Workplace injury statistics are always less than reality as they are based on the number of workers’ compensation claims lodged with occupational health and safety (OHS) regulators or insurance agents. The nature of occupational illnesses is that there may be many years before their presence is physically identified making them more contestable by insurers and …
A recent report from the UK Society of Occupational Medicine highlights several issues of note to the occupational health and safety (OHS) professional. But it is also worth looking at the SOM’s media release. As well as offering financial costs and benefits of good occupational health management the full report also contextualises occupational health: “The … Continue reading “New report provides important data on occupational health”
By Melody Kemp Asbestos resembles polio. Just when you think it’s beaten, it returns like some ghoul. If you think this is overly dramatic, last year Laos was struck by a polio outbreak. This year we learned that Laos now ranks amongst the globe’s major importers of asbestos. And it’s driven by cynical market forces targeting … Continue reading “Asbestos – out of sight but not out of mind in Asia”
The first international speaker at this weekend’s Building Safety conference in Canberra, Australia was Rita Donahy, author of the One Death Is Too Many report into the UK’s construction industry safety performance, and a member of the House of Lords. Donahy stressed that workplace safety is, and should be, a social issue and not treated … Continue reading “Rita Donahy speaks at Australia’s Building Safety conference”
On 4 October 2009, Queensland’s Attorney-General Cameron Dick released details of his intentions to increase the compensation available for individuals and their relatives through his Civil Liability and Other Legislation Amendment Bill. Below is a table which shows the level of the increase. It needs to be pointed out that this is not workers’ compensation but OHS legislation is blurring the demarcation … Continue reading “Civil liability and work-related diseases”
Australian safety expert and activist Melody Kemp reported from the annual meeting of the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational Accident Victims (ANROAV) that was held in late September 2009 in Phnom Penh. The meeting featured many stories about the increasing risk of silicosis in Asia. Melody writes in the 27 September edition of the blog … Continue reading “Increasing risk of silicosis in the majority world”