SafetyAtWorkBlog’s new podcast series “Safety At Work Talks” is now available through iTunes at http://apple.co/2kY23bR
The first episode is a conversation with Professor Sidney Dekker.
Industrial manslaughter debate reveals commitment and misunderstandings
Industrial manslaughter laws passed through the Queensland Parliament on October 12 2017. The debate about the laws on that day is an interesting read as it illustrates some of the thoughts about workplace safety in the minds of policy decision makers, business owners, industry associations, trade unions and safety advocates.
Lawyer for Herbert Smith Freehills, Steve Bell, has said in a LinkedIn post that:
“Will [industrial manslaughter laws] make workplaces safer? In my view probably not, but it will certainly affect the manner in which businesses respond to workplace incidents and external investigations.”
This perspective is understandable and valid when one considers the laws to be a part of the post-incident investigation and prosecution. A similar view was expressed in Queensland’s Parliament by the Liberal National Party’s David Janetzki, based on the submission by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland: Continue reading “Industrial manslaughter debate reveals commitment and misunderstandings”
Industrial Manslaughter arguments cover old ground
The Queensland Government is in the middle of a debate in Parliament and the media about the introduction of industrial manslaughter as an offence related to serious occupational health and safety (OHS) breaches. It is both a good and a bad time for this debate. The laws are likely to pass but the debate is showing old arguments, weak arguments, political expediency and union-bashing but not a lot about improvement in workplace safety.
Timeline
Following two major fatal workplace incidents, in April 2017 the Government established an
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Australia the first stop on international roadshow over safety management Standard
The latest safety management standard ISO45001 will be active in a few months’ time. It is the first international Standard in occupational health and safety (OHS), a fact supported by the length of time and horse-trading that has occurred in its development. It will be an important OHS document for many countries as, for some, it is a first. For Western countries, like Australia, New Zealand and Britain, ISO45001 is the latest in a long line of safety management standards, so the hype is more muted.
The new features of this Standard have been outlined in
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Safety At Work Talks podcast launched
The popularity of Australian podcasting about workplace safety is increasing with a personable Sydney occupational health and safety (OHS) lawyer launching one this month. SafetyAtWorkBlog is also joining that growth with the Safety At Work Talks podcast this week.
SafetyAtWorkBlog originally podcasted a decade ago through iTunes. I participated in a podcast series last year called Cabbage Salad and Safety. Safety At Work Talks is going to be a series that complements the SafetyAtWorkBlog by providing exclusive interviews with prominent safety people and academics.
Safety At Work Talks already has a series of episodes recorded with Professor Sidney Dekker. These will cover
- Dekker’s Safety Differently documentary,
- Dekker’s April 2017 book – “The End of Heaven”,
- Dekker’s new (November 2017) book – “The Safety Anarchist – Relying on human expertise and innovation; reducing bureaucracy and compliance“, and
- A brief chat about how Just Culture has changed.
The first of these episodes is Professor Sidney Dekker talking to me, Kevin Jones, about his new documentary “Safety Differently”. You can hear it below or at this link: https://soundcloud.com/safetyatworkblog/safetyatworktalks-dekker-doco-101017
Safety At Work Talks will be available for listening through a number of podcast platforms, including the SafetyAtWorkBlog site:
Podbean – https://safetyoz.podbean.com/
SoundCloud – https://soundcloud.com/safetyatworkblog
Safety Differently – The Movie reviewed
One of the best elements of Sidney Dekker’s new Safety Differently documentary is that he is only in it for a few of its thirty minutes. It is not that he has nothing to say but the expected audience for this documentary would already be familiar with Dekker’s take on Safety Differently.
This documentary provides what has been needed for the Safety Differently movement for some time – case studies, trials and experiments. It was always possible to understand the theory but it was difficult to see how the theory would be implemented. Partly this was because the implication was that Safety II concepts replaced Safety I. Rather Safety Differently is a transition from I to II and over a considerable time.
This documentary, which is free to view and released on October 10, 2017. includes three stories – one each from oil & gas, health care and retail supermarkets.
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Queensland’s Industrial Manslaughter push moves to Parliament this week
Queensland’s Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, Grace Grace is continuing to apply political pressure on the opposition (conservative) party over the issue of industrial manslaughter laws, prior to their debate in State Parliament this week.
In a media statement released on October 6 2017, Grace states that
“We owe it to the victims and their loved ones to ensure Queensland has strong industrial manslaughter laws to protect people on the job.”
This is an appealing statement during Australia’s National Safe Work Month but the relationship between industrial manslaughter laws and safer workers is not as clear and direct as the political statements suggest. Continue reading “Queensland’s Industrial Manslaughter push moves to Parliament this week”