Presenteeism is when a worker attends work when they should not due to illness. Frequently ill workers attend the office or the factory because they feel that they are indispensable. This may be the case but they can then present health risks to others by communicating their flu or other disease to their colleagues. However, … Continue reading “Presenteeism in the US”
At the moment I am watching Senator Penny Wong releasing the Australian government’s green paper into climate change reduction, focussing on an emissions trading scheme. Some OHS professionals have disputed the relationship between environmental management and safety management. In practice there has always been an overlap in the disciplines and increasingly in management pocesses, auditing and … Continue reading “Climate Change Green Paper – OHS role”
As part of the COAG meeting in early July 2008 the Ausralain governments have signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety. For those of you interested in how the replacement body for the Australian Safety & Compensation Council will operate and be funded, this is the blueprint. However, … Continue reading “Likely Process of State OHS Legislation”
Australia is accumulating a considerable body of knowledge about safety cultures in workplaces. Sadly most of the information comes from inquiries into disasters that involve multiple fatalities. The UK has its body of knowledge from oil-rig explosions and train crashes. Australia’s is predominantly from mining disasters, gas plant explosions and, also, train crashes. Now according … Continue reading “Australia military and safety culture”
Some years ago the CEO of an OHS certifying body came to Australia from the US. He spoke intriguingly about the benefits of having an independently-assessed safety practitioner registration. I could see the potential international career benefits but I am already a registered safety practitioner through my membership with an OHS professional association. I couldn’t …
On 9 June 2008, Peter Anderson, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), addressed the 2008 International Labour Conference. The ACCI is an employer association that under the previous CEO, Peter Hendy, was seen by some as a business and economic mouthpiece for the then conservative government of Prime Minister John Howard. … Continue reading “Australian employer group at the ILO”
On 3 June 2008, Brian Lehrer of radio station WNYC conducted a discussion on the issues of occupational health safety as it relates to New York City’s second crane collapse in a couple of months and a sharp rise in construction deaths so far in 2008. The speakers are very critical of the Federal Occupational Safety & … Continue reading “New York Crane Safety Podcast”