CSG Posts
October is here, so that means it's Health and Safety Month. Once again Worksafe Victoria is running a series of free 45-minute webinars, ranging from practical tips on specific topics to broader discussions on important issues in the workplace. Just like our CSG events, you can attend these seminars via zoom, but you must regsiter in advance. Details can be found at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/events
A few of the highlights are:
October 23: Work-related gendered violence including sexual harassment; Managing exposure to silica in the construction Industry
October 24: Victoria's economic transformation – impact on workplace safety. One of the speakers is Narelle Beer, Executive Director, Health and Safety, WorkSafe Victoria, who gave the keynote address at our 60th anniversary celebration last year.
October 24: WorkSafe's priorities to reduce workplace harm in construction
October 25: Recovery and return to work following a mental injury at work; WorkSafe 101 for teachers - preparing young people for safe work*
October 26: How to influence health and safety outcomes; Using systems thinking to uncover the factors driving manual handling and mental injury in Victoria's public hospitals
October 26: Supporting HSRs to complete a successful Provisional Improvement Notice. One of the presenters is CSG member Mike Craig, who also gave a presentation to us in May this year (HSRs - Partners in safety)
October 27: Best practice risk management for hazardous manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs); How to prepare a safe work method statement for high-risk construction work**
Further details on the speakers and topics, as well as registration for the webinars, are available on the WorkSafe website here: www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/events
*For more on this topic, we had a wonderful presentation in July from Amy Lynes: Facing a rise in customer aggression
**Before venturing into the hot topic of construction safety, don't forget to attend our event on 10 October presented by Prof. Helen Lingard: Changing OHS culture in construction
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It is always such a pleasure to have a speaker who is so knowledgeable about their topic and, therefore, so engaging. Such was the case with Amy Lynes' presentation to us. Not that it was a pleasant topic to speak about -some of the statistics and scenarios Amy shared with us were quite shocking.
Amy is a member of the legal practice that sits within the National Retail Association (NRA) and their data shows that customer aggression was already a big issue before Covid and has increased since. I'm sure many of us are aware of how this has led to an exodus of staff from many businesses. Retailers of all sizes are turning to the NRA for guidance, and there has been sky-rocketing demand for their courses that deal with this issue as well as others, such as sexual harrassment. It is interesting to note, however, that there is only so much a staff member can do when the root cause is the badly-behaved customer.
Amy and her colleagues work actively to raise awareness in various capacities, such as making submissions to draft bills and developing campaigns -e.g. the "No-one deserves a serve" campaign with the union (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association). She noted, however, that laws are made, but the issue becomes whether those laws are used.
Amy talked about innovative approaches by some retailers and how they need to be tailored to particular circumstances. For instance, depending on the type of brand as well as the location. In the case of the latter, the approach for a street-front store is different from one in a shopping mall.
One striking take-home message for me was that, for young workers in fast food and retail, it is often their first job. They may not know what is acceptable or unacceptable and, therefore, what should be reported, especially when it comes to sexual harassment. Not to mention that they are unlikely to be equipped with the skillls to deal with difficult situations. Something all of us should be aware of when we are customers.
That is why it's important to have organisations like NRA available as a resource for employers and employees alike. As Amy said, it is so helpful to learn from others. That is the CSG ethos as well of course!
Financial members may be interested to revisit our March 2020 presentation Dealing with customer abuse (log in first). Kenn Rogers spoke about how the Reject Shop deals with customer abuse of their young workforce.
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We have been very pleased to welcome WorkSafe Victoria as a Corporate Member this year and now to have one of their HSR Support Officers, Mike Craig, present to us. The feeling was clearly mutual, because Mike sent a thank you note to the organisers and attendees saying "[There was] some lovely feedback from the participants and some great questions from the audience at the end. Please pass along my thanks to all and sundry."
It is clearly a topic of great interest to our membership, as there was a big turnout for this presentation. It was particulalry timely for some of those present, because they had either just conducted HSR training in their workplace or were about to do so. In fact, it was great to see some HSRs from Melbourne Polytechnic in the audience.
Mike sees HSRs as WorkSafe's eyes and ears on the ground, and so it is a three-way partnership between HSRs, the employer and the regulator. He outlined the powers of HSRs, both what they can do and what they can't do. It is important to point out that they are not a replacement for a safety professional. He made the analogy with First Aiders, who are not required to do more than they are trained to do, but are a first port of call prior to the arrival of paramedics.
