News
NSW: Guidelines for Reporting an Incident or Injury
WorkCover NSW has issued guidelines as to when to report a work-related incident. WorkCover NSW must be notified of all incidents involving a fatality, serious injury, serious illness or dangerous incident by phone on 13 10 50 as an urgent investigation may be needed.
Study: Stress Shrinks the Brain and Lowers Our Ability to Cope with Adversity
Feeling stressed by family and work woes? It could be taking a toll on both your brain and your body. Now researchers say that even everyday stress can be leading to changes in the brain that make us more vulnerable to mental as well as social disorders ranging from depression to addiction and behavioral conditions.
What’s up with the work health and safety laws harmonisation?
With some states confirming their decision to delay the commencement of harmonised WHS laws, it is now understood that the full harmonisation of the laws won’t be possible by 1 January 2012. While the Northern Territory, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland and Commonwealth have committed to the commencement of the new harmonised laws, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, and South Australia have decided to delay its implementation.
Stress Response In Police Officers May Indicate Risk For PTSD
Often stress-related disorders are linked to individuals who work in the firing line. American researchers examined police recruits during academy training prior to critical incident exposure. They provided the recruits with salivary cortisol at first awakening and after 30 minutes. According to the study results, recruits with the greatest increase of the stress hormone cortisol after awakening were more likely to display acute stress symptoms in response to trauma years later as police officers.
The Mounting Costs of Falls
Buckets of money and many careers are being devoted to falls prevention, an issue causing major problems throughout the healthcare sector and wider community. Catherine Baudet examines the causes and possible solutions.
Safe Work report: Compensated Injury Fatalities Down
Safe Work Australia Chair, Mr Tom Phillips AM, announced the release of the Thirteenth Edition of the Comparative Performance Monitoring (CPM) report on Australia’s work health and safety and workers’ compensation outcomes for 2009–10. Mr Phillips said the report indicates that the rate of compensated injury fatalities is at its lowest level since the start of the National OHS Strategy 2002-2012 and it is expected that the target of a 20 percent reduction by 2012 will be achieved.
Musculoskeletal injuries linked to work-related stress
Work stress has emerged as a significant risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), according to a new study, which also found that job control reduced the likelihood of pain. The US researchers found work stress was one of the variables with the strongest influence on reported back and arm pain. Workers with arm pain were particularly likely to report they were sometimes, often or always stressed.
Be more "aggressive" about RTW, says Music Within expert
Employers must be "aggressive" when it comes to getting injured workers back on the job and workers with disabilities in the roles in which they'll flourish, according to internationally renowned RTW expert, Dr Richard Pimentel. He told the Comcare conference in Melbourne this week that there were "no good jobs for people with disabilities, but people with disabilities who do good jobs".
Consequences of Co-Worker Rudeness Are Far-Reaching
A co-worker's rudeness can have a great impact on relationships far beyond the workplace, according to a Baylor University study published online in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. Findings suggest that stress created by incivility can be so intense that, at the end of the day, it is taken home by the worker and impacts the well-being of the worker's family and partner, who in turn takes the stress to his/her workplace.
