News
Work demands are among the most common sources of workplace stress and psychological harm and may include role overload, unrealistic time pressures, ambiguity or conflict, cognitive and emotional demands of the job, conflict arising from tasks, relationships, change management, a lack of organisational justice and a worker’s sense of fairness at work.
New Guide to the Assessment of the Degree of Permanent Impairment – Edition 3.0 under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 in effect from 1 April 2023.
The legislative instrument that provides for the current Guide to the Assessment of the Degree of Permanent Impairment – Edition 2.1 made under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act) will sunset on 1 April 2023.
The Comcare National Work Health and Safety Awards is back to a face-to-face event this year. The Awards recognise and reward excellence in workplace health and safety achieved by employers and individuals operating across the Comcare scheme. The Awards will be presented in Canberra on Thursday 9 November 2023.
Nominations for the 2023 Comcare National Work Health and Safety Awards are now open.
Comcare training is designed and targeted to the various roles and responsibilities relevant to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) (WHS Act) and Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act).
Expansion to the prescribed cancers list for firefighters under the SRC Act with effect from 17 December 2022.
Changes to the presumptive firefighter provisions under the SRC Act came into effect on 7 December 2022.
Comcare has released two new scheme guidance publications to assist claims managers in applying the provisions of the SRC Act.
Comcare has updated its notification requirements for COVID-19 cases in workplaces.
View our new videos and resources on supporting recovery and return to work. They explain the return to work process, show the health benefits of a safe, timely and durable return to work, roles and responsibilities, and better practices in supporting employees to return to work.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has published new Life Tables, States, Territories and Australia 2019 - 2021. The Life Tables are applied to calculate redemption lump sum amounts under section 137 of the SRC Act.
Comcare welcomes today’s Commonwealth Ombudsman report on improving the administration of Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs).
Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are forecast to continue across many parts Australia in the coming days. It’s important for employers and workers, in flood prone or affected areas, to understand how to respond, manage risks and stay safe.
Designed for GPs, medical practitioners and those working in the RTW space, this webinar will enhance how you engage with workplaces to support a client’s recovery and participation in work that improves their health and wellbeing.
A new national position paper from work health and safety regulators has found significant shortcomings in manual handling training available to Australian workers.
The draft Guide to the Assessment of the Degree of Permanent Impairment (Edition 3) and associated consultation documents, including a summary of changes, are now available for review and feedback.
A 72% recovery rate was recorded from workers from across the Australian Public Service who made use of the NewAccess workplaces mental health coaching service.
A 12-month transition support pilot provided to 50 injured workers exiting the Victorian Workers’ Compensation system has shown benefits to the health and wellbeing for participants.
The Department of Defence has been charged with breaching Commonwealth work health and safety laws for allegedly failing to manage psychological risks in relation to the death of a worker.
Defence contractor Thales Australia Limited has been charged with breaching Commonwealth work health and safety laws over the death of a worker at a manufacturing facility in Victoria.
53% of people reported not having enough income to cover essential living costs as they transition from one income support system to another according to the study.
Comcare has published new statutory rates under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act).
Comcare has published its new fee guidance for Workplace Rehabilitation Providers which will take effect on 1 July 2022.
Injured and unwell workers covered under the Comcare scheme are returning to work at high rates according to data from the 2021 National Return to Work Survey.
John Holland will deliver safety improvements worth more than $1.2 million that will benefit the construction industry nationally, through an Enforceable Undertaking accepted by Comcare.
Join us on 7 and 8 June at the National Convention Centre in Canberra for an exciting program of keynotes, panels and networking opportunities at the 2022 Comcare National Conference.
Designed for GPs and medical practitioners, this webinar will show you how “good work” can further support the mental health and wellbeing of people experiencing psychological injury.
The Work Health and Safety Year in Review report for 2021 details compliance and enforcement activities that promote and enable safe and healthy work across the Commonwealth jurisdiction.
What does a healthy truck driver ‘look like’ and how can drivers stay healthy on the road are some of the topics covered in the free Driving Health seminar series this March.
