Some of the best OHS writing comes from the personal. In a couple of days time a new book will go on sale that illustrates big issues from a niche context and brings to the research a degree of truth from the personal experiences of the author. Pia Markkanen has written “Shoes, glues and homework … Continue reading “Shoemaking in South East Asia – book review”
The last week of October each year is Safe Work Australia Week. This theme is enacted in each State with their own resources and events. WorkSafe Victoria is one of the more active of the state regulators and 2009 seems no different. On 13 September 2009, WorkSafe Victoria will launch a new campaign of graphic … Continue reading “New safety campaign – making the invisible visible”
It is essential for corporate OHS policy-makers to leave their high-rise offices to experience high-risk workplaces such as factories and small business. This exposure to reality will add a practicality and ease of implementation to their OHS initiatives. In a similar way it is important that OHS professionals in industrialised nations with online references immediately … Continue reading “OHS regulator resources in perspective”
There have been several incidents recently that illustrate the unenviable pressures on inspectors and Australian OHS regulators. The Tasmanian Coroner found that the mining inspectorate of Workplace Standards Tasmania was “inadequate” and incapable of “of carrying out its core function of inspecting and enforcing best safety practices within the mining industry.” Two inspectors for that … Continue reading “Role of OHS Inspectors”
Earlier this week Queensland MP Tim Nicholls, of the Liberal-National coalition gave the Queensland Transport Minister, John Mickel, a serve over the $10 million program on level crossing safety by calling the response “window dressing”. Nicholls seems more interested in political point-scoring than safety but he asks “What has happened to all their much vaunted … Continue reading “Political argy-bargy on level crossing safety”
On 4 January 2009, the Sunday Age contained a curious article based around some quotes from Eric Windholz, acting executive director of WorkSafe Victoria. The article reports Eric as saying that when workers return to work after a holiday break they can be careless. “People come back, they’ve taken their mind off the job, they’ve had … Continue reading “Managing Safety After A Vacation”
Qantas Airways has a reputation for safety. It’s aircraft have not fallen from the sky for over 50 years. This fact was brought to wide public attention in the movie RainMan and is a fact that most Australians take pride in. Airlines do not promote themselves on the basis of their safety record principally because … Continue reading “Hole in Qantas aircraft”