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Alarming Number of Construction Workers Affected by Suicide Annually

Posted on 22/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

Each year more than 40 workers die due to suicide and more than 100 suffer permanent disability as a result of unsuccessful suicide attempts. This alarming practice is costing the community more than $355 million annually, and in addition to…

Work Starts on New England Highway Improvements

Posted on 21/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

Work has begun on the $7million New England Highway project which will be adding lanes between Yarraman and Toowoomba. The construction phase of the project will support 22 jobs and ultimately will improve traffic flow and safety for motorists. Planners…

Men in Construction Struggling With Mental Health

Posted on 20/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

A recent article on Couriermail.com.au explored the reasons why male construction workers are at a higher risk of suicide than females and males in other industries. Men rely on work as the principal source of their identity, so when their…

Exploring the Latest Excavation Equipment

Posted on 19/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

A civil contractor in Mackay is trialling new automated earthmoving technology at its Richmond Hills Estate construction site, being described as “ground-breaking”. The company is trialling a new automated Komatsu PC210LCi-10 Hydraulic excavator, the first in Queensland. Komatsu describes the…

Labourer’s Serious Fall Injuries Results in Operations Manager Being Fined

Posted on 17/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

An Operation Manager for a roofing company has been given a $7500 fine and ordered to pay costs of $517 over an incident which left a labourer with serious injuries. The worker fell through a skylight in September 2015. The…

Posted in Industry News Tagged with: builders, building, ohs, serious fall, WH&S, whitecard, workplace health and safety

Safe Work Australia Released February 2017 Notifiable Fatalities Report

Posted on 16/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

Safe Work Australia released its latest notifiable fatalities monthly report for February 2017 and so far there have been 20 work related notifiable fatalities. The report provides a national summary of work related traumatic fatalities. Three fatalities were from the…

Taskforce Established to Investigate Non-compliant Cladding in Victoria

Posted on 15/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

The Victorian Government plans to establish an expert taskforce to examine the extent of non-compliant cladding on Victorian buildings after the Grenfell Tower Fire in London. The taskforce is aimed at helping the state identify and address non-compliant cladding and…

Scaffolding Collapses at North Melbourne Demolition Site

Posted on 14/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

The scaffolding at a North Melbourne demolition site earlier this week collapsed, thankfully nobody was injured in the incident. The collapse, which happened on Monday morning involved three levels of scaffolding which fell from a building that was being demolished…

Worker Airlifted after Fall from Work Platform

Posted on 13/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

We should never underestimate the risks of work from heights, even when working from an elevated work platform which seems relatively low, we must implement the necessary controls and safety procedures. Recently a man had to be airlifted to hospital…

Company Charged for Incorrect Storage of Explosives

Posted on 12/07/2017 by Peter Cutforth

A mining company has been issued a $20,000 fine in Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to insecure storage of explosives. WA Police discovered the theft of 100kg of explosives at the Higginsville gold mine near Norseman in the Goldfields,…