Australians associate working in hot conditions as outside work although the occupational hazard of heat is just as relevant in bakeries and foundries. OHS regulators and safety lobbyists often try to include too much in their heat-related strategies – heat stress, skin cancer, hydration, dust, and a range of other hazard combinations related to specific … Continue reading “Working in heat – still contentious”
SafetyAtWorkBlog has been informed that the current CEO of the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA), Gary Lawson-Smith, has accepted an invitation to join the WorkSafe Victoria’s OHS Advisory Committee (OHSAC), as a representative of the SIA. This is a terrific win for the SIA as it adds a degree of legitimacy to the organisation’s developing … Continue reading “Safety Institute gets a seat at the OHSAC table”
The last week of October each year is Safe Work Australia Week. This theme is enacted in each State with their own resources and events. WorkSafe Victoria is one of the more active of the state regulators and 2009 seems no different. On 13 September 2009, WorkSafe Victoria will launch a new campaign of graphic … Continue reading “New safety campaign – making the invisible visible”
On 1 September 2009 there were early reports that “… a man died at Stanhope in northern Victoria when a one-tonne bag of salt fell from a stack and crushed him at a cheese factory.” Further details were revealed in a media report on 4 September 2009. The media officer for WorkSafe, Michael Birt, discussed the … Continue reading “Man crushed by unstable stack”
WorkSafe Victoria is very keen for the safety advice and management discipline to become professional. It is providing considerable technical and financial support to the Safety Institute of Australia and other members of the Health and Safety Professionals Alliance (HaSPA). The current status of HaSPA in Australia has been discussed in other SafetyAtWorkBlog articles. HaSPA … Continue reading “An Ombudsman for the safety profession”
Recently SafetyAtWorkBlog reported on a new WorkSafe Victoria guidance on guarding cellar doors. Comcare has started legal action against a company a similar hazard but one located in public. Comcare has instigated proceedings against Australia’s leading telecommunications company, Telstra, for an unguarded pit in a public area. According to the media release dated 19 August … Continue reading “Uncovered holes”
Radical Concept 1 – A vehicle can be workplace Today the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) urged fleet managers to consider OHS obligations in their choice 0f work vehicles. ANCAP said “Our understanding of the OH&S principles is that there is an obligation on companies and fleet managers to ensure a safe workplace. “Vans certainly constitute … Continue reading “Vehicles are workplaces too”