A COALITION of workplace health and safety related organisations across Australian and New Zealand, and the ACTU called today for the urgent establishment of a register for approved respirators (aka face masks).

The group describes the presence of non-compliant, fake and faulty disposable masks as an immediate threat to the health and safety of workers.

At the launch of the coalition’s new Guide to Buying P2, or Equivalent, Respirators for use in the Australian & New Zealand Work Environment, Andrew Orfanos, president of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, said there was an immediate and urgent case for the Federal government to intervene to protect Australians’ health.   

“The situation is out of hand," Mr Orfanos said. "Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic our market has been flooded with more than 100 million respirators of different types and standards, and amongst the suitable products are fake, faulty, counterfeit and sub-standard products.

"Australian businesses are rightly confused about which ones are suitable. They need to know what they’re buying, and the government needs to get a handle on this issue” he said.  

Mr Orfanos explained that the guide has been developed to help businesses navigate their way through what is a messy issue, before purchasing face masks. However, he warned, “The guide will help, but it’s not enough. We need national leadership. Fixing the problem is straightforward if the government chooses to act. We need a register and an approval process which is properly regulated".

Naomi Kemp, chair of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety said, “Most people make an assumption that if they find a face mask for sale in Australia, that it has been assessed and met a standard. This is not true. Too many groups are taking advantage of a voluntary system and creating confusion.

"This is bad for the genuine, reputable suppliers, it’s bad for the businesses that purchase the products, and it’s bad for the people who use them,” she said. “Businesses need protection from the risks of using faulty equipment, and workers need protection for their health."

Ms Kemp went on to say that the dangers of unapproved respirators extend beyond the risks of exposure to, and transmission of COVID-19.

“We already had major problems with last season’s bushfires, and we are still seeing cases of black lung and silicosis which cause workplace deaths," she said. "With the flood of new products onto the market, we now have fake and non-conforming face masks potentially being misused in these environments as well.”

Liam O’Brien ACTU assistant secretary said, “The pandemic has focussed attention on masks as an essential piece of protective equipment with huge potential to save lives and prevent transmission. However, it has also made clear that regulation of PPE is grossly inadequate to ensure that the masks that Australian workers are using are up to the task.

“Australian workers, whether they need a mask to protect themselves from COVID-19 or other workplace hazards like silica dust, should be able to rely on a simple set of standards which make it clear which masks are safe to use. Without clear and simple regulation on this issue, Australian workers and the community at large will continue to be put at risk,” he said.

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EMPLOYMENT in Queensland’s resources sector has defied COVID-19 impacts to local operations and overseas markets with only a 1 percent drop in direct jobs in the May quarter.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) labour force data showed direct jobs in mining moved from 66,331 to 65,337 reinforcing the industry’s role in the COVID-19 recovery would be just as important as it has been through the immediate response.

“Jobs in the coal industry surged 15 percent while exploration and mining support jobs bounced 7 percent,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“There is a lot of pain in other industries as the impacts of COVID-19 unfold and this data demonstrates the importance of the diversity in Queensland’s resources sector.

“To put these numbers into perspective in the three months to May, Queensland lost 184,367 jobs across all industries. That’s roughly equal to every Queenslander employed in the public service or twice the number of jobs in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

“Both the jobs preserved and created in this quarter flow through to indirect jobs in workshops and offices. Across Queensland the resources sector supports 372,561 indirect and direct full-time jobs.

“We want to keep employing more Queenslanders and supporting more regional communities through local investment. To do that, it’s essential that we have clear and transparent rules and regulations," Mr Macfarlane said.

“Jobs in the oil and gas industry fell by 23 percent while employment in the metals industry dropped by 8 percent.”

Nationally mining is listed by the ABS as the third least affected industry in terms of job vacancies over the quarter.

ABS data here.

www.qrc.org.au

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CBUS SUPER, a long-standing advocate for a housing bond aggregator, has invested $49 million in the latest National Housing Finance and Investment Corporate (NHFIC) bond issuance.

The bond will fund a number of large construction programs through Community Housing Providers (CHPs) in Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and South Australia. This is their third bond issuance. Cbus Super has invested in all three of NHFIC’s issuances, bringing its total investment to $88 million.

Cbus Super chief investment officer, Kristian Fok, said the success of the three rounds of NHFIC issuance showed the value of the innovative financing model.

“Cbus is delighted to once again support NHFIC as a cornerstone investor in their successful third affordable and social housing bond issuance,” Mr Fok said.

The issue today of $562 million is for 12 years, to include provision for construction funding of up to 2 years and term funding of 10 years. The issuance was well over-subscribed.

Mr Fok said, ‘“It is fantastic to see the tangible impact that NHFIC is having for CHPs by creating savings through lower interest costs and delivering construction of social and affordable homes. The 12 year timeframe will provide certainty to allow for some larger construction projects.”

The funds raised by the bond will be loaned to community housing providers (CHPs) to support the financing for properties across Australia, including supporting the supply of new social and affordable dwellings.

Mr Fok said, “As the leading super fund for the building and construction sector we are pleased to invest in NHFIC bonds that meet our investment risk-return criteria and fund new housing construction for Australians in need.”

“Cbus is pleased to be maintaining an ongoing commitment to the NHFIC programme and continues to explore other opportunities to partner with NHFIC," Mr Fok said.

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THE SIGNIFICANT and invaluable contribution merchant seafarers make to Australia’s economy and society — transporting more than 98 percent of the nation’s imports and exports — is being recognised today as the world marks the International Day of the Seafarer.

Organised by the International Maritime Organization — the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety, security and sustainability of shipping — June 25 highlights the huge but often overlooked contribution seafarers make to modern society.

The COVID19 pandemic had been particularly hard for seafarers, with 200,000 currently stuck onboard ships around the world, unable to go home to their families due to border closures and a lack of government efforts to repatriate them.

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said the day also highlighted the need to urgently turn around the decline of Australia’s merchant fleet, which has steadily shrunk under the Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison Governments, leaving the country without the self-sufficiency a smart island nation needs.

With very few ships flying the Australian red ensign, the nation’s supply chains have become increasingly precarious, with the overwhelming majority of ships servicing the nation now foreign owned, crewed and flagged.

MUA national secretary and International Transport Workers' Federation president Paddy Crumlin paid tribute to all seafarers, saying that our nation would grind to a halt without the vital supplies they bring.

“Seafarers are the invisible workforce responsible for supplying the country with crucial supplies, fuel, and the overwhelming majority of everyday products, as well as exporting our resources and manufactured goods to the world,” Mr Crumlin said.

“Put simply, without seafarers, Australia’s economy and society would collapse almost overnight.

“Unfortunately, under the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison Governments we have seen the continued loss of Australian-flag vessels, leaving the nation in a dangerous position that could see fuel dry up within weeks if a crisis interrupts our supply chain.

“The Liberals and Nationals have driven a race to the bottom on the Australian coast, resulting in highly-skilled Australian seafarers being replaced by flag of convenience vessels registered in notorious tax havens and crewed by exploited foreign visa workers paid as little as $2 per hour.

“The International Day of the Seafarer highlights the need for Australia to restore merchant shipping, with a strategic fleet of Australian-flagged vessels crewed by Australian workers that can ensure our sovereign self-sufficiency and the security for our nation’s fuel and supply capabilities.”

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