Articles on workplace safety
The chemicals in nail products put nail salon workers at risk for cancer and other illnesses. Angie Chung/Flickr
Nail salon workers suffer chemical exposures that can be like working at a garage or a refinery
Lupita D. Montoya, University of Colorado Boulder and Aaron Lamplugh, University of Colorado Boulder
The technician who gave you that shiny manicure may be inhaling dangerous levels of toxic chemicals on the job.
Cows are the most common cause of death. James Jones Jr / shutterstock
Farmers have Britain's most lethal job – here's how to make them safer
Sallyann Mellor, Staffordshire University
The industry relies on traditional family knowledge so it has been resistant to a culture of health and safety.
New technology can be distracting for drivers. Engineers need to think more about the human experience when designing workplace and transportation technology. Shutterstock
Impaired on the job or behind the wheel? It's not just a cannabis problem
Peggy Nash, Ryerson University and Patrick Neumann, Ryerson University
The legalization of cannabis has started a discussion about on-the-job impairment. But drugs are not the only problem. Engineers should design workplaces that minimize the potential for human error.
Victoria is set to become only the third jurisdiction to introduce industrial manslaughter laws, behind the ACT and Queensland. AAP/Paul Miller
Why industrial manslaughter laws are unlikely to save lives in the workplace
Rick Sarre, University of South Australia
Simply having an offence of industrial manslaughter on the statute books cannot by itself lower workplace death rates.
The railway at the centre of the 2013 Lac-Megantic explosion, Montreal Maine and Atlantic, was recently ordered to pay fines totalling $1.25 million after being convicted of violating the Fisheries Act due to crude oil leaking into nearby bodies of water. Employers and companies are increasingly being held responsible for workplace accidents. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
The National Day of Mourning is a reminder workplaces should be safe
Deborah McPhee, Brock University
Every day people around the world go to work expecting to return home safely to their families. But the reality is that many never return due to workplace accidents that could have been prevented.
Verbal abuse can result in significant psychological trauma for nurses. from shutterstock.com
Violence against nurses is on the rise, but protections remain weak
Jacqui Pich, University of Technology Sydney
Violence against nurses in hospitals is increasing. Yet incidents remain under-reported and protections are not enough to ensure their safety, as well as that of their patients.
Neil Gorsuch signs the constitutional oath after Chief Justice Roberts administered it in a private ceremony on April 10. Franz Jantzen/Public Information Office Supreme Court of the U.S. via AP
What Gorsuch's conservative Supreme Court means for workers
Michele Gilman, University of Baltimore
With Neil Gorsuch's appointment to the high court, conservatives regain their 5-4 majority, which will likely benefit employers over workers.
Technology can help workers in many ways. Romero, Stahre, Wuest, et al.
Introducing 'Operator 4.0,' a tech-augmented human worker
Thorsten Wuest, West Virginia University; David Romero, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and Johan Stahre, Chalmers University of Technology
People will still be needed on factory floors, even as robots become more common. Future operators will have technical support and be super-strong, super-smart and constantly connected.
An unaccompanied minor from Guatemala, in Hamilton, Ohio. AP Photo/John Minchillo
How unaccompanied youth become exploited workers in the US
Stephanie L. Canizales, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Many children who cross the U.S. Mexico border illegally remain undetected and must fend for themselves on the other side.
Caltex petrol station franchisees are the latest to be accused of underpaying workers. Paul Miller/AAP
Franchises shouldn't share responsibilities for stuff-ups
Lorelle Frazer, Griffith University and Maurice Roussety
The franchise business model could be undermined by proposed laws which make franchisors and franchisees jointly responsible for wage underpayments.
Small acts of deviant behaviour help workers to cope in harsh workplaces. David Crosling/AAP
Workers fight back with deviant behaviour in a precarious workplace: study
Peter "PJ" Holtum, The University of Queensland
When workers don't have leave and are in temporary employment, new research suggests they are likely to use small acts of deviant behaviour to find satisfaction in work.
Shared work spaces can be counterproductive for the employees who work in them. www.shutterstock.com
Get out of my face! We're more antisocial in a shared office space
Rachel Morrison, Auckland University of Technology
Research shows shared work spaces are not just distracting but bad for workplace friendships.
Construction workers have a wealth of knowledge from their on-site experience. Paul Miller/AAP
Construction workers safer when they ditch the manual: study
Helen Lingard, RMIT University
Research shows if you involve construction workers in safety videos they're likely to improve safety for everyone.
Steve Parsons/PA
Why might a building unexpectedly collapse during demolition work?
Billy Hare, Glasgow Caledonian University
It's a dangerous job and sometimes things don't go to plan.
In the complexity of construction sites, ways to boost safety can be overlooked. Flickr/Paul Gorbould
Construction workers' safety must not be an after-thought
Research shows the best safety outcomes come from pre-planning, yet not enough Australian construction firms do this.
The economic cost of workplace injury and death equals about 4% of the world's gross domestic product. Jens Schott Knudsen/Flickr
Dying for work: the changing face of work-related injuries
Alex Collie, Monash University
Work has a very important role in health and well-being but it can also be a major risk factor for poor health, disability, and even death.
Turkey's mine disaster has put safety in the spotlight. EPA
Turkey mine disaster: China has shown that safety can be improved rapidly
Tim Wright, University of Sheffield
The Soma coal mine tragedy in Turkey has again brought the issue of coal mining safety to the fore. With by far the largest coal industry in the world, accounting for half of global production, the Chinese…
Paramedics' injury rates seven times higher than national average
Paramedics have one of the most dangerous jobs in Australia, according to a Central Queensland University study. The study…
Twelve months after the devastating factory collapse in Bangladesh, safety regulations are still not up to scratch. EPA/Abir Abdullah
One year on from Rana Plaza collapse, work still to be done
Sharif As-Saber, RMIT University
One year ago on the 24th of April 2013, the horrific Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh claimed at least 1,129 lives and galvanised industry and government into action. Worldwide condemnation for lax safety…
Chain of responsibility laws mean all parties involved in the supply chain can be held responsible for infringements such as speed, fatigue, and heavy or unrestrained loads. Dan Peled/AAP
Pushing it up the chain: Why big business can't ignore truck safety
Sharron O'Neill, Macquarie University
Meeting corporate obligations along the supply chain is not just good practice - when it comes to workers' safety, it's the law. This came sharply into focus last week as raids and prosecutions of transport…
Workplace deaths
Helen Lingard
Professor, Construction Occupational Health and Safety, RMIT University
Alex Collie
Professor, Monash University
Niki Ellis
Professor & CEO of the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, Monash University
Sharif As-Saber
Associate Professor of International Business, RMIT University
Sharron O'Neill
Associate professor, UNSW
Rick Sarre
Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia
Eric Windholz
Senior Lecturer and Associate, Monash Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies, Monash University
Professor of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield
Stephanie L. Canizales
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M University
Lorelle Frazer
Professor and Director, Franchising Centre, Griffith University
Professor of Construction Management, Glasgow Caledonian University
Michele Gilman
Venable Professor of Law, University of Baltimore
Rachel Morrison
Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
Peter "PJ" Holtum
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The School of Social Science, The University of Queensland
Maurice Roussety
Sessional Academic