Staff at the Dunedin City Council office have been forced to work from home, after asbestos dust was discovered in the civic centre offices. The material was found last week
$8,000 in fines over illegally dumped ACM
A Melbourne waste company faces thousands of dollars in fines for dumping asbestos-containing material at an unlicensed tip. Monash Bin Hire and Demolition were found to have disposed of construction
Federal Government considering compensation scheme for victims of ‘Mr Fluffy’ asbestos
The federal government is considering a new compensation fund for victims of asbestos disease. The program is under investigation as a method for compensating victims who were not exposed to
Another fight for residents of asbestos-contaminated town in Montana
Residents of Libby, Montana, are fighting for compensation and appropriate healthcare over the asbestos-related health disaster that is now recognised as one of the worst human-made environmental disasters in the
Study shows inherent danger in US EPA’s asbestos disposal strategies
The Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters published findings earlier this year that has disproven the long-held belief that if asbestos is buried, it no longer poses a threat to human
Historic pool works halted over asbestos discovery in regional Victoria
Repair works at a historic swimming pool in regional Victoria has been halted after contractors uncovered asbestos in the Gisborne pool’s overflow channel. While the site was already closed to
Asbestos company fined almost $300,000 after death of worker
An asbestos remediation company in the UK has been fined more than £161,000 ($289,138AUD) after it admitted to errors that resulted in the death of a worker in an explosion.
‘Disgraceful’ actions of painter leads to fine, $48K clean up bill
The action of a Brisbane house painter has been labelled as ‘disgraceful’ by a local magistrate after he failed to protect workers and the general public from the risks of
QLD Government reveals it spent $6.5M remediating asbestos in schools in last FY
Asbestos audits conducted across Queensland public schools from July 2020 until February 2021 revealed more than 100 schools have asbestos present. The Queensland government has spent more than $6.5 million
Warning over contaminated road base containing asbestos
An amount of bonded asbestos has been uncovered in unmarked road base at a regional waste facility on the Fleurieu peninsula. The Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority’s Goolwa Waste and Recycling
Little Bay to be closed to the public over asbestos contamination
Popular Sydney beach, Little Bay, will be closed for at least two weeks over asbestos contamination concerns. Authorities have known the presence of asbestos at the site for eight months.
Building boom in Victoria reveals breadth of asbestos waste problem
As Victoria recovers from COVID lockdowns and business limitations, the construction industry is booming. With the increase in building activity, comes a new challenge – how to deal with the
Asbestos support organisation at a loss after Return to Work SA cuts funding
The Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia, which provides assistance to victims of asbestos-related diseases, is in shock after funding for the project was slashed without warning. President of ADSSA,
Calls for ban on stone bench tops amid ‘spiralling’ silicosis rates
Australia’s National Dust Diseases Taskforce, established two years ago to combat the rising levels of silicosis among workers in construction and home renovation industries, is considering a ban on artificial
Victoria’s silicosis rates increasing, fast-tracked compensation available
WorkSafe Victoria has confirmed that claims relating to silicosis from working with artificial stone are continuing to climb in the state, with the numbers renewing calls for greater screening for
Cyclone-affected Western Australian residents warned of asbestos risks
Residents of cyclone-hit Kalbarri are facing a new threat as they begin the mammoth task of cleaning up after Cyclone Seroja. The damage caused by the cyclone has revealed the
40,000 cubic metres of asbestos remediated at Morwell Power site
The former Morwell Power Station site has finalised its remediation of the Energy Brix demolition project, and control of the site has been handed to the Victorian Government. The Department
Fraser Coast latest site of illegally dumped asbestos
A Queensland council is counting the cost of an urgent clean up after illegal asbestos was dumped at Nikenbah, on the Fraser Coast. The material was left at the Nikenbah
Illegal asbestos dumping on the rise in regional New Zealand
Ratepayers in a New Zealand council area are facing a significant clean-up bill after a dump of asbestos and building waste was found at the Waimakariri River. Zone delivery lead
Asbestos material found in Adelaide kindergarten playground
A four-year-old child has potentially been exposed to asbestos material within mulch on a playground in an Adelaide kindergarten. The suspected exposure took place on the 23 of March when
The importance of indoor air quality in aged care homes
Close to a year since more than 200 scientists shared their concerns over COVID-19 transmission via airborne particles, experts are calling for greater monitoring and controls in air quality control
Truck driver to pay more than $145K over acid spill
A Victorian truck driver has been hit with a $50,000 fine and ordered to pay $95,000 for the clean-up after he drove away from the site of a sulphuric acid
UK waste contractor jailed for more than two years over illegal disposal
A Welsh contractor has been jailed for two years and three months after he was found to have illegally disposed of 100,000 tonnes of waste at a quarry in Somerset,
Renovators urged to reconsider artificial stone bench tops
Australia’s current housing boom is fuelling a similar uptick in renovations around the country, with calls from builders urging homeowners undertaking renovations to consider using alternatives to artificial stone. Artificial
Painter shocked after asbestos contamination
