safety news october 2011

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Safety News October 2011
SRA Group Australia	NATIONAL WHS LEGISLATION UPDATE On 10 August 2011, the majority of Workplace Relations Ministers endorsed in principle the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations and the first stage model Codes of Practice. The model WHS Regulations and first stage model Codes of Practice are now with Ministers for their final approval. Ministers also endorsed the National Compliance and Enforcement Policy, which was developed by Safe Work Australia and is now available for download. An additional 15 draft model Codes of Practice were released for public comment on 26 September 2011. The list of second stage draft model Codes of Practice are available on our National WHS legislation update page or via the Safe Work Australia website. Closing dates for comments are 18 November 2011 and 16 December 2011. On 26 September 2011, Safe Work Australia also released interpretive guidelines on three critical areas of the model Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation. Safety Recruitment Australia are running a WHS Harmonisation Breakfast & Information Session on Wednesday 16th November 2011 to provide an overview of the new legislation, and answer any concerns or questions you have about compliance or Workplace Health and Safety issues. Click here for more information
Permanent Recruitment	FREE HEALTH CHECKS FOR VICTORIAN WORKERS WorkSafe Victoria is urging workers to talk to their bosses about signing up for the free WorkHealth checks, as the latest data from the WorkHealth program shows many are unaware they're at risk of common, yet preventable, chronic diseases. Tim McLean, WorkHealth Spokesperson, said that more than 340,000 Victorian workers had participated in the free, confidential, 15-minute WorkHealth checks so far, and more than 23,000 workplaces have signed up to the program. Mr McLean said there are simple preventative health measures Victorian workers can incorporate into their daily working lives that can reduce their risk of chronic disease - and support provided through the WorkHealth checks can help people get started with healthier habits. Click here for more information
Contracting	EXECUTIVE OFFICERS: KNOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE NEW LAWS Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) have just released a new short film on their website titled "Executive Officers: know your responsibilities under the new laws", which runs for 5 mins 46s and features Vince O'Rourke (Chair of Workplace Health and Safety Board), Colin Isaacs (Managing Director, BOC Limited) and David Foote (CEO, Australian Country Choice), along with WHSQ Safety Ambassador Mal Meninga discuss some of the key changes for executive officers. Under the new laws, the impact for company executives, managers and business owners could potentially be significant with personal fines of up to $600,000 and imprisonment up to five years. Corporations can face fines of up to $3 million dollars. There is a great range of resources available on the WHSQ website to help QLD businesses understand the changes and how to prepare for the new work health and safety legislation in 2012. Click here for more information
Consultancy Services	NSW WORKERS COMPENSATION PREMIUM ESTIMATOR WorkCover NSW have released a new insurance premium estimator, where business can estimate the cost of their premiums online. This online tool is useful for new and existing businesses to plan for any changes that may have an effect on their workers compensation premium. For example changes to wages and claim costs, changes to business activities or growing or adding a new business, can all have an effect on your policy. Currently in NSW, an employer's premium is calculated twice during each policy period. The initial premium (called the premium estimate) is calculated at the beginning of the policy period. It is based on an estimate of wages that an employer is likely to pay during the policy period. The final premium (called the hindsight premium) is calculated at the end of the policy period. It is calculated using the actual amount of wages paid by the employer during the policy period. Click here for more information
Leadership Development	THE SYDNEY SAFETY SHOW 2011 The 2011 Sydney Safety Show was held this year at the Sydney Showgrounds over 3 days from 25 - 27 October 2011. The show was a huge success with over 9,500 visitors attending the show to view 1000s of new products and safety solutions making it Australia's largest health and safety trade show. Renowned industry professionals from WorkCover NSW, Safe Work Australia plus more presented over 30 free workshops, seminars and live demonstrations, unveiling the latest in health and safety products, solutions and innovation. We would like to thank everyone that stopped by our stand and welcome to our new subscribers to Safety News.
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