Small regional conferences often work better than major city-based conferences as the atmosphere is more relaxed, delegates are more approachable and there is less pressure to attend some grand trade expo. Riskology’s Sarah-Jane Dunford gambled on her first New South Wales Regional Safety Conference and Expo last week. (A short interview with Dunford is available …
In 19 February 2018, Safe Work Australia (SWA) “launched” the independent review of Australia’s Work Health and Safety laws under former Executive Director of SafeWorkSA, Marie Boland. SWA has released a 49-page discussion paper, a summary and a list of questions. Below is an initial response to some of those questions. What are your views on …
In 2018, Marie Boland will be conducting an independent review of Australia’s Work Health and Safety laws to see if the laws are “… achieving their original objectives, and if they have resulted in any unintended consequences.” We may already be seeing one of the unintended consequences. On December 22, 2017, SafeWork NSW granted an …
Occupational health and safety advocates are pushing for safety management and strategies to refocus on people by talking about “people-centric” approaches and recalibrating legislation to re-emphasise prevention. This push parallels society’s frustration with political strategies that favour big business, the under-investment in education and health care systems and companies that announce record profits at the same …
On 30 October 2017, the Safety Institute of Australia and RMIT University held their annual OHS Construction Forum. This year’s theme was flexible working arrangements – a brave choice that did not really work but was indicative of safety in the construction industry generally. Several speakers discussed well-being generally and how flexible working arrangements were …
Occupational health and safety (OHS) is increasingly being touted as an integral part of a company’s organisational culture. Sometime this is described as a workplace, or safety, culture. If OHS is to be considered thus, it is important to understand other cultural perspectives. One of the most prominent in Australia, at the moment, is the …
David Provan recently provided access to one of his research papers through LinkedIn while it is open. The paper is a literature review of the factors shaping the role of a safety professional. It is a difficult and confusing read until one reaches the Conclusion. This is not Provan’s fault but is an indication of the …