Governments need to coordinate resources for small business OHS needs

This August the Victorian Government is conducting a month-long event the Small Business Festival.  The Festival is run by the Department of Business and Innovation and promises to “…provide attendees with the essential inspiration, skills and information to start, build and run a business.” Occupational health and safety does not feature.  WorkSafe Victoria, the state OHS … Continue reading “Governments need to coordinate resources for small business OHS needs”

OHS awards can provide a market awareness

SafeWorkSA has announced that its OHS awards program for 2011 has received a record 80 nominations.  This is a useful counterpoint to the initiatives that WorkSafe Victoria has instigated to stem declining interests in its awards program. SafeWorkSA has provided a breakdown of the award categories: Best Workplace Health and Safety Management System – 16 … Continue reading “OHS awards can provide a market awareness”

WorkSafe media director, Bernie Dean, talks about the new awards strategy

SafetyAtWorkBlog has been vocal on the need for Australia OHS awards to be reinvigorated, freshened up and re-booted.  WorkSafe Victoria launched a new interactive approach to its State awards several months ago with the intention of engaging the community and trying to maintain a momentum for the award process throughout the year. In an exclusive interview … Continue reading “WorkSafe media director, Bernie Dean, talks about the new awards strategy”

Targeting the most dangerous industries but not those with the most deaths

On 4 July 2011, WorkSafe Victoria released a media notice entitled “WorkSafe to target state’s most dangerous industries“.  (The title of the media release currently available on-line has been changed from “dangerous” to “risky”.)  Below are the industries that WorkSafe considers the most dangerous: Food manufacturing and processing, wood product manufacturing, fabricated metal, transport equipment … Continue reading “Targeting the most dangerous industries but not those with the most deaths”

Government department fined $285k over prison van death

In January 2011 WorkSafe indicated its intention to prosecute the Department of Corrective Services and others in relation to death of Mr Ward.  A $A285,000 penalty was imposed on 7 July 2011. SafetyAtWorkBlog reported on the WorkSafe actions at the time but an excellent clearinghouse for information on this case is the  website of the … Continue reading “Government department fined $285k over prison van death”

Media is ignorant of unsafe acts in the photos they use

That “a picture tells a thousand words”  appears true in regards to safety as it is in most areas.  This is increasingly so in the new online media but what if the picture is wrong?  Does a wrong picture tell a thousand wrong words? Recently this blog has written many words about quadbikes and the … Continue reading “Media is ignorant of unsafe acts in the photos they use”

Farming federation calls for mandatory fitting of safety devices to quadbikes

On 12 June 2010, SafetyAtWorkBlog noted the spokesperson for the National Farmers Federation, Duncan Fraser, supporting the voluntary fitting of roll protection devices to quadbikes in specific circumstances.  On 20 June 2011, the New South Wales Farmers Federation’s Industrial Relations Committee Chair Graham Morphett has spoken in favour of  “the mandatory fitting of roll bars” to quad bikes. This is an extraordinary blow … Continue reading “Farming federation calls for mandatory fitting of safety devices to quadbikes”