a reportable situation unless otherwise agreed with a Dangerous Goods Officer. 

Reporting incidents is important as it assists with timely investigations, the prevention of incidents through raising awareness of incident trends and the publication of learnings from investigations. Failure to report a reportable situation is an offence under the Act
and regulations.

The Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004 (the Act) and subsidiary regulations require certain situations to be reported or notified to the Chief Officer or a Dangerous Goods Officer (DGO) at the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (the department). This guide consolidates these requirements.

Reportable situations prescribed

The following situations at dangerous goods sites, or involving dangerous goods in a pipeline, must be reported to the department if they caused, or could have caused (if not for intervening events):

These guidance can assist an affected person, as well as PCBUs, respondents, employer organisations, unions, legal practitioners, mediators, insurers and anyone else involved in the process of resolving a workplace sexual harassment complaint.

These guidance materials are not legal advice. People who have experienced sexual harassment or made a workplace sexual harassment complaint and PCBUs, others responding to complaints of workplace sexual harassment may wish to seek independent advice about how to best resolve the matter.