There have been several incidents recently that illustrate the unenviable pressures on inspectors and Australian OHS regulators. The Tasmanian Coroner found that the mining inspectorate of Workplace Standards Tasmania was “inadequate” and incapable of “of carrying out its core function of inspecting and enforcing best safety practices within the mining industry.” Two inspectors for that … Continue reading “Role of OHS Inspectors”
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 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a report on the labour force effects of chronic illnesses. The report, Chronic disease and participation in work, shows that chronic diseases are associated with more days off work and/or being out of the workforce, and some of the biggest culprits are depression, arthritis and asthma. The … Continue reading “Chronic disease report”
I have written elsewhere in SafetyAtWorkBlog concerning the silo mentality of managers in relation to human resources and OHS. This weekend a reader posted the following comment on this blog: “You are right about the divide between HR & OHS. Fact is HR are the culprits of negligence, they exist to support Management. Any one … Continue reading “HR vs. OHS”
In SafetyAtWorkBlog in 2008 there have been several posts concerning suicide. There is a growing research base on the matter and The Lancet adds to this through an article published in December 2008. Researchers have found that the type of mental health services provided to the community can affect the rate of suicide. This is … Continue reading “Mental support research”
Tonight in Adelaide the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Catherine Branson QC, will be delivering the 2008 Don Dunstan Foundation Oration. Ms Branson has said “I want to live in a society where everyone can take advantage of his or her abilities and where everyone has a real say about the world they … Continue reading “It is harder to prevent than compensate, but more important”
I am a great believer that solutions to hazards in one industry can be applied or adapted to other industry sectors. Regular readers of SafetyAtWorkBlog are aware of the cross-referencing between general workplace hazards and some solutions from the sex industry. However, solutions can come from other countries as well, and not just from the … Continue reading “Maintaining professional standards by looking outside the discipline”