“We must never accept injury, illness, or death as the cost of doing business". Paul Bastian, AMWU National Secretary
In 2018 the Work Health and Safety laws were reviewed by Ms Marie Boland. The union movement is supporting all 34 recommendations. That full Report is available here. There is an ACTU Briefing paper available click here.
The Federal government requested information on what the costs and benefits of those proposals would be. Thanks to the over 1000 AMWU members who answered the ACTU H&S Survey. We used many of your responses in our submission to the Federal government. It is available here.
The ACTU report - Work Shouldn't Hurt - summarises the responses of the 25,000 people who responded. The survey shows that "you are almost twice as likely in Australia to have suffered an injury at work than to have a secure job".
Poor quality air and exposure to dangerous dusts and fumes can be fatal.
The air we breathe has a big impact on our health and being exposed to poor quality air not only makes us vulnerable to serious health issues that are irreversible, but they can also be deadly.
The adverse impacts on our health range from cancer, stiffening of the lungs, asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.
Exposure to dusts, fumes, particles, vapours and gasses vary according to occupation and health and safety practices.
Some of the high risk occupations include, spray painters, welders, diesel mechanics and some food workers.
If you work in these areas it is essential that ventilation systems are adequately and regularly maintained.
If you have any concerns about potential exposure at your workplace, please speak to an AMWU organiser or contact your branch.
Remember, prevention is always best.
CONSULTATION IS THE LAW!
Consultation is not only essential to workplace Health and Safety best practice but it's the law.
WHAT CAUSED IT? When investigating injuries/near misses . . . follow the chain of events to find the cause.
Hearing loss is 100% Preventable but 100% Irreversible: Did you know that nearly one in five workers will suffer hearing loss over the course of their working life -- join the AMWU campaign to lower the noise levels in our workplaces.
If you are concerned or unsure about the noise levels at your workstation, or in your workplace, talk to your HSR immediately.
Injured or ill: Knowing what to do when you are injured can be confusing -- here is our advice in English - in Mandarin - in Vietnamese
WORK FROM HEIGHTS SAFELY
Knowing how to safely work from heights could save your life.
For further information, there is good advice in the Code of Practice on Fall prevention, CLICK HERE.
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Asbestos
A mobile phone app called ACM Check (short for “Asbestos-Containing Material Check”) has been developed by researchers at Curtin University in WA. The app aims to raise awareness about asbestos in residential settings. ACM Check is available for free from the App Store [click here] and Google Play [click here]. Check it out - and share it.
If you wish to register your exposure to asbestos - at home or at work - you can register with the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency