High-Risk Industries Targeted in Workplace Safety Crackdown
- WorkSafe Victoria is intensifying inspections in construction, healthcare and social assistance, government, agriculture and transport, the five industries that together accounted for more than 60% of the state’s 61 workplace deaths last year and 55% of its 26,323 injury claims.
- Construction remains the deadliest sector, with 26 workers killed and more than 10,600 injured over three years, with falls from heights the most common cause of death.
- Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Steve Dimopoulos announced the crackdown last week, saying inspectors will target falls, vehicles and machinery, hazardous manual handling, workplace violence and psychosocial risk, with expanded enforcement powers including on-the-spot fines for falls from height.
- Separately, Workforce Inspectorate Victoria will conduct inspections of retail and hospitality businesses during school holidays to ensure children under 15 are employed lawfully and safely, after previous holiday inspections identified 574 potential breaches of child employment laws and led to one prosecution.
Worker Seriously Injured After Ladder Touches Electrical Wires
- A worker was seriously injured Sept. 17 after a ladder he was using while working on a building came into contact with electrical wires in Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing him to fall and lose consciousness.
- Atlantic City police officers found the man unconscious on the ground.
- The worker was airlifted to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia for further treatment; police have not released his identity or current condition.
Survey: 72% of Workers Suffer Heat-Related Health Effects at Work
- A survey has found that 72% of workers in Quebec, Canada reported experiencing at least one health effect linked to extreme heat at work, including dehydration and fatigue, prompting a public health coalition to call for a heat illness prevention strategy.
- The proposed strategy includes amending the building code to improve ventilation and provide sun protection, along with better access to cooling areas for outdoor workers in sectors like agriculture, construction and postal delivery.
- Patrick Rondeau, director of environment and just transition at a major Quebec labor union, cited a 2024 International Labor Organization report showing a 33% increase in heat-related work injuries across the Americas since 2000, warning the trend will worsen without government action.
- Rondeau recommended reinforcing occupational health and safety legislation with regulated workplace temperatures and mandated breaks and urged the government to incorporate cooling into the design and renovation of its own building stock.