The Central Safety Group is a networking group of safety professionals from the Melbourne Central Business District and surrounding areas which meets monthly for lunchtime presentations by specialist speakers.
Members have a common interest in improving all aspects of occupational health and safety in their workplace and keeping informed on key issues in their field.
The presentations are held every second Tuesday of the month from February to November. A networking Christmas lunch is held in December.
Dr Kate Branford, Senior Human Factors Specialist, V/Line
Date: Zoom meeting Tuesday, 8 June, 2021 at noon
CSG Zoom Lunchtime Presentation. Members and Non-Members welcome to attend.
Safety risks and understanding human factors
Human Factors issues constitute a significant source of risk in many industries. Human error contributes to an estimated 60-80% of incidents, while other Human Factors issues also play a part in a large proportion of incidents.
Understanding human error, how it contributes to safety incidents and how it can be managed, will be the subject of a zoom talk by Dr Kate Branford at midday on 8 June.
Kate is the Senior Human Factors Specialist at V/Line, which operates Victoria’s regional public transport network, and has worked in this role for seven years. She will talk about what Human Factors is, how it relates to human error and how it can be applied in the workplace to help improve health and safety performance.
She says the rail industry attracted her due to its collaborative approach to safety and the many opportunities for improvement. She will give examples of these in her talk.
About the Presenter
Dr Kate Branford studied at the ANU, majoring in Sociology, with a focus on industrial accidents. She wrote her Honours thesis on the role of blame in accident investigation and then completed an industry-based Doctorate in Human Factors with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. Her supervisor was Professor Andrew Hopkins, who is internationally recognised for his ground-breaking work in industrial safety and accident analysis.
Before joining V/Line in 2014, Kate worked as a Human Factors consultant focusing on defence, aviation and nuclear power projects. At V/Line her role includes error management, incident investigation, Rail Resource Management and supporting Human Factors integration into rail projects and changes.
It is never too late to join and support Central Safety Group. At $75 per calendar year.
Professor David Caple AM
10 August 2021
Topic: TBC
Speaker: Professor David Caple AM, OHS Consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University, David Caple & Associates
CSG Zoom Lunchtime Presentation - noon
Non-Members welcome to attend.
Note: RSVP before close of business Monday 9 August 2021.
When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the August from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Save the date
13 July 2021
Topic: Details coming soon
Speaker: TBA
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the July Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Dr Kate Branford
8 June 2021
Topic: Safety risks and Understanding Human Factors
Speaker: Dr Kate Branford, Senior Human Factors Specialist, V/Line
CSG Zoom Lunchtime Presentation - noon
Non-Members welcome to attend.
Human Factors issues constitute a significant source of risk in many industries. Human error contributes to an estimated 60-80% of incidents, while other Human Factors issues also play a part in a large proportion of incidents.
Understanding human error, how it contributes to safety incidents and how it can be managed, will be the subject of a zoom talk by Dr Kate Branford at midday on 8 June... Read more
Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available for a limited time, to members only.
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Gavin Kenny
11 May 2021
Topic: Using technology to make work safer
Speaker: Gavin Kenny, Manager SHEQ - Service Delivery, Melbourne Water
CSG Zoom Lunchtime Presentation - noon
Non-Members welcome to attend.
Melbourne Water will share how technology has improved its safety systems and performance in a zoom presentation to Central Safety Group at midday on Tuesday, 11 May. The presenter will be Gavin Kenny, Manager SHEQ - Service Delivery at Melbourne Water, who has introduced a number of digital technology improvements to safety processes there.
Melbourne Water is a statutory body which supplies high-quality water, provides reliable sewerage services, integrates drainage systems to prevent flooding and enhances waterways and land for Melbourne and its surrounds. Gavin will talk about the changes involved, how they were introduced and the resulting efficiency gains.
These new systems are integrated with and supported by the organisation’s existing IT systems. He will describe the transition from using cumbersome, paper-based processes to easy-to-use digital systems. Among other things, this has made safety data at Melbourne Water more transparent and easy to access, making it easier to analyse trends.
Gavin will answer questions from participants after the presentation.
Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available to members only.
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April Zoom Meeting 2021
13 April 2021
Topic: Musculoskeletal issues – what’s new in risks and prevention
Speaker: David Trembearth, Safety Business Partner, People and Product Safety, Coles.
