Safety and hazard alerts

Safety alerts

The following safety alerts have been developed to highlight safety incidents that have arisen in departmental workplaces. They are designed to provide workplaces with concise information on a range of specific safety issues.

2025

• Drop/mitre saw
  Drop saws present a risk to users when hands are positioned close to the rotating blade or when small, short or rounded items that cannot be clamped safely are cut.
• Lithium-ion batteries
  Outlines the hazards associated with handling, charging, managing and disposing of lithium-ion batteries.

2024

• Ensure a smooth term commencement after contractor holiday works
  Describes how to prevent asbestos incidents occurring as a result of contractor works at department facilities.
• Ride-on mowers including zero turn equipment
  Legislation requires the management of risks when operating powered mobile plant including ride-on mowers and zero turn equipment.
• Risks from supply of garden mulch contaminated by asbestos
  Outlines the actions needed when initiating landscaping activities to ensure garden mulch supplied to department owned facilities is free of asbestos contamination.

2023

• Risks associated with decorating asbestos
  Provides awareness to asbestos risks when installing decorations on surfaces and ceilings.
• Lead exposure and lead risk Jobs
  Outlines the activities that constitute lead risk jobs and the risks and suitable controls when working with lead (2023—previously released in 2011).
• Risks associated with fixed sporting equipment
• Button batteries
• Mushroom head downpipe
• Mineral kits
  This safety alert provides information about asbestos samples in mineral kits, reminders about new and existing provisions, as well as clear advice regarding purchasing (2023—previously released in 2013 and 2004).
• Hanging from structures
• Suspended lighting fixtures

2022

• Electrical risks related to exposed live electrical parts within Gas Regulator Switch Boxes

2021

• Post winch (wind-up) school signs
  Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) alert. State schools (and department workplaces) are required to read the alert and arrange removal of SpaceAge post winch signs as a matter of priority through QBuild, a local contractor or a vendor at the time of sign replacement.
  • The removal of the signs can be funded from the school's maintenance budget. Schools can contact their Regional Infrastructure Advisor should advice be required regarding the removal process or funding concerns.
  • If signs are replaced with LED or electronic signs these must be used in compliance with Transport and Main Roads guidelines. Read the small electronic devices (<4m2) within school zones general location and operation fact sheet (PDF, 61KB).
• Keep the guards on
• Securing machines in workshops

2020

• Vertical drill presses and machine vices
• Asbestos containing material in work benches

2019

• Post winch (wind-up) school signs
  WHSQ alert. Note: The 2019 alert was updated by WHSQ in 2021 and reissued.

2018

• Laptop trolleys
• Machinery in Industrial Technology and Design (ITD) workshops

2017

• Portable electrical equipment
  Portable electrical items pose a specific risk to users, especially if the equipment is damaged and when live wiring or components are exposed. Find out what to do when damaged electrical equipment is identified.

2015

• Combination table saw and surface planer
  Outlines risks of the dual operations involving this equipment.

2014

• Time-sensitive chemicals—safe management
  Chemicals that decompose over time are to be disposed of when they reach the end of their shelf life. This will effectively manage the risks posed by their instability.
• Unpredictable science experiments
  Science experiments that involve explosive or smoke bomb effects are prohibited.

Previously released safety alerts listed in alphabetical order

• Chainsaw use—grounds care
  A safe system of work is needed when high risk machinery is involved (October 2003)
• Dangers of homemade explosives
• Electrical incident—bell control unit
• Involving opening the cover of a bell control unit (March 2005)
• Electrical incident—computer power supply
  Teacher injured while performing electrical work on a computer power supply (May 2004)
• Explosives and fireworks
• Fotolight lamp
• Hebel sculpture
  Outlining risks and suitable controls with the use of Hebel (July 2011)
• High intensity discharge (HID) lighting (August 2010)
• Interactive whiteboards (March 2009)
• Kettles in classrooms (August 2007)
• Keyhole attachments on sling hoists (September 2006)
• Magnabend metal folding machine (2009)
• Mobile bookcase (2007)
• Multi-cutters
• Pan brake (2009)
• Portable electrical equipment (angle grinder) (2010)
• Portable soccer goalposts (2004)
  Controls to prevent injuries to staff and students due to goalposts tipping over (May 2004)
• Rollover protection on tractors
  Legislation in Queensland requires all tractors manufactured after Jan 1981 to be fitted with rollover protection (September 2003)
• Safe use of laptops
• Science incident
  Safety precautions in practical activities (Year 11 physics experiment on circular motion) (May 2004)
• Single and double hung windows
  Avoiding injury to students and staff from falling windows that have damaged mechanisms (May 2004)
• Teaching students to drive tractors
  Teachers (instructors) are prohibited from standing on tractor stepping plates while teaching students to drive (August 2002)
• Use of metal star pickets in schools (2005)

Hazard alerts

Hazard alerts are developed in response to serious incidents and have been published in poster format. Copies can be printed from the documents below to display in appropriate areas of your workplace.

• Art kilns
  Outlining risks and suitable controls for the safe operation of art kilns (July 2002)
• Cutting fuel drums and empty containers—explosion hazard (May 2007)
• Grinders (hand held)
  Outlining risks and suitable controls for the safe operat​ion of hand-held grinders. (September 2000)
• Router table and spindle moulder equipment
  Outlines the high risk of injury with the use of this equipment where guards and/or fences are removed before use (August 2004)
• Volleyball post ratchet hand winch
  Outlines the risks associated with the operation of hand racket winches (September 2000)