CSG Monthly Meetings
Professor David Caple - OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.
Many organisations have invested in sit-stand desks in response to experts’ claims about the benefits, ranging from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes to solving back pain.
Professor David Caple will discuss the latest knowledge on the effectiveness of sit-stand desks and issues surrounding their use on 11 September in a lunchtime talk to the Central Safety Group.
David is presenting two papers on this topic at the International Ergonomics Association Congress in Florence, Italy in August. He will be part of a group of 16 presenters from around the world sharing the latest research relating to sit to stand desks.
There can be confusion about how much to use these desks while working, and whether a certain duration or pattern of standing should be prescribed. “In some places they are using them very well, but in other places employees and their managers are unclear about how to benefit from them. As a result, you’ll sometimes find people feeling guilty for not using them,” says David. “A lot of factors can affect how successful these desks are in the workplace. This includes things like the change management process, job design, employee education and work culture.”
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the September Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
John Naughton.
Contractor management is one of the most challenging areas of safety risk management. Contractor management systems can be onerous and complicated, leaving gaps when it comes to covering business and compliance requirements.
John Naughton and his team tackled this problem and transformed contractor management while he was Director of HSE at a major food company, and he will share his experiences at a lunchtime talk to Central Safety Group on Wednesday 15 August.
He will describe the journey from a manual spreadsheet-based contractor management system to an easy to manage, efficient and flexible system embracing modern technology. This change also brought crucial new dimensions and features to the company’s system for managing contractors, and significantly, reduced administrative time and costs.
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Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the August Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Les Cameron, WorkSafe Inspector, WorkSafe Victoria.
Things have been happening at WorkSafe Victoria, including the relocation this year of its head office along with several hundred roles from Melbourne CBD to Geelong.
This and other current changes, projects and priorities at WorkSafe will be outlined by seasoned WorkSafe Inspector Les Cameron in a lunchtime presentation on 10 July.
Les will also have something to say about his work on the front line, discussing incidents and some new intervention programs now being tested.
Questions, comments and discussion will be welcome during the session.
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the July Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Barry Naismith.
What do the latest data and developments tell us about the current state of OHS in Victoria? Barry Naismith, who has done a keen-eyed independent analysis, will share his conclusions at the Central Safety Group lunch meeting on 12 June.
Barry was a consultant with the Victorian WorkCover Authority (now WorkSafe) for 14 years. Since then he has produced a number of independent reports into the operations and performance of WorkSafe Victoria.
He has just concluded his latest report, based on 2017, and will discuss his findings and spell out some trends and predictions that are likely to be of interest to those working in OHS in Victoria.
To quote leading blogger Kevin Jones, “This level of analysis and interpretation is rarely available outside of formal academic research, and Naismith provides the all-important social and political context from which much academic occupational health and safety (OHS) research shies.”
Questions, opinions and comments from the audience will be welcome.
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the June Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Jason Hensel, Senior Safety Advisor - Zoos Victoria.
Injuries and fatalities from contact between people and animals are known to be a high risk in zoos worldwide.
At Zoos Victoria a special program for working with dangerous animals is being supported by Jason Hensel, Senior Advisor, Health and Safety, who will give a presentation on this subject to Central Safety Group on 8 May.
Jason will discuss how he has drawn on safety programs from a number of industries to develop effective and consistent controls for the safe keeping of all animals likely to endanger human life, known as Category 1 Animals (CAT 1).
Melbourne Zoo has 20 species of animal that fall into this category – ranging from the big cats to gorillas, hippopotamuses and African wild dogs. Jason has been working on risk assessments and safety systems for each of these, taking into account physical, mechanical, animal behaviour and human factors.
This initiative is part of Zoos Victoria’s aim to become a world leader in zoo safety. Zoos around the world put a sharp spotlight on safety following incidents such as a child falling into a gorilla exhibit at Cincinnati Zoo and the death of a keeper at New Zealand’s Hamilton Zoo
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the May Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Conor Healy, Manager, Work Health & Safety - Jetstar Australia New Zealand.
Manual handling injuries are some of the most common and costly injuries in the workplace.
An account of how Jetstar Airways reduced these injuries by 40% will be shared by Conor Healy, Manager, Work Health and Safety, Jetstar Australia New Zealand in a lunchtime presentation on 10 April.
Baggage handlers, cabin crews and engineering workshop teams all do a lot of manual handling at Jetstar, which now has 7,000 employees and is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.
Conor developed a multi-pronged program to reduce manual handling injuries and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders for employees working in body stressing environments. In two years he has found that the program has already made a significant difference.
He will discuss the program and what the airline is doing to continue to gain improvements in this area.
About the Speaker
Conor Healy has been Manager, Work Health and Safety, Jetstar Australia New Zealand for three years. His background includes significant experience in areas ranging from transport with London Underground, defence with BAE Systems to logistics with Toll and working with aerospace organisations. He is a graduate of the University of Westminster in the UK and has attained an MBA in Strategy.
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the April Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Kevin Jones, editor of the SafetyAtWorkBlog.
The new international standard for OHS Management Systems – ISO 45001 – has been finalised and is due to be published in mid-March 2018.
Kevin Jones has been closely following the evolution of this new Standard and its implications for Australia. At our next meeting he will be providing his perspective on the Standard that many are claiming is a “game changer”. Kevin believes it’s not, but that it is still important because it includes support for some effective OHS Principles. He will be inviting discussion during his talk, which should make it a lively meeting. We expect no less from Kevin!
About the Speaker
Kevin Jones is well known for his award-winning safetyatworkblog.com. He has been a consultant, writer and commentator on OHS matters for many years, and recently launched a podcast series of interviews with leading safety experts (safetyoz.podbean.com)
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the March Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Frank Imbesi, Managing Director of AMS Consulting.
