The Cochrane Library has long been a good source of research information. Recently, the library undertook reviews of some of the seasonal influenza intervention and have produced a short podcast on the research. Also, the Library looked at noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The importance of this condition is high due to the damage being irreparable. … Continue reading “Research review of influenza and noise-induced hearing loss”
It is essential for corporate OHS policy-makers to leave their high-rise offices to experience high-risk workplaces such as factories and small business. This exposure to reality will add a practicality and ease of implementation to their OHS initiatives. In a similar way it is important that OHS professionals in industrialised nations with online references immediately … Continue reading “OHS regulator resources in perspective”
On 1 July 2009, the Australian industrial relations (IR) climate changed with the introduction of the Fair Work Act. Regardless of the politics of the new Act’s origin, this legislation changes the way that working conditions for Australians are negotiated and set. The Fair Work Act has no relevance to occupational health and safety, so … Continue reading “Fair Work Act and OHS”
The improved safety status in workplaces that have an active union presence has been verified through research, but what of the efforts on safety management from outside the union research efforts. Below is the abstract of an article that was published online late-2008 (and is available for purchase). The research was conducted in a country … Continue reading “Safety culture improvements in Spain”
According to a paper presented at the latest Industrial & Organisational Psychology Conference organised by the Australian Psychological Society, poor quality emails are causing almost as much stress in the workplace as the number received. New Zealand provisional (?) psychologist, Rowena Brown, was presenting findings from her PhD studies and said “Email is a double-edged … Continue reading “More workplace stressors, email and upwards bullying”
There is a big push for occupational safety and health decisions to be made on evidence. OHS academics in Australia are particularly big on this and there is considerable validity in the lobbying but as academics can have a vested interest in research, the calls are often dismissed. There is also, around the world, a … Continue reading “Evidence, subjectivity and myth”
In tertiary risk management courses, one is urged to look for “contributory factors” to an event. An event can be a specific action or failure but a good investigation looks at the factors that led, or conspired, to the failure – “contributory factors” – as well as the failure itself. For example, a common phrase … Continue reading “Root Cause and Camels”