WorkSafe

With Ex-TC Lincoln threatening the N-W coast, businesses in the affected area have been reminded to ensure that cyclone contingency plans have been established and are in operation.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects the system to move out to sea, and there is a high chance it will re-intensify as a cyclone and track towards the west Pilbara coast this weekend.

Acting WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said today it was crucial that everyone on both sea and land had safe systems of work in place and operating when a cyclone approached.

WorkSafe has initiated the first four prosecutions under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, which came into effect in March 2022.

Wesbeam Pty Ltd, a manufacturer of engineered wood product, has been charged with failing in its duty while in control of plant and consequently causing serious harm to an individual.

WorkSafe will allege that in April 2022, an operator at Wesbeam’s Neerabup factory was clearing a blockage on a conveyor belt when his arm was dragged into an unguarded section, resulting in serious injuries requiring extensive medical treatment.

WorkSafe has initiated the first four prosecutions under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020, which came into effect in March 2022.

Wesbeam Pty Ltd, a manufacturer of engineered wood product, has been charged with failing in its duty while in control of plant and consequently causing serious harm to an individual.

WorkSafe will allege that in April 2022, an operator at Wesbeam’s Neerabup factory was clearing a blockage on a conveyor belt when his arm was dragged into an unguarded section, resulting in serious injuries requiring extensive medical treatment.

New statistics have shown Western Australian workers have a much lower chance of being fatally injured at work in 2024 than they did 34 years ago.

When the increase in WA workforce numbers is taken into account, a worker’s risk of being fatally injured fell by 83 percent between 1988/89 and 2022/23.

In 1988/89, WA recorded 49.5 fatalities per million workers. By 2022/23, this number had reduced to 8.5 fatalities per million workers.

WorkSafe is investigating work-related deaths in two separate incidents today.

At around 8am in Donnybrook, a male worker suffered fatal injuries while in the process of collecting a skip bin from the front yard of a residential premises.

WorkSafe investigators attended and conducted an examination of the scene.

At around 2pm at Maida Vale, a worker is believed to have been electrocuted while conducting tree lopping work near overhead high voltage power lines.

Investigators from WorkSafe and Building and Energy attended the scene.

WorkSafe has commenced a proactive inspection program to look at safety issues in WA waste and recycling facilities.

The inspection program will look at a number of randomly selected facilities across metropolitan and regional areas of the State throughout the 2024/25 financial year.

Inspectors will look at waste treatment, remediation, and material recovery and disposal services throughout the course of the inspection program.

Consumer Protection and WorkSafe have issued a warning after traces of asbestos were found in some imported crayons.

Testing carried out by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and WorkSafe Victoria found asbestos at trace levels in the following products:

A registered builder has been fined $22,000 (and ordered to pay $900 in costs) after an apprentice fell six metres from trestle scaffolding and was seriously injured last year.

Stephen John Gregson – trading as Gregson Constructions – pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and was fined in the Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday.

In August 2017, Mr Gregson and two employees, one a qualified carpenter and the other an apprentice carpenter, were completing work on a two-storey timber-framed house in Two Rocks.

A proactive inspection program undertaken by WorkSafe to look at safety in specific types of retail outlet in WA has uncovered concerns with electricity, falls from height, manual tasks and emergency precautions.

The program involved WorkSafe inspectors visiting retail stores including those selling clocks, craft goods, duty free, firewood, musical instruments, pets and pet accessories, swimming pools and tobacco products in Perth and regional areas of the State.

A crane operator has been fined $4400 (and ordered to pay $4700 in costs) after he overloaded a crane and injured another worker when the crane collapsed.

Robert Anthony Hoekzema pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable care to avoid adversely affecting another person and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday.

In June 2015, Mr Hoekzema was employed as a casual crane operator under the direction of H’VAR Steel Services Pty Ltd on a project managed by Doric Construction.