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs), often referred to as ‘Body Stressing’, are the highest category of serious workers’ compensation claims for Australian workers, representing 36% of all claims in 2017-18.
Research and experience show there is a lot can be done to prevent these injuries, which was the topic of a talk by David Trembearth to Central Safety Group via Zoom on Tuesday, 13 April 2021.
David chaired the working group that developed a position statement on WMSDS for the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in 2020. He provided an overview of this and spoke about evidence-based causes of WMSDs as well as intervention strategies for the prevention and management of these injuries.
Musculoskeletal injuries can affect any worker, not just manual labourers, says David. It can happen in any workplace and cover a wide range of life-changing lower back and repetitive strain injuries.
Significantly, these injuries can result from both physical and psychological hazards in the workplace. They also present psychosocial hazards and are recognised as critical workplace risk factors.
Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available to members only.
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March Zoom Meeting 2021
9 March 2021
Topic: Hospital safety during the pandemic
Speaker: Christine Rennick, General Manager, Health Safety and Wellbeing, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne.
When the Covid-19 crisis exploded just over a year ago, the demand for special safety measures in our hospitals was massive, sudden and urgent. Christina Rennick, General Manager Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, will do a presentation via Zoom at 11 am on 9 March about how her workplace responded.
The hospital has a big and complex structure, a workforce of 7,000, and a large number of patients and visitors to protect. Beyond implementing large-scale basic requirements for Covid protection, the safety team had to develop new rules and systems, learn from experience and adapt. This has been ongoing as knowledge of the coronavirus unfolds and the situation in the community changes.
Christina will talk not only about physical safety measures, but also the need to monitor and manage the wellbeing of people in the hospital system during this time... Read More
Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available to members only.
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February Meeting 2021
9 February 2021
CSG Annual General Meeting 2020
AGM Agenda & Model Rules for an Incorporated Association available below.
Members welcome to attend.
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Professor David Caple AM
8 December 2020
Topic: Covid-19 Impact on Workplace Safety.
Presenter: Professor David Caple AM, OHS Consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonimics & Human Factors, LaTrobe University
2020 – what a year! Central Safety Group wrapped it up with the subject that has had such an impact on our lives and work these past eight months.
Professor David Caple discussed Covid-19 and workplace safety via zoom on Tuesday 8 December. David has been working on Covid-related projects with the healthcare and government sectors during the crisis.
He reflected on the psychological and physical risks, ways these can be managed and what long-lasting impacts coronavirus could have on the workplace. He then opened the session for questions and discussion, in which participants were encouraged to talk about what is being done in their own industry or workplace. It was a great session!
Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available to members only.
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Michael Connory
17 November 2020
Topic: Web safety – are you taking risks?
Presenter: Michael Connory, CyberCertified
Cyber crime is at an all-time high with so many people working from home and shopping online. Most of us could do a lot to improve our cyber security.
Michael Connory of CyberCertified gave invaluable advice and answered questions on this topic during a lunchtime zoom presentation to Central Safety Group on Tuesday 17 November.
As one of Australia’s leading voices in cyber security, Michael’s session gave viewers a practical demonstration and plenty of useful tips.
About the presenter:
Michael Connory of CyberCertified has had over 20 years experience in the global security sector, and has held a number of senior roles with companies specialising in this field. He is a strong advocate for better privacy protection for individuals and businesses, and is often called upon to give expert commentary in the media.
Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available to members only.
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Barry Naismith
Ahead in 2020
Topic: What does the data reveal about the state of OHS in Victoria?
Presenter: Barry Naismith, OHS Intros
Barry Naismith shares his latest research into reducing the impact of work harms.
About the presenter:
Prior to a career in OHS, Barry Naismith worked as a journalist and editor. He spent more than 14 years with the Victorian WorkCover Authority before working independently as an OHS consultant. He has also worked with Uniting Victoria on a program to reduce the impact of work harms on the community. Barry has qualifications in science from Melbourne University and media studies from RMIT.
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Nan Austin
July 2020
Topic: Safety shake-up across the Tasman - update
Presenter: Nan Austin, Consultant, Management Systems Consulting & Auditing
A brief recap of Nan's presentation from November 2019, updated to include latest developments resulting from the COVID-19 response in New Zealand.
About the presenter:
Prior to her three years as Health and Safety Manager at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, Nan held a number of senior national safety roles in Australia. This included Manager, Work Health and Safety at the Red Cross Blood Bank and National OHS Manager at Healthscope.
