The Australian Government faces another hurdle in its strategy for OHS harmonisation with another State Government, Victoria, falling to the conservative Liberal /National party coalition. OHS has hardly been mentioned in the state election campaign as all of the reform action is at a national level but, as Mark Skulley reports in the Australian Financial [...]
All posts for the month November, 2010
Harmonisation becomes more difficult with loss of another political support base
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 30, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/30/harmonisation-becomes-more-difficult-with-loss-of-another-political-support-base/
Analysis of Montara oil spill reports begins
Legal analysis of the Montara oil spill inquiry reports have started to emerge. One of the first is by Allens Arthur Robinson (AAR). It does not discuss safety specifically but in many people’s minds Montara was not an occupational safety disaster as no one was injured. To many the explosion has far more relevance as [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 29, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/29/analysis-of-montara-oil-spill-reports-begins/
Consultation and issue resolution should be top OHS priorities
Labour law firms in many cities conduct free seminars on the legal issues of the day. These may involve union right-of-entry, OHS changes, privacy or right-to-know. The seminars are intended to generate custom by showing how informed and professional the legal firm is. Commercially for the firm, the seminars are a good idea. For safety [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 29, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/29/consultation-and-issue-resolution-should-be-top-ohs-priorities/
Looking at the root causes of workplace violence
Workplace incidents and injuries often occur as a result of inadequate resourcing in staff and time but few OHS consultants are comfortable recommending to clients that additional staff are required or that shifts should be reconfigured or, possibly, that a certain business activity (or the business itself) should be cancelled. Yet identifying the “root cause” [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 28, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/28/looking-at-the-root-causes-of-workplace-violence/
Queensland safety magazine released
The Queensland Division of the Safety Institute of Australia regularly produces a newsletter/magazine of consistent quality and the November 2010 edition is available online. This edition includes an article by Warwick Pearse on the Montara oil spill. Pearse did not have the luxury of access to the final reports or government’s response but he makes sound recommendations. Kevin Jones
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 27, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/27/queensland-safety-magazine-released/
Australia needs a sound and credible OHS organisation
Any organisation that claims to be ”considered by Industry and Governments to be the premier membership based organisation for the Safety Professional” establishes very high expectations in the community and its members. At the end of November 2010 the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA) concluded what could be described as its annus horribilis with its 2010 Annual General [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 27, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/27/australia-needs-a-sound-and-credible-ohs-organisation/
WorkSafe’s Homecoming Advertisements
‘Why is the most important reason for good workplace health and safety standards not at work at all?’ asks the Homecoming advertisement by implication. Because the injured or killed worker will leave his/her family behind, or harm them if they are injured or killed. S/he needs to think about them and the workplace H&S standard; [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 26, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/26/worksafes-homecoming-advertisements/
Montara oil spill report finally released
On 24 November 2010, the Australian Government finally released the investigation report into the 2009 Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea that has similarities to the oil rig explosion of BP in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The Energy & Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, has sat on the report since the Board of Inquiry presented its [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 24, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/24/montara-oil-spill-report-finally-released/
Controlling Christmas party risks is a year-round activity
Every year, around this time, law firms and OHS regulators release statements and good OHS advice about the risks of Christmas and end-of-year work parties. But companies who wait until now to introduce control measures and policies for the risks of occupational violence, sexual harassment and reputational damage have, largely, missed the opportunity to effectively [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 22, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/22/controlling-christmas-party-risks-is-a-year-round-activity/
The intersection of OHS and public liability becomes more urgent
In mid-November 2010, a gymnasium in Queensland was fined A$70,000 following the death of a 19-year-old Michelle Maitland. Ms Maitland fell and hit her head on a part of the floor that was not covered by a safety mat. The case has been regularly reported in Queensland media since the death in June 2009 and the [...]
Posted by Kevin Jones on November 20, 2010
http://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/11/20/the-intersection-of-ohs-and-public-liability-becomes-more-urgent/
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