risk – Page 175 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

Casino smoking comes under a cloud

Crown Casino is a regulatory anomaly in many ways. Smoking in workplaces has been a particularly difficult one for the casino. When bans were first mooted the casino tried several control measures including air curtains between croupiers and smoking gamblers but the casino eventually agreed to be smoke-free, except in its high rollers venue, the Mahogany Room.

Now the poor air quality in that room is under threat due to one worker who, reportedly, seeking compensation for contracting lung cancer from her work activities. According to a newspaper report four other employees are seeking relocation and have including the issue of smoking risks as one of the reasons. Crown Casino has confirmed that smoking concerns have been raised. Continue reading “Casino smoking comes under a cloud”

Phenomenology and the safety professional

In Australia, safety management is being progressed most obviously through sociology and the work of Andrew Hopkins. But perhaps it is possible to cut through some of the commercial “safety culture” twaddle by looking at the work of philosophers and the concept of phenomenology. As any modern student seems to do instead of reading the original, look to the movie.

On 20 April 2010, Australian lawyer, Andrew Douglas, channeled The Matrix in trying to challenge the thinking of the audience of OHS professionals at the Safety In Action conference.

In his conference paper, Douglas compared the positive and negative safety cultures to the blue and red pill choice that Morpheus offers Neo. Continue reading “Phenomenology and the safety professional”

Ergonomics of quad bikes – new research

While the New Zealand government is investigating agricultural safety issues, researchers from the University of Otago have looked at the ergonomic issues associated with the loss of control (LOC) of quad bikes by drivers.

According to a University of Otago media release, researchers Dr Stephan Milosavljevic and Dr Allan Carman published a paper in the current edition of Ergonomics. The researchers

“….set out to analyse the driving behaviour of people who regularly use quad bikes, recognising a need to find out why people lose control of them so frequently.

Of the 30 male rural workers and farmers studied, 19 of them, or 63 percent, had experienced loss of control on a quad bike. They were in their mid 40s on average, and about eight to nine years younger and less experienced than those who did not lose control. Continue reading “Ergonomics of quad bikes – new research”

Simpsons safety reaches Australia after 5 years and at twice the price

In 2005, a series of safety posters based on The Simpson TV characters was released in support of the National Safety Council’s Orlando Congress, as reported in SafetyAtWork Bulletin at the time, picture right). The posters have finally reached Australia and will be unveiled at the Safety In Action exhibition on 2 April 2010. They are sure to be popular.

A small selection of Simpsons posters will be available through WorkSafety Solutions, the Australian distributor. Many more have been added through the original US distributor, SafetyWorld since the original launch. Continue reading “Simpsons safety reaches Australia after 5 years and at twice the price”

Compensation denied because police officers only saw the aftermath of fatal incident

In 2003, emergency responders attended a major rail incident at Waterfall in New South Wales, in which multiple passengers were injured and seven died. According to a 14 April 2010 article in The Australian (page 7, not yet(?) available online):

“The officers [David Wicks and Philip Sheehan] were among the first at the scene of the crash that killed seven people, including the driver, who lost control of the train after he had a heart attack”.

Those officers have been denied compensation under the NSW Civil Liability Act because

“they did not witness the crash, only its aftermath.”

Both police officers had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and been medically discharged.

Their claim for compensation has now reached the High Court of Australia Continue reading “Compensation denied because police officers only saw the aftermath of fatal incident”

SafetyAtWorkBlog contributors wanted

Since SafetyAtWorkBlog began in January 2008, the site has seen a steady increase in readership, particularly since January 2009.

As can be seen from the blog over the last few months, there have been useful and fascinating contributions by Yossi Berger, Col Finnie and others. The increase in comments from readers is particularly gratifying.

As well as helping to share the load of blog writing, the increasing popularity shows this blog can be a useful platform for OHS ideas and commentary.

The SafetyAtWorkBlog is averaging just around 600 readers each day and around 15,000 readers per month. We recently were 20 shy of reaching 1000 readers in a single day. 60% of the readership is in Australasia with the United States at just over 20%. Continue reading “SafetyAtWorkBlog contributors wanted”

If laptop design is hazardous, what does this say about the iPad?

Recently SafetyAtWorkBlog received some promotional material from a laptop accessory supplier, ErgoAustralia, which stated that laptops may be “the RSI of this decade especially for the growing bones and muscles of our children”. The aim of the information was to show how accessories can reduce the risk of using laptop computers.

There is no doubt that this is so. This blog is often written in a cafe through a fold away keyboard and back at the office, the laptop sits on a stand with a wireless keyboard and mouse but the laptop is not the principal PC on which work is performed. That is a desktop PC.

When laptops are the only computer option and the work tasks rely on laptops, the complications and hazards occur.

Rick Clancy of ErgoAustralia provided the following quotes in support of the dangers of laptops:

Alan Hedge from Cornell University says the following “Guidelines for laptop use are more difficult because laptop design inherently is problematic – Continue reading “If laptop design is hazardous, what does this say about the iPad?”

Category: risk

Casino smoking comes under a cloud

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Phenomenology and the safety professional

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Ergonomics of quad bikes – new research

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Simpsons safety reaches Australia after 5 years and at twice the price

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Compensation denied because police officers only saw the aftermath of fatal incident

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SafetyAtWorkBlog contributors wanted

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If laptop design is hazardous, what does this say about the iPad?

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