Safety Bulletin - February 2021

Fatigue and psychological risk campaign launched

SafeWork SA has launched a campaign targeting fatigue and psychological health in the workplace. Inspectors will continue auditing hospitals and health service premises to ensure appropriate control measures are in place to prevent or minimise the risk of harm to their workers from psychological hazards and work-related fatigue.

Read the SafeWork SA new alert here

Reviews for airborne contaminants WES recommence – Comments close 30 July

Safe Work Australia has recommenced the review of the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) for Airborne Contaminants. Technical comments and recommendations are now sought on measurement and analysis information, the toxicological data that forms the basis of the recommended values for Release 15: Paraffin wax to Zirconium compounds, and the reports deferred from previous releases. Comments close 30 July 2021.

Visit this Safe Work Australia page to leave your comment

Requirements for silica health surveillance increased

The WA Government has implemented new requirements for workplaces to protect workers exposed to crystalline silica in the engineered stone industry. Employers must provide a supervised, low-dose high resolution CT scan to workers in place of the previously required chest X-ray, from 15 January 2021, with a three-month transition period. HRCT scans are shown to be superior to chest X-rays and will assist in early detection of silicosis.

Read the WA Government’s media statement