Early bird tickets are now on sale for the 2022 Comcare National Conference, and our opening keynote speakers Future Crunch will set the scene with their presentation on How to embrace intelligent optimism and adapt in a new era.
All medical, pharmaceutical and allied health providers are eligible to submit workers’ compensation claim-related invoices to Comcare digitally through Medipass.
A national transport and logistics company has been convicted and fined $300,000 for breaching federal work health and safety laws in an incident that caused severe injuries to a worker.
Comcare now offers instructor-led virtual training with our new 2022 calendar out now!
Comcare has released two new online learning courses for the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (SRC Act).
The Bureau of Meteorology recently declared a La Niña, the climate driver typically associated with wet conditions for eastern, northern and central parts of Australia over summer.
A summary report has been released today with key findings and recommendations from the Collaborative Partnership’s national cross-sector workshop series held earlier this year.
As part of Comcare’s ongoing partnership with Driving Health, the research team led by Monash University has developed the Driving Health Allocator Training Program (DHAT) for truck driver allocators, supervisors and line managers.
The Comcare National Conference is back in 2022 on 7 and 8 June at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.
Comcare has a plan to improve its service options and how it interacts with employees, employers and other people working in the Comcare scheme.
More than 1,000 people attended the two-day forum on 11-12 November, delivered by Comcare as part of the Australian Government’s response to the Respect@Work national inquiry into workplace sexual harassment.
Comcare has released new scheme guidance to assist claims managers in applying the provisions of the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the SRC Act).
A national forum will be held on 11-12 November 2021 as part of the Australian Government’s response to the landmark Respect@Work Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report to raise awareness about work health and safety (WHS) risks, management and prevention.
A recent trial to support injured workers exiting the Victorian Workers’ Compensation system has helped participants build confidence, independence and job readiness. The aim of the trial was to facilitate a ‘soft landing’ that helped injured workers exiting the system become job ready.
Key findings from Australia’s largest national research project to improve the health and wellbeing of truck drivers will be shared as part of a new webinar series to be held throughout this month.
The Department of Defence has been convicted and fined $1 million under federal work health and safety laws over the death of a soldier during a training exercise in the Northern Territory.
The penalty is the largest recorded for the Commonwealth WHS jurisdiction.
Comcare recently invited stakeholders to make a submission on the proposed removal of the imposed condition on all plant registrations that ‘a registration holder must notify Comcare annually of any maintenance, repair, inspection or testing of an item of plant’.
Preventing workplace sexual harassment and strengthening responses to it will be the focus of a Comcare webinar this month.
This research will enable an understanding of the use and practices of cross-sector services. It will help identify areas of duplication and provide insights into the best opportunities for alignment across services, sectors and systems.
The Royal Australian Mint has been charged with breaching federal work health and safety laws after a three-tonne coin press almost fell on a worker in Canberra.
Efforts to keep a large APS workforce COVID-safe, innovations in handling Defence Force explosives, and a program to reduce recovery times for long-term injuries are among the winners of the 2021 Comcare National Work Health and Safety Awards.
Comcare proposes removing its imposed condition on duty holders to submit annual notifications of any maintenance, repair, inspection or testing of an item of plant, which includes high-risk machinery such as cranes, vehicles, forklifts, lifts, boilers, gas cylinders and amusement rides and devices.
Professor Niki Ellis, Expert Adviser to the Collaborative Partnership to improve work participation, is presenting at the 2021 All-Actuaries Virtual Summit as part of a plenary session with the theme ‘Disability, Support, Services and Income’.
Public consultation is now open for the National Disability Employment Strategy, an important initiative from the Department of Social Services (DSS) – a partner in the Comcare led Collaborative Partnership to improve work participation.
International Labour Organization (ILO) has highlighted the importance of creating and investing in resilient workplace health and safety (WHS) systems as the focus of World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021.
Comcare has established a specialist team of inspectors to focus on work health and safety risks at major infrastructure projects across Australia.