A New Zealand house painter completing work for a customer has been left in shock and potentially facing severe health issues after his goodwill gesture took a turn for the
Queensland produce company fined $150,000 over crush fatality
A Queensland produce company has appeared in the Bowen Magistrates Court over an incident in 2019 that resulted in the death of a worker. In March of 2019, the worker
WorkSafe NSW under fire for failing to attend sites of ‘major incidents’
Construction industry veterans have claimed that the NSW safety regulator is failing to attend significant workplace incidents, with confidential reports that there have been at least six incidents where a
Residents of regional Tasmanian town furious over illegal asbestos dumping
Residents in Tasmania’s Burnie are furious over the alleged illegal dumping of asbestos-containing material, which a local resident discovered. Testing of the material was undertaken by specialists and confirmed the
Worker in a serious condition after incident with slasher
A worker has spent the Easter long weekend in hospital after a workplace incident where he was run over by a tractor in a small town in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley
Major fines over “blatant disregard for safety”
A Melbourne business, Timberwood Panels Pty Ltd, and its director Iain Agyeman, have appeared in the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on two counts of failing to provide or maintain safe systems
Safety alert after incident that resulted in amputation
WorkSafe Victoria has issued a safety alert following an incident at a mine site that saw an employee seriously injured during a mobile conveyer’s maintenance. The alert is specific to
Hay processing company fined over double amputation incident
SafeWork SA has prosecuted a South Australian hay processing and exporting company after an incident that saw a company employee lose both his legs below the knee in a hay
Worker’s fingers sawn off in workplace accident
A worker has been rushed to hospital after a workplace incident in Kiama on NSW’s south coast. The worker, in his 60s, was using a table saw at a property
Woolworths fined over bakery incident
Woolworths Group has been successfully prosecuted by SafeWork SA over an incident in 2018 involving a bakery trolley that injured a worker. The worker was moving a two-metre high trolley
Rogue electrical contractor faces court
The Queensland Government has taken action against a rogue electrical operator, who has been accused of performing unlicensed work, and the action has been supported in court. Queensland’s Electrical Safety
Safety blitz during harvest season in Central Victoria
Safety compliance blitzes continue as Victoria’s WorkSafe and the Department of Health and Labour Hire Authority conduct inspections across orchard and growing regions around Shepparton. Inspectors are visiting sites to
Six food delivery platforms put on notice after safety blitz
SafeWork NSW has served six food delivery platforms with improvement notices after a safety blitz by the regulator uncovered widespread non-compliance with WHS legislation. Kevin Anderson, Minister for Better Regulation,
17-year-old killed in electrocution incident
A teenager has died from electrocution at Caboolture, north of Brisbane, according to Queensland Police. Police, ambulance workers and Queensland Fire and Emergency services attended a private property on Tuesday
Workplace accident on the Gold Coast
A worker is in the Gold Coast University Hospital following a workplace accident on the Gold Coast yesterday afternoon. Emergency services, including police and ambulance, attended the scene around 1:30
Scaffolding on NSW construction sites in the spotlight
SafeWork NSW has put the state’s construction sites on notice again, this time focusing on scaffolding on structures. The regulator has warned they will issue on-the-spot fines and stop-work notices
Company director facing prison over gross negligence, death of worker
A Western Australian shed building company and its director are facing seven separate charges over the death of a worker on the south coast of WA last year. The case
Business fined $35,000 for forklift crush incident
A Gympie business has been fined $35,000 in the Gympie Magistrates Court for breaching its duty of care after an incident in which one of its workers was seriously injured
Jumping castle business fined $50,000 over explosion
A jumping castle business on the Gold Coast has been fined $50,000 for failing to comply with their primary health and safety duties, exposing workers to a risk of serious
WorkSafe confirms two workplace fatalities recorded
WorkSafe Victoria has confirmed the death of a 21-year-old worker in West Melbourne yesterday afternoon. It’s understood that the man was working alone, performing electrical work on a car stacker
CSIRO enters into $1.5M enforceable undertaking after explosion
Australia’s leading science body, the CSIRO, has committed $1.5 million to improve workplace health and safety as part of an enforceable undertaking endorsed by Comcare. The undertaking comes after an
Asbestos uncovered in Agriculture Victoria offices
A building audit across key locations for Agriculture Victoria has found an increasing number of asbestos in research sites across the state. The organisation has several locations throughout the state
Mould warning as east coast gets a drenching
As Australia’s east coast experiences close to a month’s worth of rain in a short period, an expert has warned that the conditions, which have occurred while the regions are
Workplace fatality in Sydney’s west
A worker has been killed in a workplace accident in Sydney’s west yesterday afternoon. The man, in his fifties, was abseiling when he fell eight storeys at a construction site.
Fraudulent asbestos disposal sees contractor sentenced to 12-month imprisonment term
A contractor who received almost a quarter of a million dollars in payment to take asbestos-containing soil fill to landfill has been handed a 12-month imprisonment term, served in the
Worker killed in workplace accident in NZ West Coast
A man has died after a tree fell on a digger in a workplace incident on a farm near Harihari on the West Coast. Emergency services were called to the
