Corporate manslaughter, or industrial manslaughter as it is referred to in Australia, was not allowed to gain traction in Australia, except for in the Australian Capital Territory. The policy has been allowed to fade from the books of most of the Australian left-wing parties but for a while, corporate manslaughter was THE issue. In fact … Continue reading “Corporate manslaughter and accountability”
Recently, the Australian Government awarded some research grants of which at least one is relevant to workplace safety. $2.5 million was given for the establishment of a Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Interdisciplinary Sleep Health (CRISH). When the grant was announced Professor Ron Grunstein of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research said, “Adequate sleep is … Continue reading “Sleep disorders and workplace safety – new research grant”
At the Safety In Action conference in Melbourne Australia, SafetyAtWorkBlog was able to catchup with John Lacey, a past President of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in England. John has attended ten of the conferences and has some interesting comments on the conference, how Australian safety differs from the UK and who he … Continue reading “Impressions of Australian safety”
Following two short messages from international representatives of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser AC, officially opened the Safety In Action Conference for 2009. The Governor made several pleas or suggestions. One was for the application of … Continue reading “Safety In Action Conference – Part One”
Since the final report of Australia’s Review into Model OHS Law, discussion has been remarkably quiet. The ACTU was scheduled to meet for discussions on the report last Monday and no public statements have been made. Most of the labour law firms have been quiet also. It is fair to say that most are trying … Continue reading “Company directors and OHS obligations”
Each year Australian recruiting company SafeSearch releases a remuneration survey. This year the report was released in late-February 2009. A media release from SafeSearch reports that “Almost all HSE Managers hold formal safety qualifications with 90% reaching Diploma level or higher.” In Victoria, in particular, there is a strong professional community generated from the Victorian … Continue reading “Safety Qualifications”
As the Australian Safety & Compensation Council winds down before its transformation into Safe Work Australia, it is leaving with a flurry of activity. The legacy that had most immediate appeal was the revised Guidance Note for the Protection of Workers from the Ultraviolet Radiation in Sunlight. This is the most relevant and contemporary approach to … Continue reading “New UV Safety Guidance Note”