Occupational health and safety has long been viewed by companies as a cost burden, but with legislative reform on the horizon, the time for a more proactive approach by the business community is now. The full article is available at Business Spectator
Since the final report of Australia’s Review into Model OHS Law, discussion has been remarkably quiet. The ACTU was scheduled to meet for discussions on the report last Monday and no public statements have been made. Most of the labour law firms have been quiet also. It is fair to say that most are trying … Continue reading “Company directors and OHS obligations”
Health funding and management is a constant political issue. The attention increases hugely during election campaigns like the one that is currently occurring in the Australian state of Queensland. This week the leader of the opposition parties, Lawrence Springborg, called for the release of a government report into the sexual attack on a nurse and security … Continue reading “CEO loses job over safety failures”
The global theme for the 2009 International Women’s Day (8 March 2009) is “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls” The organising committee is at pains to stress that although this is a global theme, individual nations, individual states and organisations are able to set their own themes. Some themes already … Continue reading “International Women’s Day (of safety)”
Each year Australian recruiting company SafeSearch releases a remuneration survey. This year the report was released in late-February 2009. A media release from SafeSearch reports that “Almost all HSE Managers hold formal safety qualifications with 90% reaching Diploma level or higher.” In Victoria, in particular, there is a strong professional community generated from the Victorian … Continue reading “Safety Qualifications”
There is a strong campaign to improve the level of professionalism in occupational health and safety in Australia. Several safety-related bodies have achieved this already by being far-sighted and progressive, others have not. Concerns over the inconsistency of health and safety advice spurred WorkSafe Victoria to coordinate the establishment of a Health & Safety Professionals … Continue reading “Should the OHS Profession be Regulated?”
Professor Michael Quinlan of the University of New South Wales believes that the influence of Australian trade unions in improving OHS conditions should not be underestimated or past achievements, forgotten. In talking with Kevin Jones in a recent podcast, Quinlan said that the persistent accusation of unions using OHS as an industrial relations tool … Continue reading “Union influence on OHS – interview with Professor Michael Quinlan”