The capacity to write the SafetyAtWorkBlog is supported by consulting on health and safety issues but also from freelance writing. If you like what you read on the SafetyAtWorkBlog and want exclusive OHS content for your company or website, contact Kevin Jones by clicking HERE. Continue reading “Freelance Writing & Consulting”
Safety is the first agenda item but the last consideration
It is a common business activity to include Safety as an agenda item in all meetings. This is intended to show that a company sees Safety as an integral component of all business decisions. But such an action can also be used to dismiss Safety by those who do not see it as related to production or the production program.
Some years ago I was an occupational health and safety (OHS) adviser for a client on a construction project. The project had Safety as the first item of business on the weekly progress meeting. I was invited to attend and contribute. The Project Manager opened the meeting, asked if anyone had a “Safety Share”, and then advised that the project had had no incidents in the previous week.
Already a member? Log in here
“We want to build this OHS safety army”
Luke Hilakari became the Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) in late 2014. He has spoken at the 2015 Workers’ Memorial ceremony and in February 2016 he launched a new campaign focussing on occupational health and safety (OHS). Continue reading ““We want to build this OHS safety army””
Overburden exposes the social burden of workplace death and illness
On 26 February 2016, a recent documentary about a portion of the American coal-mining industry, Overburden, was shown with a panel discussion, as part of the Transitions Film Festival in Melbourne. The film is commonly promoted as an environmental film but it also touches on
- Corporate and executive arrogance;
- A complete disregard to worker safety;
- Excessive influence of industry lobbyists in the political process;
- The socio-economic impacts of allowing an industrial monopoly;
- Personal perspectives of risk.
The trailer hints at some of these issues. (A traditional mainstream review of the film is available HERE)
The panel drew direct lines between the Appalachian issues raised in the film with the socio-economic issues in Victoria’s LaTrobe Valley that resulted from the Hazelwood Mine Fire. Continue reading “Overburden exposes the social burden of workplace death and illness”
Master Builders keeping up with tech changes in safety
On February 2016, the New South Wales division of the Master Builders of Australia (MBANSW) launched a new mobile app that applies augmented reality (AR) to access safety information related to construction sites. The software has the capacity to access safety information in the form of videos, text, documents and internet links that can put occupational health and safety (OHS) information into the hands of workers.
There is great potential in this software application and the MBANSW should be acknowledged for supporting a technology that is still in its early development but offers an additional way of accessing important occupational health and safety information at the place where may be most needed – in the hands of workers.
But the app is not the answer to everything and, thankfully, MBANSW never claimed it was. There are technical and organisational limitations to the app but it is a very good start.
Continue reading “Master Builders keeping up with tech changes in safety”
Business case seems to miss worker safety
Already a member? Log in here
A top Business Blog for 2016
SmartCompany includes SafetyAtWorkBlog in its 2016 list of Best Business Blogs, saying:
“Occupational health and safety consultant Kevin Jones brings two decades of experience to his editorship of the Safety At Work Blog, bringing together news and commentary on workplace safety and health. Regularly updated, this blog is a great resource for SMEs operating without a dedicated human resources team.”
It is well worth looking at the other entries on the list to gain an understanding of how safety is perceived, particularly in the small business sectors.