November Updates
Legislation Update: New Code of Practice for Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods (VIC)
A new Code of Practice for the Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods came into effect on Friday October 11, replacing the previous version published 8 December 2000.
The updated Code provides practical guidance on how to comply with the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2012 for manufacturers, suppliers and occupiers.
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Safe Work Australia report on health and safety in the road freight transport industry
The report was released as a priority in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022 (the Australian Strategy). The road transport industry and the agriculture industry were identified as the focus of efforts in all jurisdictions during the first five years of the Australian Strategy due to the high numbers of fatalities in these industries.
The report provides an overview of the work health and safety status within the road freight transport industry.
- There was a 48% decrease in the annual number of work-related injury fatalities in the industry over the last four years. Despite this, fatality rates in the road freight transport industry were roughly ten times higher than those for all industries across the eight years up to 2011.
- 78% of the work-related injury fatalities were the result of single-vehicle incidents on public roads.
- The majority of serious workers’ compensation claims were caused by manual handling or falls rather than vehicle incidents.
The full report and more information about work health and safety in the road transport industry is available from the Safe Work Australia website.
Chain of responsibility
All parties in the road transport supply chain have specific obligations under Australian road transport legislation. The chain of responsibility sets out the legal obligations placed on the different parties in the road transport industry.
The most common health and safety hazards that the chain tries to eliminate and reduce for road transport workers are:
- fatigue
- speeding
- drug or alcohol misuse
- manual handling
- exceeding safe driving hours
Road transport legislation creates responsibility for each party in the supply chain to take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of a health and safety breach in relation to road transport workers (specifically drivers).
For example, in 2004, a director of a company in the long-haul transport industry was convicted of failing to provide a safe workplace after a worker was killed in a collision found to be caused by fatigue. Some court findings included that the company failed to ensure that:
- drivers took sufficient rest stops;
- rosters took into account the effects of fatigue; and
- proper recording and auditing of driving hours was carried out.
The chain of responsibility has helped to ensure that all parties in the supply chain are aware of their obligations and understand how their actions can affect worker safety.
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Top 10 most dangerous jobs in Australia
Commercial fishing is the most dangerous job in the world and 17 times more risky than mining, according to a recent analysis of high risk jobs.
Conducted by the insurance comparison website lifeinsurancefinder.com.au, the analysis relied on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Safe Work Australia, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, listverse.com and Yahoo Finance.
It ranked the 10 most dangerous jobs in Australia as:
- Commercial fishers: Working out at sea is widely known as the most dangerous job in the world, and 17 times more dangerous than mining.
- Truckers: 200 fatal crashes involving truck drivers were reported in 2011, making up 15 per cent of all road fatalities that year. The federal government notes that truckers are 10 times more likely to die on the job than any other occupation.
- Farmers: One of the top three most dangerous jobs in the world.
- Miners: 50 to 60 Australians die each year in the mining industry from toxic gases and explosions.
- Construction workers: 13 construction workers have died so far this year.
- Tree loppers: Between 2010 and 2012, five tree loppers were reported dead in Sydney alone. They face the threat of overhead electric wires, unsteady branches and working with chainsaws.
- Defence force: About one police officer is murdered every year in Australia. They deal with the risk of infectious disease, abuse, injury, assault and even death on a daily basis.
- Firefighters: Bush fires, coupled with day-to-day accidents, put firefighters in high demand. Most firefighters die from heart attacks (44 per cent), followed by trauma related deaths (27 per cent), crashes (20-25 per cent) and burns and asphyxiation (20 per cent).
- Pilots: Even experienced commercial pilots struggle are faced with adverse weather conditions and possible mechanical failures, among other hazards, making the job high risk.
- Garbage collectors: Exposure to toxins and chemicals on a daily basis can lead garbage collectors to experience long-term damage. There is also the threat of accidents on the road.
According to a report by Safe Work Australia, more than 13,000 Australians sustained serious injuries working in retail in 2010-11, while almost 10,000 workers claimed for serious injuries in education, communications and finance.
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Key speaker at Albury Wodonga SHE group seminar
Jon Temby spoke to about 120 business leaders and health and safe professionals in Albury on 31 October. He discussed some of the common problems with health and safety documentation and the critical need to improve them, especially SWMS for higher risk jobs so that they achieve the safe outcomes required. Jon then suggested some strategies to achieve the necessary improvements.
If the response is anything to go by, you may be interested as well. Even NSW WorkCover and WorkSafe Victoria agreed with the suggestions presented!
Please email Jon if you would like a FREE COPY of the presentation, available to all Health and Safety UPDATE members.
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