Lithium battery fires are no longer rare events, they are a predictable outcome of damaged cells, poor charging practices, and inadequate controls. These fires burn hotter, last longer, and often reignite, making them difficult to manage once they start. Treat lithium batteries like the high energy systems they are, not harmless accessories.

Remote road deaths are not random. Recent NT and WA coronial findings show the same failures repeating, unlit roads, no courtesy transport, alcohol, speed, no seatbelts, fatigue, and poor remote communications. These risks are well known and easily controlled. When organisations rely on awareness instead of system design, coroners are left writing the same report with a new name.

Another Victorian farmworker has lost their life in a machinery incident, and safety systems will be closely examined. I recall inspecting the agricultural space and having to work with the "old-school" mentality that came with it. It was always a pleasure to level with our primary producers and point them in the right direction. Too many of our farmers are dying at the hands of their machinery. Too many of our farmers are dying on the job. WorkSafe Victoria confirmed a 64‑

Deliberately venting gas to atmosphere as a work method is not a grey area, not a clever workaround, and not a risk trade off. It is a conscious decision to defeat controls, and regulators will treat it as exactly that, deliberate exposure to serious risk. This is a sharp reminder that safety prosecutions are no longer confined to what systems failed, they are increasingly focused on who chose to ignore them, and why. What happened In this matter, a company and an individual

Enforceable Undertakings (EUs) are not theoretical policy tools or compliance curiosities. Across Australia they are being actively used, accepted, and publicly tested by regulators. When you line them up across jurisdictions, a clear picture emerges of what regulators are rewarding, and what they are quietly rejecting. This article draws together published Enforceable Undertakings from 2025 across multiple regulators and sectors, not to catalogue them, but to show what they

On 23 Jan 26, the Victorian Coroner handed down findings into the death of an older man who was fatally trapped when a ride-on mower rolled down an embankment at Glenmaggie. It was not a freak event. It was not a mechanical failure. It was the predictable outcome of a task carried out near a slope, on a machine without roll-over protection, in circumstances that many people would describe as routine. This is the uncomfortable truth about plant risk. Familiarity dulls judg

Australia struggles to overcome the asbestos hazard. Despite the ban on its use, asbestos continues to resurface in buildings, soil, infrastructure, and redevelopment sites, often at the most inconvenient times. It is the gift that keeps on giving, except no one asked for it, and no one benefits when it reappears. In 2026, regulators are still issuing alerts, sites are still being shut down, and workers are still being exposed, not because asbestos is new, but because it is

On 02 Jan 23, two scenic flight helicopters collided near the helipad precinct at Sea World on the Gold Coast. Four people were killed, and others sustained serious, life-altering injuries. What should have been a routine tourist experience became one of the most confronting aviation incidents in recent Australian history, not because it involved an unfamiliar hazard, but because it exposed how easily trusted systems can drift into danger without triggering alarm. I can empat

A coronial inquest in Western Australia has delivered a confronting finding for anyone responsible for heavy vehicle safety. A simple, unauthorised cabin modification materially extended a prime mover’s frontal blind spot and a worker was killed. This was not a high-speed crash, a driver sleeping at the wheel, or dangerous driving. I t happened during a routine departure from a roadhouse parking bay. A modified foil sunshade, fitted inside the windscreen, obstructed the driv

A construction worker in Darwin has been seriously injured after an unsecured excavator bucket fell during preparation for transport. The incident prompted a safety alert from NT WorkSafe, not because the hazard was novel, but because the controls were well known and still not applied. This is not a freak event, it's risk management failure playing out in a familiar way. What happened During preparation for transport, smaller excavator attachments were placed inside a larger

In January 2026, WorkSafe WA confirmed a $750,000 fine against MLG Oz Limited after a diesel mechanic suffered a serious crush injury at the Mungari gold mine near Kalgoorlie. The incident did not involve an explosive failure or a rare mechanical fault, it involved a running conveyor, removed guarding, no enforced isolation, and a task that had quietly drifted into normal work without being treated as high risk. This episode is another example of how preventable injuries cont

On 15 Jun 23, a 16-year-old worker at RPC Surface Treatment Pty Ltd in Welshpool, WA, was crushed to death when a 425 kg steel beam fell from a monorail. Two years later, on 27 Oct 25, the Perth Magistrates Court handed down a record $975,000 penalty, the highest fine ever imposed under Western Australia’s work health and safety laws. This was not a freak accident. It was a foreseeable, preventable system failure. The Incident The company utilised a monorail system to transp

On October 8, 2025, a concrete manufacturing business in Queensland was sentenced in the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor’s (OWHSP) report after a worker suffered amputation of his leg. The company was fined $110,000  for breaching its primary health and safety duty under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) (WHS Act) by failing to control a clearly foreseeable risk. This article unpacks what happened, why it matters, and the lessons companies must draw.

In October 2025, a manufacturing company in Queensland was fined $60,000  after a serious injury occurred due to exposed machinery. The case, reported on the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor (OWHSP) website, serves as a stark reminder of how predictable risks, when left unaddressed, can lead to human harm, regulatory sanctions, and reputational damage. This blog explores the facts of the case, the regulatory context, the lessons for manufacturing and broader i

The NSW District Court has fined Wrigley Metal Roofing Co Pty Ltd $225,000 after a worker fell almost 4 m from a roof at Avalon Beach in 22. The conviction under s32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) underscores the importance of implementing safe systems for roof work. The incident On 25 Jul 22, a roof worker engaged by Wrigley Metal Roofing Co Pty Ltd fell 3.8 m while re-sheeting and cladding a residential roof at Avalon Beach. A principal contractor had subcontr

Here is a concise, practical playbook for handling medical assessments and claim reopenings, so you can protect yourself, maintain momentum, and stay calm under pressure. Why this matters Insurers and agencies often change case handlers, reopen claims, or add requirements. A clean paper trail gives you legal protection, faster resolution, and mental clarity. What to document every time Who you spoke with, when, how, and why Exact requests made of you and any deadlines What y

On 14 Jul 22, a forklift reversed inside the chilled stack-down area of JBS Australia’s Yanco feedlot, striking a 57-year-old worker. The collision caused catastrophic crush injuries that led to the amputation of the worker’s left leg. This month, the company was convicted and fined $330,000 under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of its workers. What Went Wrong Investigators found that key engineering c

Inspectors from SafeWork SA discovered a dangerous situation at TRG Transport's Wingfield depot. Eleven freight containers packed with over 100,000 litres of dichloropropene and 13,000 litres of chloropicrin were onsite without a valid licence, emergency plan, or proper signage. On 10 October 2025, the South Australian Employment Tribunal handed down its decision, fining TRG Transport Pty Ltd $47,600 for breaches of sections 11 and 14 of the Dangerous Substances Act 1979 (SA

31 Oct 25 Across two very different worksites last week, both the ground and gravity again proved unforgiving teachers. In one, a bridge worker fell almost four metres while stripping formwork. In another, a vehicle struck and killed a woman at a country showground. The common theme: control measures existed in theory, but not in verified, living practice. The Bridgeworks Case – $150 000 for a 3.85m Fall SafeWork NSW confirmed Bridgeworks (Aust) Pty Ltd was fined $150 000 af

For some of us, travel is more than a work requirement. It is a way of life. Between site visits, training camps, and activities with organisations such as the Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) and Bush Search & Rescue (BSAR), I have clocked more kilometres than I care to count. Airports, roadhouses, gravel car parks and remote bivouacs all blur into one. While the variety keeps things intriguing, it also brings unique safety and well-being challenges that must be manage