It is always an option to do nothing. The status quo can be very attractive but if one chooses to not control a workplace hazard that one is aware of then the penalty must be accepted and the responsibility accepted. WorkSafe Victoria has provided details (not yet online) of a case where a director of a food … Continue reading “The cost of doing nothing”
A feature article on workplace bullying in The Age newspaper on 10 March 2010 has the additional or secondary benefit of again raising the relevance of “restorative justice” to the issue of occupational safety and health. The main element of the article is the McGregor family who had two children commit suicide over related issues. The son, Stuart … Continue reading “Workplace bullying and restorative justice – how to help the families left behind”
WorkSafe Victoria reported investigations into a tractor-related death near Yackandandah that occurred on 28 February 2010. The media release (not yet available online) says: “WorkSafe Victoria is investigating the death of a man who died when a tractor he was driving tipped over in north-east Victoria yesterday. The man, aged in his 20s, had been moving bee … Continue reading “Tractor death – ROPS but no seatbelt”
Recently SafetyAtWorkBlog discussed the quality of media releases on OHS matters. A very good one was received the other day from Firefly Marketing. The noticeable quality of this release is that although its purpose is to promote a conference, the release provides fresh and unique comments that have stand-alone benefits. The statement includes several comments concerning workplace … Continue reading “Good bullying advice needs grounding in prevention”
Following the successful prosecution of four people for bullying 19-year-old Brodie Panlock, SafetyAtWorkBlog, with the assistance of a lawyer put several questions to WorkSafe Victoria about the case. Most of the questions and their responses are below: “SAWB: Could you please advise the reasons for the decision to prosecute the recent workplace bullying case in the Magistrates … Continue reading “Workplace bullying questions to WorkSafe”
All workplace incidents result from a combination of actions and circumstances that come together at a specific point in time that can result in injury or damage. WorkSafe Victoria reported on 17 February 2010 about a company that was successfully prosecuted, and fined $A60,000, after a worker had his foot crushed under a forklift. The … Continue reading “Forklift incident leads to amputated foot and $60,000 fine”
On 16 February 2010, I was interviewed by Channel 7 television in Melbourne over 20 minutes of footage they had received that showed unacceptable work practices at a domestic site in Cranbourne. Emails from friends told me that my words and face were used in promotional ads by the TV program. At the time of writing this, … Continue reading “Television exposé of children at risk on roof insulation worksite”