Search Results for: "psychosocial hazards"

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New WHS Regulations present a challenge to quad bike manufacturers

In late 2009, SafetyAtWorkBlog discussed the relevance of plant safety regulations and the hierarchy of controls to quad bikes. “The Hierarchy of Controls has some questionable OHS applications to psychosocial hazards but it applies very well to “traditional” hazards, those involving plant.  The Hierarchy also emphasizes that the first step in any hazard control is to consider whether the hazard can be eliminated.  But what happens when … Continue reading “New WHS Regulations present a challenge to quad bike manufacturers”

Professor Niki Ellis speaks about OHS, CSR and resilience

Next week the National Comcare Conference is held in Melbourne Australia.  One of the keynote speakers at the conference is Professor Niki Ellis, a prominent Australian OHS researchers and consultant  who is also heading up the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR). On a sunny September 5 2011 I was able to spend half and … Continue reading “Professor Niki Ellis speaks about OHS, CSR and resilience”

Suicide challenges the OHS profession

Safety and risk professionals often need to consider the “worst case scenario”.  But we hesitate to look at the worst case scenario of workplace mental health – suicide.  On 26 August 2011, Lifeline presented a seminar to Victorian public servants that was brilliant, confronting and worrying. Lifeline campaigns on suicide prevention and it seems to … Continue reading “Suicide challenges the OHS profession”

Workplace bullying statistics remain muddy

A recent article on workplace bullying by the CEO of Diversity Council Australia, Nareen Young, is a good introduction to the issue but, as with many other articles on the issue, the content requires careful consideration. One statistical resource used on workplace bullying articles is the very important and influential March 2010 Productivity Commission (PC) … Continue reading “Workplace bullying statistics remain muddy”

Fatigue management is getting clearer but is competing for attention

As a discipline for study, fatigue still seems to be in its early days and this presents a challenge for safety professionals and researchers.  Everyone knows what fatigue is because at some time we all suffer it, but try to define it and it is different things to different people. Transport Safety Victoria (TSV), a division of … Continue reading “Fatigue management is getting clearer but is competing for attention”

Do OHS workshops work?

Years ago I was invited to speak at a safety conference and to conduct a workshop.  I cocked up the workshop and realised that my conference presentation would need considerable reworking.  This experience made me shy of speaking engagements for a while but has provided me with a lasting suspicion on conference workshops. At several … Continue reading “Do OHS workshops work?”

OHS compliance checklists

For several months some Australian OHS regulators have been providing “Compliance at a glance” checklists. These are not intended to establish compliance, particularly in the small business sector as listed on one regulator’s website , but are more brief indicators of areas for greater improvement. Nevertheless the items listed in the “red zone” of the … Continue reading “OHS compliance checklists”