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Targeting the most dangerous industries but not those with the most deaths

On 4 July 2011, WorkSafe Victoria released a media notice entitled “WorkSafe to target state’s most dangerous industries“.  (The title of the media release currently available on-line has been changed from “dangerous” to “risky”.)  Below are the industries that WorkSafe considers the most dangerous: Food manufacturing and processing, wood product manufacturing, fabricated metal, transport equipment … Continue reading “Targeting the most dangerous industries but not those with the most deaths”

Do OHS workshops work?

Years ago I was invited to speak at a safety conference and to conduct a workshop.  I cocked up the workshop and realised that my conference presentation would need considerable reworking.  This experience made me shy of speaking engagements for a while but has provided me with a lasting suspicion on conference workshops. At several … Continue reading “Do OHS workshops work?”

Government department fined $285k over prison van death

In January 2011 WorkSafe indicated its intention to prosecute the Department of Corrective Services and others in relation to death of Mr Ward.  A $A285,000 penalty was imposed on 7 July 2011. SafetyAtWorkBlog reported on the WorkSafe actions at the time but an excellent clearinghouse for information on this case is the  website of the … Continue reading “Government department fined $285k over prison van death”

West Australian moves on sex work law neglect OHS

Australia has an enviable occupational health and safety record in its licensed brothels.  A recent sex work symposium in Melbourne restated the fact that sex workers have a lower presentation of sexually transmitted diseases than the public.  One Queensland brothel, Purely Blue, states: “Safety and Quality are very important to us and we are proud to be … Continue reading “West Australian moves on sex work law neglect OHS”

Media is ignorant of unsafe acts in the photos they use

That “a picture tells a thousand words”  appears true in regards to safety as it is in most areas.  This is increasingly so in the new online media but what if the picture is wrong?  Does a wrong picture tell a thousand wrong words? Recently this blog has written many words about quadbikes and the … Continue reading “Media is ignorant of unsafe acts in the photos they use”

Farming federation calls for mandatory fitting of safety devices to quadbikes

On 12 June 2010, SafetyAtWorkBlog noted the spokesperson for the National Farmers Federation, Duncan Fraser, supporting the voluntary fitting of roll protection devices to quadbikes in specific circumstances.  On 20 June 2011, the New South Wales Farmers Federation’s Industrial Relations Committee Chair Graham Morphett has spoken in favour of  “the mandatory fitting of roll bars” to quad bikes. This is an extraordinary blow … Continue reading “Farming federation calls for mandatory fitting of safety devices to quadbikes”

Quad bike manufacturers resist the inevitable

Pressure is increasing on the manufacturers of quad bikes in Australia and from a variety of sources. The Weekly Times newspaper continues, almost fortnightly, to report on the safety debate about the use and design of quad bikes.  The 9 June edition has a double-page spread on the issue with many direct quotes from “players” … Continue reading “Quad bike manufacturers resist the inevitable”