Throughout her career Nan has specialised in the development of auditable systems for safety and injury management. Her work experience has been complemented by studies at Masters level in Business Administration and Personal Injury Management.
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Dr Natasha Lazareski
June 2020
Topic: Building safety consciousness in pandemic times – How to ensure people follow OHS guidelines in your workplace.
Presenter: Dr Natasha Lazareski, Managing Director, PsyFlex
The latest presentation in the new series of CSG Talks videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
Returning to the workplace after the Covid-19 shutdown presents OHS challenges from both a physical and psychological perspective.
In this video, Dr Natasha Lazareski talks about how OHS managers can help employees adjust to the new reality and pandemic-safe workplaces. She outlines an easy to apply guide for employees to embrace the new safety requirements and interact with respect and tolerance towards others.
As an occupational health and behavioural science specialist, Natasha offers six helpful points in this video for managing occupational and psychosocial risk in a post-lockdown workplace that requires everyone to comply with Covid-19 guidelines.
Natasha explains that we all feel differently about this new situation, and while we cannot control our feelings, we have control over our actions. At work our actions should show respect, compassion, caring and understanding towards those who have different feelings about the impact of Covid-19.
About the Presenter:
Natasha Lazareski is a medical doctor, specialising in occupational health, with 21 years of experience in Australian organisations. She is also trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy.
In 2006, in the wake of the SARS pandemic, as medical and injury management services manager at IAG, Natasha was actively engaged in developing an organisational response to a possible influenza pandemic. At the time, medical experts knew that another airborne or droplet-borne pandemic was imminent.
Natasha has been following COVID 19 developments closely since January and has been supporting workplaces worldwide with their response to infection control and occupational stress management.
Natasha's other work with a wide range of organisations, including government institutions, has resulted in the successful development of sustainable risk management strategies and holistic health frameworks that build resilient employees and a positive workplace culture. Her approach, as well as providing occupational safety advice, is to help employees initiate and maintain desired occupational safety behaviours in their workplaces.
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Sue Bottrell
May 2020
Topic: A Legal Analysis of Truck Incident Killing Four Police Officers
Presenter: Sue Bottrell, Lawyer, Contractor Safe
Upcoming presentation in the new series of CSG Talks videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
A Legal Analysis of Truck Incident Killing Four Police Officers
The session will be a synopsis of the legal implication of the incident on the Eastern Freeway, Melbourne on 22 April 2020, which resulted in the deaths of four Police Officers. It will outline the application of WHS, Heavy Vehicle and Criminal Law and the possible prosecutions that could be brought by Worksafe Victoria, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the Police.
Sue Bottrell is an expert WHS and Transport Lawyer who specialises in the application of the Heavy Vehicle National Law and specifically the Chain of Responsibility.
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SafetyAtWorkBlog
12 May 2020
CSG Talks - New Video Content
Topic: A look at some new thinking
Speaker: Kevin Jones, SafetyAtWorkBlog
Welcome to the first of a series of CSG Talks videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
Some new books about key OHS issues are discussed in this 10-minute video by Kevin Jones, author of the influential SafetyAtWorkBlog.com.
The Bystander Effect: The Psychology of Courage and Inaction
Author: US psychologist Professor Catherine Sanderson
The COVID19 Pandemic: Lessons on building more equal and sustainable societies
Authors: Professor Michael Quinlan and a dozen of his global colleagues
Michael Tooma on Mental Health
Author: Michael Tooma Read more...
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No April 2020 Meeting
April 2020
CSG will not be holding a meeting in April, due to Easter Holidays.
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Kenn Rogers
10 March 2020
Topic: Customer abuse: The Reject Shop’s frontline solutions
Speaker: Kenn Rogers, The Reject Shop
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Between Queen & Elizabeth Street)
Customer abuse is a growing problem in the retail industry that can take a heavy toll on workers’ confidence and wellbeing. Of the Reject Shop’s 6,000 team members, a majority are part-time and 60% are under the age of 25. This means many are inexperienced and particularly vulnerable when faced with customer aggression.. Read More.
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Mary Kikas
11 February 2020
Topic: Rebuilding Safety Culture – a case study
Speaker: Mary Kikas, Action OHS Consulting
Venue: Room B411 – Level 4, CAE building, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
AGM will be held after the February Meeting.
