News & Alerts
Current safety alerts and information relevant to schools 

► NEWS: Consultation Draft BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS CODE

SafeWork Australia released a CONSULTATION DRAFT (new) model CODE OF PRACTICE: Managing the Risks of BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS at Work and is inviting submissions to refine the draft. The Code provides practical guidance for employers on how to manage the risks of biological hazards (e.g. viruses, bacteria, parasites, mould and other types of fungi)  and will apply particularly where there is a risk to workers or others of exposure to one or more biological hazards at work.   

► NEWS: New SafeWork Australia AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS Hub 

Safe Work Australia has launched a NEW AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS HUB TO HELP EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS understand the nature and health risks of airborne contaminants, and to manage those risks by keeping them within new Workplace Exposure Limits due to take national effect on 1 December 2026. Although education is not a high risk industry for airborne contaminants, some curriculum activities (e.g. Welding, Woodwork, Chemistry, Visual Arts) and some work activities (Grounds, Maintenance) are high airborne contaminant risk activities in schools.    

► NEWS: New PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY Work Design Guide

​SafeWork NSW has released a new Guide "DESIGNING WORK TO MANAGE PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS" to give practical support for duty holders to use work design to manage the risk of psychosocial hazards. The Guide is aligned with the psychosocial risk management requirements of the NSW WHS Act, Regulation, and Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work

► ALERT: Height-adjustable in-classroom  DISPLAY SCREENS 

The UK Health & Safety Executive has issued an SERIOUS RISK ALERT TO EDUCATORS about the use of MOUNTED DISPLAY SCREENS WITH MOTORISED HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT CONTROLS. If unauthorised or untrained persons operate the controls there is a risk of these units, which can weigh up to 150kg, becoming unstable, falling forward, hitting objects or people, or causing crush injuries between the bottom edge of the  screen or frame and any fixed object. Significant impact and crush injuries to children have been reported. Risk assessment of all screens, and control measures are recommended in the alert, and urged.    

► ALERT: Serious injury during PLANT MAINTENANCE work

WorkSafe QLD has issued a safety alert following the serious injury of a maintenance worker who was working on the machinery of a ventilation system while it was operating. The worker’s glove became entangled in the unit's rotating shaft, severely injuring and entrapping his hand, which could not be saved but required subsequent amputation. The alert highlights the EXTREME RISK OF PERFORMING MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR WORK ON PLANT THAT IS ENERGISED OR OPERATING.  

► ALERT: Children exposed to significant HARM via SOCIAL MEDIA

​From an eSafety survey of 2,600 children aged 10-15 years, evaluating their use of DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, use was almost ubiquitous but 70% had encountered HARMFUL CONTENT,  including misogynistic or hateful material, dangerous online challenges, violent fight videos, disordered eating and suicide. Over 50% had experienced CYBERBULLYING, and 14% had been exposed to SEXUALLY EXPLICIT GROOMING behaviour from adults or other children at least 4 years older than themselves. 

► ALERT: Ingestion Risk - Alcohol-Based HAND SANITISER

Following recent incidents, WorkSafe VIC has issued an alert about the POTENTIAL FOR MISUSE OF ALCOHOL-BASED HAND SANITISER liquids and gels resulting in harm (e.g. poisoning, fire, eye or lung injury). Easy accessibility of sanitiser in areas where there are vulnerable people or people with problematic behaviours is a risk, and risk assessment of all areas in which alcohol-based sanitisers are located, and risk control measures, are recommended. 

► ALERT: Rising School Children's BULLYING Distress

The Kids Helpline has raised a data-backed increasing prevalence alert that school children as young as 10 are expressing SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTRESS FROM ONLINE AND IN-PERSON BULLYING by other students at school or after school hours. The Helpline alert echoes recent alerts from the eSafety Commissioner.  Schools are strongly advised to take heed, review and strengthen their prevention and intervention strategies.

► ALERT: Increasing AI DEEPFAKES causing damage in schools

eSafety Australia has issued an advisory warning that THE MISUSE OF GENERATIVE AI TECHNOLOGY IS CURRENTLY A CRISIS AFFECTING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES ACROSS AUSTRALIA. Its exploitation to generate non-consensual explicit images (including of children) that are then distributed is increasing, and causing deeply personal harms. The advisory explains how these harms are happening, what actions schools and families can take, and where those affected can turn for help.

► ALERT: eSafety urges schools to REPORT DEEPFAKES

As the proliferation of generative AI-constructed explicit deepfakes continues to increase and cause great harm, eSafety has issued an URGENT CALL FOR SCHOOLS TO REPORT DEEPFAKE INCIDENTS to appropriate authorities. Schools, education ministers and authorities are being urged to act by eSafety, which has released an updated Toolkit for Schools including a step-by-step Guide for dealing with deepfake incidents.

► ALERT: Large ANGLE GRINDERS

NT WorkSafe has issued an alert to highlight the risk of serious injury or death associated with large angle grinders (in this case, 9'' or 230mm). A worker using a 9" ANGLE GRINDER held above his head while standing on a step ladder has been SERIOUSLY INJURED. The alert, relevant to school grounds and maintenance workers, outlines safe procedures but also strongly advises against using large grinders wherever reasonably practicable.  

► CASE: Supervisor fined for exposing primary students to ASBESTOS 

The Site Supervisor of a Primary School refurbishment project has been convicted and fined after he CUT THROUGH ASBESTOS INSULATING BOARD WITH A CIRCULAR SAW, spreading asbestos fibres throughout the school hall, used for the next two days by students and staff, and exposing them to asbestos fibres. He had ignored his training and work instructions.     

► CASE: School passerby struck by FALLING TREE BRANCH

A Catholic Education Trust has been fined and a tree work contractor given a suspended prison sentence after a MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WAS HIT BY A FALLING TREE BRANCH the contractor had cut, which knocked her into the path of oncoming traffic which ran her down.  The contractor was unqualified and untrained, and the school that hired him neither checked his competency before the work began nor stopped him from continuing the work after the incident.    

► CHANGE: Substantive REFORMS to NSW WHS and IR laws underway

NSW Parliament passed the Industrial Relations and Other Legislation Amendment (Workplace Protections) Bill 2025 on 27 June, commencement date yet to be notified. Among other impacts, PCBUs will have a NEW DUTY to either COMPLY WITH ALL RELEVANT WHS CODES of PRACTICE (formerly best practice guidance - now a legal requirement) OR implement PRACTICES THAT EQUAL OR EXCEED the standards set by the relevant Codes. The proposed changes are substantive, and raise the safety management bar for NSW organisations including schools. 

► CHANGE: New National Guide for ASBESTOS SURVEYS  

A NEW NATIONAL GUIDE FOR ASBESTOS SURVEYS, published by Australia's Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency, is being released and recommended by safety Regulators to enable duty holders to follow the newly standardised best process and practice for conducting asbestos surveys (audits and inspections) in buildings and structures. It is recommended that WHS duty holders familiarise themselves with the Guide and process so they can make sure the outlined steps are followed and effective actions are consistently taken to prevent people's exposure to airborne asbestos fibres.