WHS News

The design and construction of Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride posed a “significant risk” to patrons’ safety and the park’s systems were “frighteningly unsophisticated”, a coroner has found. Dreamworld had…

The Palaszczuk Government has announced the appointment of Aaron Guilfoyle as Queensland’s first independent Work Health and Safety Prosecutor. Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said Mr Guilfoyle would lead a…

The manager of a quarry where a worker was crushed to death on-site in central Queensland has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for safety breaches Sean Scovell, 21,…

Work-related traumatic injury fatalities – Australia 2003-2016. The work-related traumatic injury fatalities data provides statistics about people who die each year from injuries caused by work-related activity. It includes fatalities…

In December 2018, a worker died when he was crushed by a steel pipe which fell off the back of a truck. The worker and two others were unloading two…

The Queensland Major Contractors Association, Construction Skills Queensland and the Infrastructure Association of Queensland have compiled the Qld Major Projects Pipeline 2018 Report. This 87 page report identifies the Major…

Obligation holder: Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) Date accepted: 22 January 2018 Incident: On 3 December 2014, workers employed by a sub-contractor engaged by Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) were…

An enforceable undertaking (EU) operates as an alternative to a court imposed sanction for an alleged contravention of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Safety in Recreational Water Activities…

On 23 October 2017, industrial manslaughter provisions in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act), Electrical Safety Act 2002 (ES Act), and Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act…

A Brisbane construction company, Criscon, has been fined $405,000 over the deaths of two workers who were crushed by a concrete slab at Eagle Farm Racecourse in October 2016. The…

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland actively enforces the law, prosecuting alleged offenders under the prosecutions framework. You can view court summaries at the WHSQ website which provides summary of the…

A Queensland Crane Operator was recently prosecuted over the death of a fellow worker whilst operating a mobile crane. The Incident Details The defendant Robert Poida held a duty under…

In February 2018, a worker was impaled by a starter bar after falling into a 1.8m deep excavation at a construction site. Early investigations indicate he was walking on a…

A refugee labour hire worker has been awarded $964,254 by the Supreme Court of Queensland 20th December 2017 for a back injury suffered at a Rockhampton meatworks. Mr. Rahmatullah Baig…

The nine charges, which include a criminal count of manslaughter against a crane driver and workplace charges against company bosses, have been labelled an “extensive and unprecedented” response by ACT’s work…

Jason Garrels was just 20 when he was electrocuted after carrying a switchboard that had come into contact with live wires during heavy rain at a construction site for townhouses…

Health and Safety Representatives (HSR’s) MUST be trained within 6 months of election from 1 July 2018. Up until this date it was only a requirement if the HSR requested this…

A total of nine complaints and summonses have been issued to four people and one business for their alleged involvement in an incident which led to the death of two…

On 12 October 2017, the Queensland Parliament passed the Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (the amendment Act). The amendment Act amends the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS…

FUNDED CONSTRUCTION SKILLS QUEENSLAND (CSQ) Short Courses & Higher Level Skills The funded Short Courses Program (SC) and Higher Level Skills Program (HLS) are again available due to funding allocated to OHSA by Construction…