compliance – Page 2 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Good Safety Grows Economies—Poor Governance Shrinks Them

Recently, WorkSafe ACT posted the latest episode of its Safety Spotlight podcast in which occupational health and safety (OHS) experts share their knowledge. There is commonality with much OHS advice, but there are slight variations of data and emphasis that are useful to note.

This episode included Jacqui Agius, the Australian Capital Territory’s Work Health and Safety Commissioner, and Professor Helen Lingard of RMIT University. According to the show notes:

“….they discuss the crucial importance of workplace safety, not just in preventing injuries but also its economic impact. The episode covers the hidden costs of cutting corners on safety, the significance of a proactive safety culture, and the benefits of consulting workers and employing safety by design.”

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Deterrence Delayed, Lives at Risk—Will Victoria’s Leaders Respond?

The Victorian Government has yet to respond to a report on occupational health and safety (OHS) sentencing and penalties that it received over the Christmas period. The longer it takes to respond to the Sentencing Advisory Council recommendations, the more delayed the action required to improve the systems, which can deter employers from ignoring their OHS obligations and the longer unnecessary risks to work health and safety persist.

In 2018, before the introduction of Industrial Manslaughter laws, Dr Gerry Ayres of the CFMEU and I spoke about the importance of deterrence. In that interview, he pointed out that financial penalties fail as deterrents for several reasons:

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OHS deserves a seat at Australia’s childcare sex abuse reform table

The community in Melbourne, Australia, has been talking about little else but a sex abuse scandal in the childcare industry. (It makes a difference from talking about beef wellingtons.) The media and the government are announcing and investigating various regulatory and enforcement options to prevent a recurrence. This abuse is a grave concern and not one that was unexpected, as earlier inquiries had identified the risk. The prevention of sexual harm to children has an occupational health and safety (OHS) context that should not be ignored.

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NZ OHS reform is all sticks and carrots of questionable quality

Recently, New Zealand’s Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke Van Velden, was interviewed for almost half an hour by Jack Tame on her government’s proposed changes to occupational health and safety (OHS) laws. The interview was informative and entertaining, as it explained some aspects of the OHS changes, but also showcased a Minister who was uncomfortable with being questioned.

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OHS Challenges: Neglected Business Element Faces Profit Conflicts and Misaligned Perspectives

Sometimes you need to stop what you’re doing and reflect. This could relate to life, work, values or more. I was invited to talk to the Central Safety Group (CSG) this week on “Challenging Mainstream OHS Views”, so I stopped, thought, and jotted down some personal opinions to discuss. It was a helpful exercise.

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Whether it’s a book or a brick, it is invaluable

The latest edition of Creighton & Stewart’s Labour Law book (7th edition) has been released. I say “book”, but it is almost a brick, weighing in on my scales at 1.8 kilograms (see photo below). The book is excellent and probably authoritative, with the primary negative being its size and format. This article focuses on the 79-page occupational health and safety (OHS) chapter written by Richard Johnstone.

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The most recent guidance on office safety, including psych safety and working from home

In December 2024, WorkSafe Victoria released “Office Health and Safety – A Guide for Employers“. Sadly, it seems to have (half) dumped the Officewise brand. If WorkSafe had kept it, the guide would have been part of an illustrious history stretching to the last century when the first edition was published in 1995. The new guide has some interesting advice on occupational health and safety (OHS) issues related to working from home, but workplace mental health seems more prominent than in earlier editions.

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