Comcare has released guidance to help employers, managers and supervisors and workers prevent and respond to workplace sexual harassment and comply with their duties under the Work Health Safety Act 2011.
Discussing the implementation phase of Australia’s first set of principles for General Practitioners (GPs) in supporting work participation is the focus of a new workshop series hosted by the Collaborative Partnership.
The Department of Defence has been convicted and fined $350,000 under federal work health and safety laws after a worker was critically injured during a maintenance operation in Queensland.
CSIRO will spend $1.5 million on workplace health and safety improvements that will also benefit the broader research community under a commitment endorsed by Comcare.
The Department of Home Affairs and its healthcare provider International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) have been charged with breaching Commonwealth work health and safety laws over the death of a man in immigration detention.
Australia’s only validated psychosocial risk assessment tool, People at Work, is up and running on a new free, digital platform thanks to work health and safety regulators and leading researchers.
Construction company John Holland has been charged with breaching federal work health and safety laws over a dangerous incident at a prison development in northern NSW.
Employers and managers can help transition their workers back to the usual workplace as COVID19-restrictions ease with Comcare’s new course.
Comcare is pleased to launch four new scheme guidance publications to assist claims managers in applying the provisions of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (the SRC Act).
Everyone has a role to play in creating a mentally healthy workplace, which starts with a shared understanding about mental health.
A national transport and logistics company has been charged with breaching federal work health and safety laws over an incident that severely injured a worker in Adelaide.
Comcare has a continued focus on mental health safety and wellbeing by promoting the health benefits of good work.
The 2019–20 Annual Reports for Comcare, the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission and the Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority (Seacare) are now available.
As COVID-19 restrictions ease across Australia, Comcare has developed guidance to help employers support workers as they transition back to usual workplaces.
Australia will begin a two-year transition to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals Revision 7 (GHS 7) from 1 January 2021.
Nominations are now open for the 2021 Comcare National Work Health and Safety Awards. The awards recognise and reward excellence in workplace health and safety, and recovery at and return to work achieved by employers and individuals operating across Comcare’s scheme.
A new mandatory safety standard for quad bikes comes into effect nationally in October 2020.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says quad bike-related fatalities have almost doubled this year - 14 people, including three children, compared with eight deaths in the whole of 2019.
Construction company John Holland has been charged with breaching federal work health and safety laws over an incident that severely injured a worker on the Sydney Metro rail project.
The Minister has now made the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Specified Laws) Amendment Declaration 2020 (the Amendment Declaration) updating the list of specified State and Territory laws under section 119 of the SRC Act.
Comcare has released eight new scheme guidance publications to assist claims managers in applying the provisions of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988.
The workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is being reduced in the Comcare jurisdiction.
Comcare is supporting Day of the Seafarer on 25 June – an international awareness day to highlight the importance of this critical industry sector and its workforce.
While our face-to-face training is currently suspended due to COVID-19, ensure you keep developing your work health and safety capability through Comcare LMS, our secure learning management system.
We have a new website which provides an updated interface, a brand-new look and navigation designed to streamline how you engage, find and access our content.
This resource provides an understanding of the role of the GP in supporting work participation across systems that provide benefit or income support to people with a health condition or disability.
The Department of Defence has been convicted and fined $300,000 after a Sydney high school student was seriously injured during an army cadet camp
We need feedback on guidelines for giving a WHS undertaking under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
We need your help testing the Beta website, to ensure the new Comcare website does as we intend.
Three companies have been charged over two separate incidents that caused injuries to workers during the redevelopment of Perth’s Campbell Barracks.
Construction company John Holland and two contractors are facing federal work health and safety charges over an incident that injured a worker at Perth’s NorthLink road project.
The Department of the Environment and Energy and a helicopter contractor have been charged with breaching federal work health and safety laws in relation to a fatality in Antarctica.
Waste management company Cleanaway has been convicted and fined $650,000 over a chemical fire in Adelaide that injured an employee.
Federal work health and safety regulator Comcare today began legal proceedings against national waste management company Cleanaway over a truck crash that killed two people in Adelaide.