Current News

Duty on labour hire providers and host employers to consult, cooperate and coordinate

From 22 March 2022, changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) extend the definitions of 'employer' and 'employee'. The changes ensure labour hire workers are considered employees of their host employer for the purposes of the OHS Act. From 22 March 2022, changes to the OHS Act also include a duty for labour hire providers and host employers to consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with each other where they share OHS Act duties to the same worker, so far as reasonably practicable.

Visit the Worksafe website to read more..

Induction Checklist: Who is responsible for training labour hire workers?
An induction is more than just explaining the company’s purpose and a guided tour of the building. Inductions and training help new employees understand how to best perform in their role, train them to use the company’s systems, and introduce them to their key colleagues.

Most importantly, inductions are a critical measure to ensure workers know how to carry out their role safely. Read more of this article here...

Make a commitment to workplace health and safety in October
Health and safety should be acknowledged every day of the year. However, National Health and Safety Month (recognised in October) gives employers a chance to commit to building better workplaces for their employees.

This year’s overarching theme is ‘Know safety, work safely’. This is especially relevant in industries that routinely use labour hire, where the nature of work can be more high risk. Read more of this article here...

Mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods scrapped from October 14, emergency response 'finished' says national cabinet

Rules forcing people to isolate for five days if they test positive to COVID-19 will end from October 14 for everyone, with support for some workers to be able to continue isolation if needed. ABC News

The Shine Awards is a campaign by The Weekly Times, supported by Harvey Norman, celebrating the passion, dedication, spirit, belief, grace and courage of women across rural and regional Australia. Nominate a rural woman who makes a real difference in her community or industry, so we can share her story.

Visit The Weekly Times website to complete your nomination.

Grants are available for eligible horticulture enterprises operating in Victoria. The Program will provide for up to 50 per cent of eligible costs to purchase and commercially install new horticultural netting (fixed and demountable), to a maximum of $150,000 (ex GST). The application period for this grants program is between 17 August 2022 and 17 October 2022. Visit the Ag Vic website for more information.

The Victorian Government has announced amendments to the pandemic orders to align with recent decisions made by National Cabinet.

From 11.59pm on Thursday 8 September, the following changes apply:

• the self-isolation period for positive COVID-19 cases who don’t have symptoms on day five of their isolation will reduce from seven to five days – excluding people who work in high-risk settings
• the requirement to wear masks on domestic flights will also be lifted.

Additional self-isolation requirements
The new orders around the self-isolation period for positive cases include some additional requirements to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.Anyone leaving isolation after five days cannot visit or work at a sensitive setting – such as hospitals, residential aged care, disability care settings or in-home care for the next two days, or if they have COVID-19 symptoms.

Visit the Coronavirus website for further information