WorkSafe urges employers to do more

Written By: Jeff Turnbull
February 19, 2009

Australian workers are being exposed to conditions that have not
improved since the industrial revolution, a workplace chief says.

His comments come after two men suffered horrific injuries while
carrying out routine maintenance work on a press.

One man lost his hand while the other suffered a badly crushed hand.

The accident happened in the early hours of Thursday as they
carried out maintenance work on a press at a Tullamarine factory.

WorkSafe Victoria, which is investigating the accident, said the
machine started up, trapping their hands, around 1.30am (AEDT).

The accidents came one day after an 18-year-old man died when he
was caught up in a press at a cardboard factory in Thomastown.

There have been four workplace deaths in the state so far this year,
including that of firefighter David Balfour when a tree fell on him
near Marysville earlier this week.

WorkSafe Victoria executive director John Merritt said the accidents
reinforced his concern that many employers and workers had much more
to do to create safer workplaces.

"The reality is that in too many Victorian workplaces, workers are
still exposed to the things that were killing and maiming people at
the start of the industrial revolution," Mr Merritt said on Thursday.

"Unguarded machines along with inadequate training, poor supervision
and dangerous work practices lead to many amputations, crushings and
other serious injuries and deaths each year."

He said the obligations on employers and workers under Victoria's
health and safety laws are clear and waiting until someone was hurt
before safety problems are fixed was not an option.

He said people were falling into unguarded machines - something that
occurred in 1809 and is still happening in 2009.

"In some ways it is worse because today's machines are bigger,
faster and stronger," Mr Merritt said.

A workplace safety conference will be held in Melbourne in March.

It will show that one in three supervisors say their senior
management are not serious about safety while nine per cent
say their bosses are "in denial", Mr Merritt said.

WorkSafe Victoria said 22 people died in Victorian businesses
last year while another 30,000 were injured.

© 2009 AAP