executives – Page 59 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Abuse, egos, corporate governance and the safety profession

On 15 March 2010, the National President of the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), Barry Silburn, distributed an email to the 3,600 SIA members strongly refuting the “unsubstantiated claims of irregularities” that were, apparently made by Gavin Waugh, Western Australian Division President and former National Secretary, in a member discussion forum and email circulated to members a couple of days earlier.

Many SIA members will be perplexed by having such an email lob in their inbox without any explanatory background and with obtuse language. In some ways the email reads like the accountant has done a runner to spend all the members’ money at the casino. Continue reading “Abuse, egos, corporate governance and the safety profession”

The cost of doing nothing

It is always an option to do nothing. The status quo can be very attractive but if one chooses to not control a workplace hazard that one is aware of then the penalty must be accepted and the responsibility accepted.

WorkSafe Victoria has provided details (not yet online) of a case where a director of a food manufacturing company did not act on a workplace hazard and that hazard resulted in

“…the worker’s middle three fingers …removed to the knuckle; and he suffered damaged nerves, constant pain, and restricted movement of his thumb.”

The sole director of the company, Dino Fabbris, was fined $A25,000 for

“…his failure to arrange for the shredder to be guarded – despite working on the factory floor on a daily basis and taking managerial responsibility for the company’s two factories.” Continue reading “The cost of doing nothing”

Man survives trench collapse, employer fined £3,500

Trench collapses can be one of the most horrifying incidents on a construction site. The UK’s Health & Safety Executive has released photos of the trench in which a worker, Mark Miller according to one media report

“…suffered a broken leg and bruising, and was incredibly fortunate to survive the horror of being buried alive.”

The same media report from Cambridge News says

“The court heard Mr Miller was saved by Hill [the contractor and Miller’s employer],…. after he rushed to free the trapped worker.

Robin Cooper, prosecuting, said: “He was buried up to his abdomen and felt his left leg break. More earth then collapsed on him and buried him to above his head.”

Continue reading “Man survives trench collapse, employer fined £3,500”

OHS due diligence and safety management

In the February 2010 newsletter for Australian law firm, DLAPhillips Fox, Andrew Ball and Donna Trembath wrote about one of the important elements of the model Work, Health & Safety Act – due diligence. We look at how SafetyAtWorkBlog and other OHS information services can support due diligence on OHS matters.

Ball and Trembath list 6 elements in the definition of due diligence (in bold):

Acquire and have up to date knowledge of work OHS matters.

This first element is where business and OHS information sources are going to be crucial supporters. OHS law in Australia has always supported the need for companies and safety professionals to maintain a current state of knowledge. There have always been newsletters on OHS issues but it is very easy to fall into a habit of reading only the information that will assist one in their job rather than getting information that relates to safety throughout a workplace. The use of Health & Safety representatives or OHS Committees can be important in maintaining a “corporate” state of knowledge. Delegation of reading information can be very useful and HSRs and OHS Committees are probably the most neglected preventative tools in the safety professionals toolbox. Continue reading “OHS due diligence and safety management”

Public relations, OHS and a workplace death

In October 2009, Matthew Fuller was electrocuted while installing metal foil insulation in the roof of a house in Queensland. He was a subcontractor for a registered insulation installation company called Countrywide Insulation.

Countrywide and its owner have been heavily criticised in the Australian media. But Countrywide has “hit back” at critics with a media release on 16 February 2010, the only content on its webpage. The release has a contact number for a representative of the Phillips Group public relations company. The text of the release is below and is an interesting study in what is omitted and timing. Continue reading “Public relations, OHS and a workplace death”

Small business OHS shortcomings

The home insulation debate in Australia is fragmenting. Workplace safety is one of the chunks of debate heading in an unknown direction (political safety goggles anyone?) The Australian newspaper included an article on 19 February 2010 that, although coming from the insulation sector, illustrates a dominant misunderstanding by small businesses.

The proprietor has run many businesses in a range of industries but he clearly has little understanding of his OHS obligations as he denies any responsibility for the death Matthew Fuller, an employee of the firm he contracted to undertake insulation installations, QHI Installations. The proprietor states the reason is that “we did not employ him.” Continue reading “Small business OHS shortcomings”

Operating cranes without a certificate costs $13,500

Only a day or two after writing about fines applied in Victoria over ignoring improvement notices from OHS inspectors, a similar case has been reported by SafeWork South Australia.

According to SafeWorkSA:

“Gillman-based Adelaide Ship Construction International Pty Ltd was fined $13,500 after pleading guilty to failing to comply with three Prohibition Notices issued by SafeWork SA.

The court heard how in September 2006, the shipbuilder’s managing director continued to operate a mobile crane and elevated work platform after removing the yellow “Do Not Use” tags placed on them by inspectors.

The Prohibition Notices were issued as a result of the lack of inspection records and logbooks for the machinery, and the managing director being unable to produce a certificate of competency to operate the crane.”

Continue reading “Operating cranes without a certificate costs $13,500”

Category: executives

Abuse, egos, corporate governance and the safety profession

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The cost of doing nothing

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Man survives trench collapse, employer fined £3,500

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OHS due diligence and safety management

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Public relations, OHS and a workplace death

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Small business OHS shortcomings

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Operating cranes without a certificate costs $13,500

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