workplace – Page 171 – SafetyAtWorkBlog

New OHS Codes and Regulations for Australia

On 20 May 2010, SafetyAtWorkBlog mentioned the “challenge” of harmonising OHS approaches to bullying and harassment. This morning Safe Work Australia provided a list of the Code of Practice and Regulations that are being developed as part of the OHS harmonisation process:

Model Regulations

“Licences – general e.g. asbestos and high risk.

Workplaces –first aid, personal protection equipment and emergency management.

Plant – general.

Chemicals – inorganic lead, asbestos, labelling, safety data sheets and major hazard facilities.

Other hazards – manual tasks, Continue reading “New OHS Codes and Regulations for Australia”

All exposure standards must consider hours of work

The last sixty years’ of research into the effects of hours of work, shiftwork, associated workload, fatigue and affects on social life and families has produced many findings, but no general detailed agreements. There are interesting debates about who and what to research, what methods to use, what to measure and how to interpret results. In the meantime workers and managers continue to work in difficult circumstances that research suggests has an impact on hormone secretion patterns, and, for example, on cardiac health, gastrointestinal health and breast cancer.

Here are a number of specific statements about hours of work, fatigue and fitness for work. Total agreement on these statements can’t be achieved but they would generally be supported. Continue reading “All exposure standards must consider hours of work”

Lack of separation of pedestrians and forklifts results in $A24k fine

SafeWorkSA has released details of a successful OHS prosecution concerning forklifts, yet again. But the full judgement has more management information than is usual and deserves to be read in full.

The circumstances, according to a media release (not yet available online) are

“…an incident… in August 2007 in which a 56 year old delivery driver tripped over the tines of a forklift which was about to exit the curtained doorway of a cold-room.”

The judgement in the South Australian Industrial Court expands upon the charge:

“… that Kerafi, being the occupier of a workplace, had failed to ensure so far as was reasonably practicable that means of access to and egress from the workplace was safe. Continue reading “Lack of separation of pedestrians and forklifts results in $A24k fine”

Eliminate the safety risk – sack the worker

A curious workplace safety and industrial relations issue has appeared in the Golden Circle factory in Queensland as reported in the Courier-Mail. 57-year-old forklift driver, Lance Pedersen has been sacked because he was found to be morbidly obese and with osteoarthritis in his knees.

The newspaper article raises many personnel management issues and there are sure to be more issues that have not been reported but a remarkable quote is reported from a company spokesperson:

“Golden Circle has an obligation to ensure the health and safety of all our employees,” the spokesman said. “We are therefore unable to continue to employ Mr Pedersen.” Continue reading “Eliminate the safety risk – sack the worker”

Eye safety campaign – a good start but shortsighted on safety

On 19 May 2010, the Optometrists Association Australia (OAA) launched a national eye safety campaign. This campaign is worthwhile but illustrates some of the shortcomings of this type of campaign.

The OAA media release states:

“Sixty per cent of all eye injuries happen at work, .. warn optometrists who are urging every workplace to put eye safety procedures in place as part of a new national campaign.

Optometrists Association Australia (OAA) and HOYA Lens Australia will launch ‘Eye accidents change lives forever’ a comprehensive workplace eye safety campaign this week.” [links added]

The need for eye safety procedures is clear but the recommended action is too narrow. The entire focus of the campaign is to increase awareness of eye hazards and to increase the usage of safety eyewear. There is no focus on the reduction of the hazard itself, just the protection of the worker’s eyes. Continue reading “Eye safety campaign – a good start but shortsighted on safety”

Safety leadership and change through informal networks

Australia is behind in many things and in front of the rest of world in others. A recent visit by Jon Katzenbach, senior partner with Booz & Company, to Australia indicates that we are lagging on the issue of organisational change.

According to an article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on 11 May 2010, Katzenbach talks about changing people’s behaviours in companies by using informal networks and identifying “pride builders”. The article is not available freely online but the core elements of the article reflect Katzenbach’s thoughts in a 2007 article in Fortune magazine.

Katzenbach discusses the frustration of the CEO Of Bell Canada. Michael Sabia had tried to change the behaviour of his customer relations staff with top-down leadership techniques but they weren’t working. Bell Canada needed to look at leadership in a different way and found that there were people in the organisation who staff admired, who instilled a sense of pride in other employees. As a result behaviours changed, sales and profits increased. Continue reading “Safety leadership and change through informal networks”

The need to integrate worker safety in ‘green building’ design

The safety profession needs better integration with the environmental initiatives and requirements imposed on business. In many industries compliance management across the quality, environment and safety disciplines has existed in an integrated fashion for years but many professionals in each discipline are unreceptive to change, some deny the need for change.

Australia, over the last few years, has seen an increase in attention to the safe design of workplaces and buildings. This has paralleled the growth in sustainable and energy-efficient building designs. In many circumstances,t the advocates and practitioners of these skills do not talk to one another. One local example can be used to illustrate this inter-disciplinary blockage. Continue reading “The need to integrate worker safety in ‘green building’ design”

Category: workplace

New OHS Codes and Regulations for Australia

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All exposure standards must consider hours of work

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Lack of separation of pedestrians and forklifts results in $A24k fine

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Eliminate the safety risk – sack the worker

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Eye safety campaign – a good start but shortsighted on safety

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Safety leadership and change through informal networks

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The need to integrate worker safety in ‘green building’ design

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