The Safety Conference scheduled for Sydney at the end of October 2009 has finally got an OHS issue that is contentious and is also a work in progress. The unions are starting to make noise on the OHS laws. The employer groups are manoeuvring cautiously. The safety professionals are largely silent (again) but the lawyers … Continue reading “Lawyers identify contentious OHS law elements”
Radical Concept 1 – A vehicle can be workplace Today the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) urged fleet managers to consider OHS obligations in their choice 0f work vehicles. ANCAP said “Our understanding of the OH&S principles is that there is an obligation on companies and fleet managers to ensure a safe workplace. “Vans certainly constitute … Continue reading “Vehicles are workplaces too”
Western Australia’s WorkSafe has just released its latest guidance on working alone and it is the most practical look at the hazard from any OHS regulator in Australia. Importantly, it differentiates between “alone” and “remote”. In 1995, when the Victorian First Aid Code of Practice raised the issue of isolation, there was considerable confusion. How … Continue reading “Latest guidance on working alone”
Some time ago WorkSafe Victoria issued Compliance Codes on a number of workplace safety issues. One was concerning First Aid. The Compliance Codes were intended to replace Codes of Practice which had been around for decades. The previous major change to workplace first aid was in 1995 when the First Aid Code of Practice was … Continue reading “Flawed first aid information”
Recently I interviewed workplace lawyer, Andrew Douglas, pictured right, while researching an article concerning the application of statutory liability insurance policies to workplace safety management. SafetyAtWorkBlog is pleased to provide our latest podcast which includes my interview with Andrew. The interview provides simpler information on the statutory liability issue but also, and perhaps more importantly, … Continue reading “Workplace safety insurance – podcast”
According to the Communiqué of the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council on 18 May 2009, the following issues should be considered when drafting the new OHS legislation “Application of the primary duty of care to any person conducting a business or undertaking The panel recommends that the primary duty of care should be owed by any … Continue reading “The OHS recommendations the Australian Government rejected”
A leading Australian OHS lawyer, Michael Tooma, spoke to ABC Radio on 16 April 2009. Tooma spoke about the potential risks employers face by dealing with a substance whose hazard rating is unclear. HE says “Employers at the moment may be unaware of the extent of the potential liability sometime down the track. …We could be … Continue reading “Lawyer speaks on nanotechnology risks”