One of Mike's key messages about his role as an HSR support officer is that his main purpose is to support consultation in workplaces. Indeed, with consultation and representation being principles of health and safety protection under the Act, HSRs and Health & Safety Committees are vital links in the safety chain.
Mike also mentioned a range of supports available to HSRs from WorkSafe, including a monthly newsletter to which he encourages HSRs subscribe.
Mike's talk stimulated quite a bit of discussion, which is included in the video recording.
Financial members may be interested to read a report from Professor David Caple's presentation in August 2012 What additional support can WorkSafe provide for Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)? (log in first) to gain an historical perspective and see what progress has been made since David's review.
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Free Webinar -Practical advice for handling incidents involving contractors
CSG members LinkSafe are holding a free online event on Wednesday 24th May at 2pm AEDT on the topic of Practical Advice for Handling Incidents involving Contractors, to be presented by Mark Alston and Sue Bottrell.
Many organisations struggle to find a healthy balance when a contractor has an incident. Who conducts the investigation? What are the responsibilities of the principal contractor or client? What are the responsibilities of the contractor? Will everyone tell us the truth?
How contractor investigations are handled can significantly impact client/contractor relations, impact safety, increase liability and prevent continuous improvement of safety. Mark Alston from Investigation Differently, and Sue Bottrell will discuss the best way to achieve a healthy balance in managing investigations involving contractors.
Investigations Differently Director, Mark Alston, has extensive experience facilitating investigations that commenced when he was a Federal Agent in the Australian Federal Police. Mark has more than 20 years of experience in Australia and internationally in a diverse range of industries including defence, mining, government, health, utilities and construction https://investigationsdifferently.com.au/
As it's a free event, it's bound to book out quickly, so make sure you register now via the link here.
There are so many people to thank for the past and continuing success of Central Safety Group after more than 60 years of existence: an impressive roll call of volunteers who have run the group; expert speakers who have shared their knowledge freely; and loyal members who have supported us.
All of this was celebrated last October at our special lunch at Parliament House Victoria. I think the joyous atmosphere that day was enhanced by the fact that it was the first time we had all seen each other in person for more than two years. The networking side to CSG was on show and embraced enthusiastically -some of those connections have borne fruit already. Helen O'Keefe offered the use of her Board Room for our monthly events now that we have moved to a hybrid format -it is a great venue and Helen's generous sponsorship means that we are able to use it free of charge. Several people also offered to be presenters / source speakers / host site visits and we have already had a couple of those speakers this year -more to come.
We were honoured to have Dr Narelle Beer, Executive Director of Health and Safety, WorkSafe Victoria attend and give the keynote address. We welcomed Narelle's commitment on behalf of WorkSafe Victoria to maintain ties with our group, which has been put into practice with WorkSafe Victoria becoming one of three Corporate Members that have joined CSG in 2023.
There were many other highlights of the day, including David Caple AM as MC, and Barry Naismith from OHS Intros giving a fascinating overview of the history of OHS in Victoria. Our longest-serving president, Ollie Matthews, was honoured for his 22 years of service to the group (1998-2022). He had flown in from South Australia for the day, interrupting a holiday in SA & NT!
A scrapbook was handed around with documents and photos gathered over the years, which are forming part of a history being written by our Membership Co-ordinator. If you have any memories or achival material you would like to contribute to this project, please conatct Marina via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
I asked our current President, Nan Austin, for her reflections on the event and the future of CSG. She said: "Emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, the CSG Committee confidently proceeded with plans to celebrate our 60 years of monthly discussions on workplace safety with a luncheon at the Victorian Parliament House Dining Room in October 2022. This event was all the more poignant with the recent closure of the Western Safety Group as the only other Victorian regional industrial safety group established under the Department of Labour still operating. Our history is displayed in our formal bank account name as the Central District Industrial Safety Group. I thank all our members, speakers and especially committee members who have supported CSG over these years. We are now planning a strategic review to ensure our continued relevance in the fast evolving sphere of workplace safety. We look forward to your contributions to this activity and our ongoing monthly events. We also welcome your reflections on our past, present and future."
