Tomorrow, 28 April 2010, is the International Day of Mourning, a remembrance day for those who have died at work. In Australia most of the focus will be on the memorial event in Sydney as the majority of trade union leaders are in the city for the ACTU Organising Conference. This has the potential to … Continue reading “2010 International Day of Mourning”
If safety culture is set and developed by leaders, what does it mean when a Prime Minister launches a scheme that places the creation of jobs over the need for worker safety? Two days before International Workers’ Memorial Day, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Four Corners program analyses the failed insulation scheme initiated by the Australian … Continue reading “If safety culture begins at the top, what message is the Australian Government sending on insulation installer deaths?”
Bernard Keane writing in online newsletter, Crikey, is one of the few who has reported on the Australian Government’s insulation scheme debacle and kept the fact of worker deaths as more than just a moral sideline to the issue. On 3 March 2010, Keane wrote a very good article which draws on the political and media … Continue reading “Non-mainstream media acknowledges the realities of workplace fatalities”
Radical Concept 1 – A vehicle can be workplace Today the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) urged fleet managers to consider OHS obligations in their choice 0f work vehicles. ANCAP said “Our understanding of the OH&S principles is that there is an obligation on companies and fleet managers to ensure a safe workplace. “Vans certainly constitute … Continue reading “Vehicles are workplaces too”
Every year the ILO sponsors the World Day for Health and Safety At Work on 28 April 2009. This day is a day of remembrance for most countries where people reflect on those who have died at work in the previous year. Each year, these days are full of tears and grief, and motivation for … Continue reading “Australian trade unions hijack the World Day of Safety”
AAP and The Australian newspaper today reported on the death of an 18-year-old in a factory located just north of SafetyAtWorkBlog’s office on 18 February 2009. Initial reports say that the man was “dragged head first into a box-printing machine” when his clothing was caught. Firefighters took 45 minutes to extract the worker who died later … Continue reading “Teenage worker’s death”
Last week, the release of the final report of Australia’s review into National Model OHS Law was touted by many as immediately after the meeting of the Workplace Relations Ministers Council (WRMC). This occurred with the first report in 2008. WRMC met in a teleconference yesterday. When the report is released officially (rumours are that … Continue reading “Australia’s OHS Law Review”