Browsing: Health and wellbeing

One in five men who seek professional help for mental health problems drop out after the first session, suggesting workplace resources should target the causes of poor mental health, the chief mental health officer of a major bank says.

Safe Work Australia's sixth annual national statement on psychosocial health and safety and bullying in Australian workplaces shows the rate of mental stress claims is increasing, while the median direct cost of bullying-related claims has reached nearly $35,000.

Merging an organisation's occupational health management and corporate social responsibility frameworks can help it comply with its health and safety duties and maintain standards along supply chains, researchers say.

Employers have been reminded of the carcinogenicity of welding fumes and their duty to keep on top of the latest health and safety developments, with a WHS regulator releasing details of a project examining fume exposure levels and control measures.

A trauma-informed response mechanism and a "serious incident team" should be established to cover critical gaps in the ability of Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces to respond to serious incidents, a review prompted by the alleged rape of a staffer has found.

Tighter workplace exposure thresholds and product bans are needed to curb Australia's growing silicosis rate, according to the ACTU. Meanwhile, workplaces are being urged to address parking locations in their safety plans, after a worker was killed by a light vehicle.

Resilient workers are less likely to take sick leave and resilience training can significantly boost the efficacy of workplace interventions, researchers say.

Ill-considered decisions on the COVID-19 vaccination, and on whether it should be mandatory for workers, could result in employers facing costly discrimination, harassment and bullying claims, a leading workplace advisor has warned.

• Workplace safety regulator issues beard warning; and
  
• Union and officials accused of safety and social distancing breaches.

It is more pressing than ever to tackle the safety challenges of remote work arrangements and make a business case for telework infrastructure, a peak workplace safety body says.