Change is good. Change in occupational health and safety laws and regulatory strategies is usually good as well, but some action in Australia is curious. On 29 April 2010, the Government of the Australian Capital Territory(ACT) established” a new body called WorkSafe ACT, according to a media statement from the Attorney General, Simon Corbell: “The new WorkSafe ACT … Continue reading “ACT OHS gains more resources”
The continuing risks of asbestos are not nearly as noticeable on the radar of OHS professionals in the Western (or Minority) world as it used to be. In many people’s minds, a ban on asbestos has removed the risk. That is not the case, even if much of our attention is given to cleaning up … Continue reading “Small OHS issues may be controlled by big picture action”
Most of the workplace bullying attention in Australia in recent years has focussed on the white-collar industries and the relationship to stress, workload, harassment and policies for respect. A case reported in the The Age newspaper on 29 April 2010 about bullying in a door frame company is reflective of apprentice bullying cases of over … Continue reading “Inter-related issues of workplace bullying”
Further to the SafetyAtWorkBlog article about the prosecution of Fortescue Metals Group, The Australian newspaper reports on 28 April 2010 that the trial will start tomorrow. The article states that “Lawyers for the Department of Commerce — prosecuting the case through WorkSafe — successfully argued the site was not a mine and was instead a camp for … Continue reading “Mining company trial set over cyclone deaths”
WorkSafeBC is a regular provider of useful safety videos. In mid-April 2010 the regulator released a latest video that reports on an exploding soup kettle in a restaurant that injured several workers with steel shrapnel and steam. Safety prevention videos are costly to produce properly and WorkSafeBC has followed a process that is informative and simple but providing a … Continue reading “Exploding restaurant kettle risks”
If Victoria is the jurisdiction with the least changes needed to meet the new Work Health & Safety Act, it is worth looking at a recent enforcement activity. On 21 April 2010, WorkSafe Victoria announced an enforceable undertaking with the Department of Education & Early Childhood Development (DEECD). According to the WorkSafe media release this agreement “…requires all equipment … Continue reading “Is the Education Dept getting off lightly?”
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”