Every year newspapers and organisations undertake a “year in review”. OHS regulators are no different. As more statistics become available of the next few weeks, SafetyAtWorkBlog will provide the latest OHS statistics for 2008. The most recent are below. Western Australia According to a media release by WorkSafe WA: “In 2005/06, WA recorded 12 traumatic … Continue reading “Australian 2008 workplace statistics”
Work tools, such as the company car and the mobile phone, can be fun and functional but when used at the same time, the combination is deadly. According to media reports a study by the Federal Department of Transport survey of 1500 drivers has shown that [in Victoria] about 61 per cent said they had used a … Continue reading “Mobile Phones and Driving”
On 4 January 2009, the Sunday Age contained a curious article based around some quotes from Eric Windholz, acting executive director of WorkSafe Victoria. The article reports Eric as saying that when workers return to work after a holiday break they can be careless. “People come back, they’ve taken their mind off the job, they’ve had … Continue reading “Managing Safety After A Vacation”
The Christmas ad campaign by WorkSafe Victoria is now available for viewing on line. I saw it with my family for the first time last night on television and it had a terrific impact on my wife. The hug from the teenage daughter is the clincher. My teenage son had seen the ad previously and thought … Continue reading “Latest WorkSafe ad – now online”
WorkSafe Victoria is marketing well by tweaking their OHS advertising messages to fit the economic or seasonal requirements of workers and workplaces. In mid-December 2008, the “Homecoming” ads have been updated to provide a more obvious link to people working during the holiday season. John Merritt, CEO of WorkSafe, tries to link their two ongoing … Continue reading “OHS advertising”
Over the next few weeks, many Australian law firms are running information seminars on the government’s Fair Work Bill. This legislation will change the way that workplaces are managed, particularly in the area of personnel management. The overlap with OHS will come through the increasingly contentious issue of “union right of entry”. Frequently unions request … Continue reading “OHS impact of the Fair Work Australia Bill”
WorkSafe Victoria recently released a guideline, or clarification, on what it considers to be the issues surrounding “employing or engaging suitably qualified persons to provide health and safety advice“. SafetyAtWorkBlog remains to be convinced that such a process will lead to better safety outcomes in the small to medium-sized enterprises at which this program is … Continue reading “The insidiousness of “reasonably practicable””