Over the last few months I have been using my iPad to take photographs of good and bad workplace practices. These photos are usually shown to a site or business manager after a visit so that control measures can be identified. The advantage of an iPad is that no one has to squint at a … Continue reading “OHS app is attractive but may be no better than a paper system”
Throughout 2011, Safe Work Australia (SWA) has been conducting consultative workshops in the development of the next ten-year National OHS Strategy. SafetyAtWorkBlog reported previously on the Melbourne meeting. SWA has released their report into that Melbourne meeting. The meeting had a set of criteria for the stakeholders to consider. Sadly, there was no forewarning of the issues to be … Continue reading “OHS Strategy to nowhere”
The Sunday Herald-Sun ran an article that would not have been out-of-place in the English tabloid newspapers. The article, “Safety regulations taking the fun out of schools”, indicates many of the confused lines of responsibility that English articles include. In Victoria, the safety requirements of government schools are determined by the Department of Education and … Continue reading “Australia risks OHS ridicule in the media”
Last week, WorkSafe Victoria held its 2011 Work Safe Awards night. The host was Shane Jacobson, probably most well-known for his film Kenny. SafetyAtWorkBlog has been informed that WorkSafe’s Executive Director, Ian Forsythe, was approached by an attendee on the evening complaining about the inappropriateness of some of Jacobson’s jokes and comments. WorkSafe Victoria has … Continue reading “Victorian WorkSafe Awards raise eyebrows and questions”
South Australia’s Industrial Relations Minister, Rob Lucas, stated in the Adelaide Advertiser on 3 October 2011 that “The Liberal Party has always supported strong work safety laws which protect workers at work sites.” This may be the case within the limitations of that sentence but the conservative political parties have not always been supportive of … Continue reading “Politicians are exploiting proposed OHS laws for their own benefit”
Australia has released a draft Code of Practice on “preventing and responding to workplace bullying“. As it is the latest publication on this issue by an OHS authority, it deserves some analysis. The draft code has applied the established definition of workplace bullying as: “repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers, that … Continue reading “Bullying Code of Practice illustrates the huge challenges of OHS in Australia”
[Originally submitted as a comment to a “safety costs” article] I’ve spent a coupla hours dipping into what looked to me like the important bits of the WHS reg RIS, and I gotta say it don’t add up. I’d also say that the RIS does, in general terms, do what it should do, in terms … Continue reading “Work Health and Safety Regulation Impact Statement could do better”