The explosion of the BP oil rig raises a huge number of issues in a variety of safety and environmental disciplines. In much of the media reportage, the plight of the workers on the rig has been given much less attention. One media report has described BP as “a London-based multinational oil giant with the … Continue reading “BP oil rig explosion – lawyer video”
Day 2 of the Safety In Action Conference is almost over and I am confused. Some speakers say that safety cannot be improved without commitment from the most senior executives of a company. Others are saying that safety improvement can be best achieved by trusting employees. One speaker questioned the validity of the risk management approach to safety. A colleague argued … Continue reading “Australian safety conference – confused but in a good way”
Peter Arthur, a Partner with Australian law firm, Allens Arthur Robinson, spoke on Boardroom Radio on 1 April 2010 about new duties that national OHS laws will place on Directors. Although there are six elements in the new general duty, Arthur says that they all can come under the category of “information flow”.
On 15 March 2010, the National President of the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), Barry Silburn, distributed an email to the 3,600 SIA members strongly refuting the “unsubstantiated claims of irregularities” that were, apparently made by Gavin Waugh, Western Australian Division President and former National Secretary, in a member discussion forum and email circulated to … Continue reading “Abuse, egos, corporate governance and the safety profession”
As workers’ compensation keeps bubbling away as a political issues in South Australia ahead of this weekend’s State election, other Australian States are not sitting still on workers’ compensation. Amendments to Victoria’s workers’ compensation system have passed through Parliament on 11 March 2010 enacting most of the findings of the 2007 Hanks inquiry. The laws will be gradually introduced but with most effective from 5 … Continue reading “Legal changes for Victoria’s workers’ compensation laws”
In the February 2010 newsletter for Australian law firm, DLAPhillips Fox, Andrew Ball and Donna Trembath wrote about one of the important elements of the model Work, Health & Safety Act – due diligence. We look at how SafetyAtWorkBlog and other OHS information services can support due diligence on OHS matters. Ball and Trembath list 6 elements in … Continue reading “OHS due diligence and safety management”
Risk assessments are crucial for operating a safety management system built on consultation with employees and relevant experts. This should be borne in mind over the next few days while the Australian Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, continues to be grilled over what he knew about the risks associated with the government’s insulation scheme and when he knew. In terms … Continue reading “Risk assessment report – insulation”