Rebuilding safety culture – a case study.
When employee morale, trust and job satisfaction plummet in the wake of major changes, how do you restore a strong safety culture? Mary Kikas faced that exact challenge when asked to help the Health and Safety team of a utilities company that had undergone a significant change management process and redundancies... Read More..
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Annual General Meeting
11 February 2020
Annual General Meeting 2020
AGM was held after the February Meeting.
Meeting minutes coming soon.
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Save the date for our 2019 Christmas networking lunch!
10 December 2019
Join us in the grand surroundings of Parliament House Victoria and enjoy a meal showcasing the state’s fresh produce.
When: Tuesday 10 December, 12:00pm
Where: Parliament House Dining Room, Spring Street, Melbourne
Cost: Members FREE; non-members & guests $55
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Nan Austin
12 November 2019
Topic: Safety Shake-up Across The Tasman
Speaker: Nan Austin
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Between Queen & Elizabeth Street)
The death of 28 miners in an underground explosion at New Zealand’s Pike River Coal Mine nine years ago led to anger, accusations and the call for a major inquiry into the country’s safety laws. The result was a major re-engineering of New Zealand’s safety systems with the introduction of the new Health and Safety Work Act in 2016. Read More..
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Dr David Provan
THURSDAY 10 October 2019
Topic: Safety Clutter & What to do About It
Speaker: Dr David Provan, Managing Director, Forge Works, & Lecturer & Researcher, Griffith University, Queensland.
Does OHS in your workplace feel weighed down by paperwork, rules and procedures? Dr David Provan said this can be due to ‘safety clutter’, described in a study he co-authored as "the accumulation of safety procedures, documents, roles and activities that are performed in the name of safety, but do not contribute to the safety of operational work." Worse, this can create negative beliefs and attitudes to safety, according to the research.
David spoke about how to identify ‘safety clutter’, what to do about it and how to remove it in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on Thursday, 10 October.
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Prof. David Caple
10 September 2019
Topic: Annual Address to the CSG:- When Workplace Changes Outpace OHS Standards
Speaker: Professor David Caple, OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 2), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Between Queen & Elizabeth Street)
More and more jobs today require working on mobile devices including laptops, Surface Pros and tablets. Some workplaces ‘dock’ these with monitors and keyboards and others are being used as the primary input device. When it comes to assessing ergonomic risks linked to this, compliance is measured by long-established OHS Codes and Australian Standards Read More..
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Dr Tracey Sletten
13 August 2019
The Real Impact of Shift Work and Workplace Fatigue
Speaker: Dr Tracey Sletten, Senior Research Fellow - Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University and Project Leader - Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Between Queen & Elizabeth Street)
It is estimated around 20% of the Australian workforce is involved in some form of shift work, many of them in roles critical for public safety. The challenges of shift work and occupational fatigue have long been acknowledged, but recent research has increased understanding of the negative consequences of working against the body clock.
Dr Tracey Sletten of Monash University and the Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity will be presenting some of the latest findings and recommendations in this area to Central Safety Group on Tuesday, 13 August.
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Michael Carley
9 July 2019
Safety and the Aged Care Sector
Speaker: Michael Carley, Manager, Safety and Risk at Villa Maria Catholic Homes
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Between Queen & Elizabeth Street)
The challenges of safety in the aged care & disability sectors
The aged care and disability sectors are among the fastest growing sectors in Australia. Employment in this area has exploded, growing 36% in the past five years – three times the rate of growth across all other occupations.
The particular OHS challenges for these industries will be discussed by Michael Carley, Safety and Risk, Villa Maria Catholic Homes, on Tuesday, 9 July at the Central Safety Group lunchtime meeting. Read More...
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Rohan Sykes
11 June 2019
The True Impact of Workplace Accidents
Speaker: Rohan Sykes, workplace accident survivor
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Between Queen & Elizabeth Street)
Safety Lapses and Real Life Consequences
Rohan Sykes was a healthy, active young family man when he suffered an horrific workplace injury that caused severe burns to 35% of his body. He was seriously injured by exposure to radiant heat from molten glass, despite wearing full PPE and following procedures.
He emerged from a long and painful recovery and rehabilitation with a strong passion to raise awareness about new approaches to safety that go beyond the standard thinking. Rohan will share his experiences and discuss his special insights and perspectives on safety at the Central Safety Group lunchtime meeting on Tuesday, 11 June. Read More...
