The Christmas ad campaign by WorkSafe Victoria is now available for viewing on line. I saw it with my family for the first time last night on television and it had a terrific impact on my wife. The hug from the teenage daughter is the clincher. My teenage son had seen the ad previously and thought … Continue reading “Latest WorkSafe ad – now online”
As workplaces approach the winter break or Christmas, there will be in increase in communal singing. One Australian has started to establish workplace choirs. Tania de Jong makes some good arguments about the benefits of greater worker contact and understanding through communal singing. It sounds logical and I am sure there is evidence to show … Continue reading “Workplace Choirs”
In 2001, one of the first legislative actions of George W Bush was to repeal the United States ergonomics standard. At the end of his presidency there are indications that he is thinking about the regulatory impost of OHS on businesses again. Crikey.com and others have reminded us of the Bush Administration’s plans concerning the … Continue reading “George W Bush and workplace safety”
Around the turn of the century a father told me this “My son was 19 years old and he was killed in an accident in a small warehouse in a suburb of Toronto. In this little shop, it was a small business with only 4 or 5 people there. He got the job through a … Continue reading “Passport to Safety in Australia”
WorkSafe Victoria is marketing well by tweaking their OHS advertising messages to fit the economic or seasonal requirements of workers and workplaces. In mid-December 2008, the “Homecoming” ads have been updated to provide a more obvious link to people working during the holiday season. John Merritt, CEO of WorkSafe, tries to link their two ongoing … Continue reading “OHS advertising”
It is relatively easy to manage a workplace in an urban environment. The buildings stay in one place, the neighbours are almost always the same and the weather bureau provides plenty of warnings. But in isolated areas, particularly in Australia, it seems the work environment is often more exposed. Certainly this was the case in … Continue reading “Deaths in isolated work camp from tropical storm”
Occupational Health and Safety in Australia is invariably related to the role of the trade union movement. OHS legislation legislates a presence for the Health and Safety Representative in most jurisdictions and historically, the HSR has been a union member. I suspect that union members still make up the largest proportion of HSR training courses. … Continue reading “A history of Australian trade unionism”