In 2001, one of the first legislative actions of George W Bush was to repeal the United States ergonomics standard. At the end of his presidency there are indications that he is thinking about the regulatory impost of OHS on businesses again. Crikey.com and others have reminded us of the Bush Administration’s plans concerning the … Continue reading “George W Bush and workplace safety”
SafetyAtWorkBlog has received some terrific comments on the various marketing strategies for addressing the safety of young people at work and in their private (public) lives. A colleague of mine in Western Australia remains sceptical of the type of imagery employed but below are two other comments: ” thanks for your posting on the … Continue reading “Advertising safety”
Australian governments have all missed the solid, positive support that workplace safety can provide in pushing through useful OHS, and industrial, initiatives. It would be a courageous employer who argued against any initiative that is intended to imporve the level of safety in any workplaces. The Deputy Prime Minister and IR Minister, Julia Gillard, reminded me … Continue reading “What does the government mean by “flexibility”?”
Adjunct Professor Geoff Taylor recently emailed me with his concerns about the pipeline explosion on Varanus Island. Media reports in Western Australia over the last few weeks raised serious questions about the gas crisis. Some may say that it is easy to be wise after the event, but the government had ample opportunity to be … Continue reading “Issues leading up to Varanus Island pipeline explosion”
Wendy MacDonald, from Latrobe University’s Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, discussed the possible breach of OHS legislation by the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s dismissal of the risk of working excessive hours by public servants, recently on ABC radio. The podcast can be accessed HERE By identifying the links between excessive working hours and … Continue reading “Minimising stress hazards by managing better”
The Queensland government has responded to the assessment reports on staff housing which includes the housing in remote locations. The initiatives are good for the most part but it has to be noted that the motivation for action came from foreseeable, unjustified attacks on workers in isolated locations. The safety status of the accommodation was …
I have undertaken work for companies that promote wellness and good health in workplaces. The companies provide health assessments for various conditions, health advice, fitness services and assessments, and a redesigned staff canteen for healthier food. All of these initiatives are worthwhile but have not been embraced by the wider workplace safety sector....