For those who missed it, or others who would like to re-live this special occasion, we have produced a memorable package. There were a few technical challenges on the day, including our original plan for filming the speakers. However, our wonderful secretary Heather Turner saved the day by filming it with her phone and, while it will not be nominated for an Academy Award, it certainly captures the atmosphere well.
Financial members can view it here (log in first)
I received a media release from the Australian Institute of Health & Safety that would be of interest to CSG members -about their endorsement of Safe Work Australia's 10-year WHS Strategy. Here is their statement:
Too many Australians each year die or become seriously injured or ill due to work; this is unacceptable and preventable. The Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) endorses the vision of safe and healthy work for all Australians in the new Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Strategy 2023–2033.
We believe that every Australian, whatever their job, whether in rural workplaces or cities, has the right to healthy and safe work. As the peak national body for the health and safety profession, we commit to supporting the vision of the new Strategy.
“It may be a small note in the purpose and scope, but the recognition that this strategy should also contribute to the work and understanding of all in the WHS system including researchers, experts and practitioners who play a role in owning, contributing to, and realising the national vision is an important reminder of the critical role of our profession”, says Naomi Kemp, AIHS Chair.
Each and every day, our members provide evidence-based and practical advice to organisational leaders on health and safety matters so they can prevent work-related psychological and physical harm to their workers and meet their duties under work health and safety legislation.
Alongside Safe Work Australia, its members, and this new strategy, the AIHS will:
Following the release of the new Strategy, the AIHS will be releasing its new Strategic Plan - Vision 2026 which will provide more detail. “The AIHS looks forward over the next decade to continuing our commitment to healthier, safer workplaces and communities,” Ms Kemp said.
To view the complete strategy, click here.
Free Webinar -Cyber Awareness and Safeguarding of Information
CSG members LinkSafe are holding a free online event on Wednesday 26th April at 2pm AEDT on the topic of Cyber Awareness and Safeguarding of Information, to be presented by Michael Connory, CEO at Security in Depth
As businesses continue to expand their online presence and reliance on technology, the emergence of sophisticated cyber-attacks has become a harsh reality that demands immediate attention.
In this session, Michael will discuss crucial strategies for identifying potential threats, highlight the indispensable value of partnering with ISO27001 accredited businesses, and underscore the significance of adopting robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard the integrity and sustainability of your company.
Join LinkSafe as they equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to fortify your organisation's digital defences and ensure a secure future in the face of cyber uncertainty. 
As it's a free event, it's bound to book out quickly, so make sure you register now via the link here.
Financial CSG members can also catch up with the presentation given to us on this topic by Michael Connory in November 2020 Web Safety Risks. That was our first zoom presentation and it was as timely then as it is now. Michael has a wealth of knowledge and gave a great deal of practical advice.
We were so pleased to have this interesting topic presented by long-time CSG member Rosie O'Halloran. One of the strengths of our association is that we have members who share their expertise and knowledge with us, and that their particular experiences can also be applied in a range of other workplaces.
Rosie began by giving a snapshot of the period from the 1970s to the 2000s and the evolution of design issues with indoor workplace environments. One aspect that hasn't changed much is the tendency for ergonomics to be the poor cousin to design -that it can be sacrificed to an overriding consideration of aesthetics.
Rosie showed photos that demonstrated this challenge as well as other images of poor design from the workplace that was the subject of her recent Green Star project at the Unversity of Melbourne. Rosie developed a comprehensive methodology that includes a range of engagement methods as well as the application of science and photographic evidence.
Rosie gave many practical examples of what to consider when choosing furniture and equipment. It was interesting to see how her project team developed prototypes and mock-ups of furniture that were tested by users and improved prior to manufacture and roll-out.
While the Green Star ergonomics credit rating for interior design requires certification by a Certified Professional Ergonomist, Rosie emphasised that her methodology can be applied by a generalist OHS practitioner, because she has proven that it works and it complies. In fact, she won an award for it! A great catchphrase sums up one of Rosie's take-home messages: good ergonomics = good economics.
Ergonomics is always topical and we have several other presentations in our archives that may be of interest, including David Trembearth's Musculoskeletal Issues - What’s New and David Caple's Sit-Stand Desks (log in first).
We encourage members to follow Rosie's example in sharing knowledge by presenting to the group, so if you would like to make a contribution, please contact Jane Loudon: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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You can always count on Kevin Jones to stimulate discussion about OHS, and his March presentation was no exception.
