law – Page 12 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Governments should set the OHS bar much higher

It should be clear to readers by now that I am not a lawyer. My interest is in the practical application and compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) laws. Those laws often encouraged employers to look for the source of workplace harms and hazards, with government agencies advising that addressing these causes is the most effective and cost-effective way to manage OHS. In this context, it seems to me that clients can significantly influence OHS, as they may be a major source of work-related harms and risks. But their role is often downplayed.

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Denmark and Australia Compared on Psychosocial Safety

Niru Tyagi recently wrote on LinkedIn about Denmark’s regulatory approach to work-related psychosocial hazards, comparing it the current Australian approach, framing Denmark as creating an industrial obligation. It is a perceptive comparison but downplays the significance in Australia of the criterion of reasonably practicable.

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Are emotion and anger also types of energy?

One of my previous employers was highly committed to occupational health and safety (OHS), but always gave the program, the schedule or utilisation a higher priority. Whether that was a justifiable compliance level was of little concern, as long as the auditors recertified the OHS management systems. The company realised their approach to OHS was not working, so it turned its focus on “critical risks”, which were, bluntly, anything that would kill you. But such was the strength of the culture that even this focus on critical risks failed to cut through and give OHS the respect that it legislatively deserves.

Matthew Hallowell‘s latest book, “Energy-Based Safety – A Scientific Approach to Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs)“, discusses this focus on critical risks.

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Lazy Senators Are Not Doing Their Job

Safe Work Australia’s (SWA) executives are obliged to attend meetings of Senate Estimates committees to answer questions from Senators about their portfolios. Sometimes these can be tense and robust. Sometimes these appear to be a waste of time.

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OHS and Politics

In support of Australia’s Safe Work Month, I have recorded a 12-minute opinion piece on how Australian politics since 2010 has affected the perception and development of occupational health and safety, based on past SafetyAtWorkBlog articles.

It is an interesting opportunity to reflect on the decisions and actions of influential individuals like Julia Gillard, Kristina Keneally, Jeff Lawrence, and David Gregory.

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Workplace safety reform is happening but you probably won’t hear about it in the headlines

Occupational health and safety (OHS) can feel like a humdrum career when working in a low-risk, well-managed organisation. But the wheels of change roll on. Here’s a quick sample of some of that activity over the last week or so that you are unlikely to see elsewhere.

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Culture is the New Compliance in Victoria’s Psychological Health Code

The most significant challenges for employers in Victoria’s new OHS (Psychological Health) Regulations, supported by a new Compliance Code, are likely to be fostering a strong workplace safety culture. Occupational health and safety (OHS) advocates have been emphasising the importance of culture for several decades now (Sociologists examined it decades before). It appears that we will be hearing a great deal more about culture for some time to come, but what is expected of employers?

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