The smoke from the mine: It has been a frighteningly bad month in the mining industry internationally. OHS meetings I attended during this period have been hushed as a result of the New Zealand tragedies. Discussions about OHS have become more pertinent and more accurate – for the time being. But this, like stunning but … Continue reading “Of stunning, short-lived cactus flowers and quad bikes”
It is always fascinating to hear of directors of companies being found personally guilty for workplace health and safety breaches because it seem to happen so rarely. The latest instance in Australia occurred on 3 December 2010 following a 2007 death of a 22-year-old rigger named Luke Aaron Murrie. Below is WorkSafe Western Australia‘s media release on the case. “A … Continue reading “Neglect by company directors found to have contributed to death of worker”
Scandinavia has been the region of choice for many OHS and industrial relations reforms but now something has come from the other side of the world, New Zealand, which should excite OHS professionals. The Department of Labour (DoL) has released a “self-help diagnostic tool” to identify safety culture. The DoL Workplace Services Group Manager, Maarten … Continue reading “New safety culture diagnostic tool”
Australia’s OHS awards season has concluded with many of the same challenges it had in 2009. Most States have harmonised their awards categories so that the national OHS awards in March 2011 are fairer but the worth of some categories, listed below, remains in question. “Category 1: Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System a. Private … Continue reading “Australian OHS Awards need a review to stay relevant”
The recent conference of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) gave considerable attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). It could be argued that this shows the ASSE is years behind many others but it could also be argued that CSR has a practical longevity in workplace safety that may have faded in other CSR … Continue reading “CSR and public health”
There are several issues in the United Kingdom at the moment that could affect workplace safety, not including Lord Young’s OHS review. Great Britain is to undergo enormous funding cuts to most of the civil service. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is to have its budget cut by 35% according to the Trades Union Congress … Continue reading “Do budget cuts equal cuts in safety enforcement?”
The Chris Maxwell Report into OHS in Victoria is of historical interest now but one concept in particular from the report continues to echo in OHS and Government circles – government departments and authorities as exemplars of workplace safety. The latest echo of this concept appeared in a WorkSafe Week seminar in Melbourne on 25 … Continue reading “OHS in procurement guideline should be the start and not the end”