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the June Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Claire Nivarovich
14 May 2019
Prevention of mental injury at work – where can employers best direct their efforts?
Speaker: Claire Nivarovich, Director Mental Health Programs, WorkSafe Victoria.
Venue: Xchanging, Level 10, 390 La Trobe Street, Melbourne (near Queen Street)
Work-related mental injury is the second most common cause of workers' compensation claims in Australia, and accounts for around 13% of workers' compensation claims in Victoria.
What can employers do to prevent mental injury in their workplace? Where can they best direct their efforts?
Claire Nivarovich, Director Mental Health Programs, WorkSafe Victoria, will speak about this topic in a lunchtime presentation on 14 May.
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Kristen Richardson
9 April 2019
Managing Inappropriate Customer Behaviour
Speaker: Kristen Richardson, Wellbeing and Safety Business Partner Team Leader, ANZ.
Venue: Xchanging, Level 10, 390 La Trobe Street, Melbourne (near Queen Street)
Staff safety and difficult customer interactions
Many businesses have seen an upsurge in staff impacted by difficult customer interactions that may place them at risk of a physical or psychosocial illness.
This has particularly been the case in the banking industry and is varied across customer contact, whether it is face-to-face or telephone interactions.
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Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the April Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Members & non-members welcome to attend.
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Richard Greenwood
12 March 2019
An Explosive Hazard Hidden in Plain Sight
Speaker: Richard Greenwood, RG Chemical Safety.
Please note change of venue.
Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne.
Combustible dust can be a hidden chemical hazard in workshops, factories, storage facilities and many other places. Because it’s not classified as a hazardous substance or as dangerous goods, it is often ignored in workplace procedures and risk control. The significance of this will be discussed by chemical hazards expert Richard Greenwood in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on 12 March.
The consequences of not recognising the presence of combustible dust were dramatically demonstrated recently when two workers doing routine maintenance were seriously injured in a workplace explosion in Victoria.
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Rachel McGregor and Ebonie Martello
12 February 2019
OHS Careers & Recruitment - what’s hot and what’s not
Speakers: Rachel McGregor and Ebonie Martello of Safety People
Venue: Level 19, 360 Collins Street, Melbourne (Xchanging).
Key job market trends in safety in Australia will be the subject of a presentation at Central Safety Group’s first meeting for 2019 on 12 February.
OHS recruitment specialists Rachel McGregor and Ebonie Martello of Safety People will give a presentation followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
They will talk about:
-industry trends
-salary trends
-the world of safety consulting
-what employers are looking for in a safety professional
-what candidates are looking for in an employer
-other issues raised by the audience... Read more
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A leading safety commentator says:
The Central Safety Group meetings are like an OHS conference spread over the year. Ten top guest speakers on OHS matters with a conference (Christmas) dinner to round off the event. CSG seems to me to provide the best return on investment for professional development in my area. The organisation provides access to both important guest speakers and to the information opportunities from its varied members. There are different cost structures for non-members but membership is so cheap, why wouldn’t you join?
Kevin Jones, Life Member of CSG and author of the award-winning Safety at Work blog, writing on his blog
safetyatworkblog.com
View our recent presentations Members Only. Like to view presentations? Then join today & enjoy full access!
Members can view our library of recent presentations from the CSG monthly meetings.
Interesting topics and speakers such as:
Managing fatigue: getting it right
David Caple;
What safety success looks like – across industry sectors
Rocky Armstrong;
Rethinking incident investigation
Greg Splatt.
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View our Archive library of past Meetings, Presentations, Meeting & AGM Minutes
Missed a presentation, or just like to revisit a presentation from the past? Then look no further, all our archives are available to CSG Members.
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Get involved with our CSG Network. Join now and start networking today.
Exchange ideas with like-minded people, with a common interest in improving all aspects of occupational health and safety
within their organisations. Join now and start networking today.
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Enjoy full access to the CSG Archives, including past presentations and more
Membership costs $60 per calendar year ($300 corporate). Members have online access to the presentations, free attendance to meetings & presentations and a complimentary Christmas lunch for the December Meeting. To inquire contact: secretary@centralsafetygroup.com.
We welcome members from all sized businesses, organisations and industries.
Non-members are always welcome to our monthly meetings / presentations at a cost of $10 per meeting.
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