In a couple of years all Australian States will probably have OHS laws which require active consultation on workplace safety matters. But how effective will the consultation be if a noticeable part of one’s workforce struggles with literacy? For many years OHS included a gentle and steady push for OHS information to be provided in Languages Other Than English (LOTE). … Continue reading “Is illiteracy a big safety risk?”
An earlier article today provided a reminder of a County Court judge’s criticism of OHS management-speak in a 2004 decision concerning the death of Robert Sergi on a rail bridge construction project near Geelong. In response to some of the safety initiatives outlined to the Court by the lawyer for Leighton Contractors Ross Ray SC, … Continue reading “OHS needs plain language, consultation and corporate engagement”
On 20 May 2010 a Victorian magistrate fined an employer over $A500,000 following a workplace prosecution. Almost all of it went to charity, according to WorkSafe Victoria. There are several issues raised by Magistrate Vandersteen’s decision: Why to charity? Why the particular charities? Why not allocate the funds to OHS-related organisations or initiatives? Why does the Magistrates’ … Continue reading “Important OHS court decisions go unreported”
In May 2010, Workplace Health & Safety Queensland uploaded a Workplace Harassment Assessment Tool. The curious element to the information is that Queensland does not mention the word “bullying” even though the assessment criteria cover this hazard. As Australia moves to harmonised legislation on workplace safety issues, the harmonisation of terminology is going to be important and probably subject to lively … Continue reading “Harmonising bullying terminology extends well beyond OHS”
Prominent OHS unionist, Yossi Berger*, has attempted to place the issue of quad bike safety in the greater context of OHS In the latest issue of the Australian Workers’ Union’s Say Safety magazine (only available in hard copy). Berger says that the current debate between safety advocates and vehicle manufacturers over quad bikes is the … Continue reading “Quad bike safety remains a hot topic in Australia”
Ross Macfarlane is a regular reader of SafetyAtWorkBlog and an active safety professional in Australia. Below he provides his perspective on BP’s approach to safety as an ex-employee [links added]: As an ex-BP employee I am again feeling a strong sense of dismay at what is occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. The fact that … Continue reading “A personal insight into BP and the corporate approach to safety”
New Zealand’s Department of Labour (DoL) has released a statement that illustrates a classic scenario for forklift safety. According to the statement : “The employee was walking in a freezer when he was hit from behind by a forklift carrying a 10-carton-high pallet of packed meat. The Department’s investigation showed the height of the load … Continue reading “Forklift incident costs NZ company over $34,000”