Category: Uncategorized

Is it possible to prevent psychosocial hazards?

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation states that employers must eliminate hazards as far as is reasonably practicable. If you start your safety journey from this point, you will forever be frustrated in your OHS achievements and disappointed in your job. OHS may be forever linked with laws and regulations, but the safety and health of ourselves, colleagues and others is based on our personal moral code and the values we bring to our actions. OHS satisfaction comes from accepting that OHS laws are only part of our purpose

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Incident investigation and the triaging of workers’ compensation claims

Earlier this week, the Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) conducted a seminar called “Using Biopsychosocial Risk Profiling to Inform Claim Triage“. Workers’ compensation claims are not a focus for this blog, but attending events peripheral to one’s own discipline sometimes enlightens. There were a couple of moments when the occupational health and safety (OHS) approach came up in discussion.

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Political Reforms Drive Some Systemic Psychosocial Hazard Changes

I asked an artificial intelligence program to identify Australian instances where politics may have led to institutional changes related to psychosocial hazards. It revealed numerous actions related to government inquiries and activities, but did not address politics as I intended. Clearly, my question needed clarification, but the response remained informative and deserves attention.

This time I asked:

“Most Australian discussions of psychosocial hazards appear to focus primarily on causes that can be controlled at work. Is there any activity in the political sphere for institutional changes?”

Continue reading “Political Reforms Drive Some Systemic Psychosocial Hazard Changes”

“reinvigorated in nerve and muscle” – working hours and OHS

Prominent in some of Australia’s political and economic debates are issues related to hours of work. This may be associated with the four-day work week, the five-day work week in construction, working from home, or the general debate about productivity, whatever definition you prefer, and there are many.

With the political backdrop of the government’s Economics Roundtable, a very timely new book by Sean Scalmer – “A Fair Day’s Work – The Quest to Win Back Time” was published.

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Construction Safety Reform Begins When Government Commits

The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) has released a significant report about the pilot projects for its Culture Standard for the Construction Industry. It claims some significant changes in productivity, diversity and occupational health and safety (OHS).

According to a media release by the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) accompanying the report:

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Suicidality as a Near Miss: Why Business Must Confront the Systems That Harm

Companies are being urged to increase their attention on the human impacts of incidents. This is a much-needed and delayed focus that existed decades ago but went out of fashion. Companies can achieve these changes after a lot of hard work and expense, but very little attention has been given to the institutions and government policies that perpetuate the “individual pathology” of workplace incidents. Some recent sociological research helps us see the immorality behind the status quo.

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Workplace Bullshittery: Laugh, Cringe, Revolt

A new Australian book could revolutionise workplace cultures and improve consultation on a range of matters, not just occupational health and safety (OHS). “Wankernomics – A Deep-Dive Into Workplace Bullshittery” should be read by every worker, especially those in offices and administrative roles.

Having worked as a safety adviser on a construction site, this book confirms how the workers saw my role. I’d like to say that you finish this book with revelations of the future, but workplace bullshittery is so pervasive and ingrained, the future is bleak.

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