Return to work for people who have suffered workplace psychological injury or illness can be a complicated and challenging process.
The best-practice approach and potential problems when helping employees recovering from mental health issues will be discussed by Frank Imbesi at Central Safety Group’s meeting on Tuesday, February 13 2018.
This area is of special interest to Frank, who has been working in in the field of return-to-work planning, management and support for many years and is Managing Director of an occupational rehabilitation company.
He says a lot is known about rehabilitation and return to work after physical injury, but far less about how to help people recovering from events or situations in the workplace that led to mental injury.
There has been a recent increase in the reporting and acceptance of mental injury conditions and claims, which has found many employers unsure and unprepared when it comes to dealing with the challenges of rehabilitation and preventing recurrence of the problem.
Please note: this presentation will be followed by a brief AGM.
About the Speaker
Frank Imbesi is Managing Director of AMS Consulting, an award-winning company specialising in injury management and occupational rehabilitation. He began his career as a physiotherapist, working in sports medicine and clinical private practice, before moving to the field of occupational rehabilitation. He is also Director & Co-founder of R2W Group and been a Clinical Panel Consultant with WorkSafe. He has degrees from Latrobe University and RMIT and attended Harvard Business School.
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the February Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Join us in the grand surroundings of Parliament House Victoria. Enjoy a meal showcasing the State’s fresh produce, while enjoying the company of fellow CSG members and friends.
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David Davis, Director of the Working at Height Association of Australia.
Falls are a major cause of death and serious injury in Australian workplaces. But are current safety standards and regulations adequate to ensure protection for workers?
This important issue will be discussed by David Davis, a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Working at Heights Association in his CSG lunchtime presentation on Tuesday, 14 November.
David will outline a number of concerns the Association has about current industry guidelines and standards, as well as areas where there is a need to raise awareness.
This will include his own review and critique of AS1657, the main Australian Standard covering fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders, which was revised in 2013. David identified 20 shortfalls, omissions or areas of potential confusion in the revised standard. These have been detailed in a report submitted to Standards Australia when the 2013 standard was released.
He will give a number of examples where people working in OHS need to be aware that the current revised AS1657 is inadequate.
About the Speaker
David Davis became a Director of the Working at Height Association of Australia in 2016. He is the owner of Hi-Rise Access Pty Ltd, a consulting and engineering company specialising in height safety, fall protection and suspended access.
David became interested and involved in the safety industry through a friend who was working in the field. He acquired his current company 12 years ago. Prior to that, he had a successful career in the computer software industry, creating and selling his own company and looking at retirement at the age of 40. His plans changed when he discovered and developed his passion for industrial and workplace safety.
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the November Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Graham Dent
The impact of WHS, trends in penalties and Undertakings.
Recent developments in some areas of OHS law in Victoria will be discussed by leading OHS lawyer Graham Dent at the CSG lunchtime meeting on 10 October 2017.
This will include the relevance of the harmonised WHS laws in Victoria, trends in cases, courts and penalties, and the use of Enforceable Undertakings.
Graham will give examples to illustrate these issues and the implications of changes we see going on around us. He will also discuss changes which may have quietly slipped past us.
About the Speaker
Graham Dent has over 30 years’ experience in the regulatory field, including time as a government prosecutor in OHS, industrial and consumer law matters.
He is now in private legal practice representing clients in major regulatory actions for OHS, environmental and other areas. He represents clients and conducts training programs in all jurisdictions.
Graham is also the founder of Australia’s largest online OHS forum with 17,000 members, the Work Health Safety Leadership [Australia & International] Group.
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the October Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Professor David Caple
What will OHS look like in the future? What jobs are likely to be available and skill sets required?
Professor David Caple, a close participant and observer in the safety industry for over 40 years will examine these questions in a lunchtime talk to the Central Safety Group on 12 September.
David will talk about how the field of workplace safety has evolved, looking at the most important trends and changes over the years.
He will then discuss what he sees as the latest significant developments in the area, and where he sees things heading in the future.
This will include what OHS practitioners will be expected to know and do, and the skills, background and experience they will need in the years ahead.
About the Speaker
David Caple, who has a background as an ergonomist, has been a leading figure in occupational health and safety in Australia for many years. He has advised a wide range of businesses, industry groups and public sector organisations and worked with Australian and overseas governments on work health and safety strategy. He is an OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.
Jacqui Bloink, Workplace Wellbeing Program Manager, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne
There is growing recognition of the value of workplace peer support programs in helping employees at times of critical work incidents.
The experience, learnings and benefits of a well-established peer support program will be discussed by Jacqui Bloink, Workplace Wellbeing Program Manager, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
The hospital this year is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its award-winning staff peer support program, marking it as an early supporter of the concept of a team of colleagues helping one another with typical reactions to stressful events.
Jacqui will give a case study of the St Vincent’s program and outline findings on how it meets the needs of its users, improves wellbeing and provides value for service.
She will also discuss the evolution of such peer support programs and how they can stay relevant in the face of today’s workplace incidents and issues.
About the Speaker
Jacqui Bloink has been responsible for managing St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s staff-support services, EAP Liaisons and Critical Incident Stress Management/Peer Support since 2000.
She has a background in emergency and intensive care nursing, has held roles in management, clinical education and project organisation, and served on St Vincent’s executive team.
Jacqui was awarded the Critical Incident Stress Management Foundation Australia (CISMFA) achievement award in 2009. The hospital’s peer support program was recognised in the 2016 Victorian Public Health Care Awards and the 2016 WorkSafe awards.
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