He started by talking about what he considers to be the 5 hot topics at the moment. One of those topics is working from home, which comes up against the prevailing approach of OHS systems that are based on "workplaces" rather than "work". This issue is linked to another of the hot topics, systems thinking, which Kevin believes tends to be very limited. In particular, during investgations the thinking can become bogged down in old systems and not open to the possibility of change.
Another topic that has been hot for quite a while is that of psychosocial hazards. Kevin had many interesting thoughts about these, including challenges with the traditional hierarchy of controls as well as the tendency for HR to see this as their patch rather than sharing a united front with OHS.
This led Kevin into a discussion of some of the books he's been reading lately on these various topics, and what an extensive reading list he presented to us. On the topic of psychosocial hazards, he started by talking about some books that are "shockers", mainly self-help books that put the onus on the person having difficulties to deal with it themselves, instead of tackling organisational aspects. Luckily there are publications about that do deal with the organisational side, and Kevin shared some of those with us.
It is impressive how well-read Kevin is, and it is not confined to published books alone. He also alerted us to an online research paper along with an interview on RN. The full list can be viewed here (log in first).
One of Kevin's key messages was that he encourages OHS practtioners to be less timid about speaking out, to be more visible and not be afraid to talk about politics. He invites us to join him on the May Day march to highlight the importance of safe jobs! As part of his message, he delved into some interesting ethical topics, including conflicts of interest with big consultancy firms; the profit versus productivity motivation of business and individuals; and even talked about the UN's Sustainable Development Goals that include "decent work". OHS is a fundamental human right.
To learn more of Kevin's insights, you can also re-visit his presentation from February 2022 New perspectives on OHS (log in first).
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On the 14th February 2023, Central Safety Group held its 2022 AGM.
The committee has changed slightly due to Frank Imbesi stepping down from the role of Vice-President. He has been replaced by Christina Rennick, and we have a new ordinary member, Dominic Melling. Congratulations Christina and welcome Dominic! The current committee is made up of the following people:
There were no nominees for the new position of Social Media Co-ordinator, but hopefully someone will put up their hand during the year. The primary purpose of the role is to maintain up-to-date information on our LinkedIn page, blog posts on our website, and develop other platforms over time.
The financial statement shows that our current account had a very low balance at the end of 2022, which was mainly due to costs associated with our 60th anniversary activities. Our Treasurer Cameron Cranstoun also informed members that the website is in need of a major upgrade this year, because the current platform will no longer be supported without it. This will be a considerable expense that cannot be avoided. As our webite is our greatest asset, it is certainly worth the investment.
This led to the first of 2 proposals: that the individual membership fee for 2024 increase to $85 per calendar year. There was quite a bit of discussion about this, as the fee has only just been raised to $80 and it is unusual for the fee to increase in consecutive years. In the end, the proposal was passed with 60% of the vote.
However, it was agreed that there is an option to hold a Special Meeting later in the year to reverse this increase, if our financial situation warrants it. For example, if we boost our membership numbers or if we receive sponsorship to pay for the upgrade. We also discussed having a slightly lower-key event at the end of the year instead of the Parliament House luncheon, the cost of which has increased substantially since pre-pandemic times. If you have other ideas, or can help us secure some sponsorship, we would love to hear from you!
The other proposal came from Jane Loudon: to form a working group to update and formalise the aims and purpose of Central Safety Group. This was passed with 80% of the vote. Volunteers for the working group so far are Nan Austin, Jane Loudon and Craig Ramadge. If you would like to be involved, contact Jane at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Thanks to those who attended the AGM and we are looking forward to another great year!
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It was a great start to a new year of presentations with Helen O'Keefe's insights into the OHS recruitment scene. As it happened to be St Valentine's Day, Helen gave her presentation a cute twist by drawing an analogy between the employee life cycle and a marriage, and it fitted surprisingly well. She covered the full gamut from recruitment as the dating phase; onboarding & retention equating to a marriage; and separation as a divorce. To avoid the latter, Helen gave several tips on how to maintain a happy marriage in the work sense.
She explained how January started as strongly as 2022 did, which had already broken records with the number of positions being advertised. In particular it is specialists that are being sought. Post lockdown candidates have become more selective, which is making recruitment harder. Position descriptions are changing as a result of this, so that they are more like an advertisement to attract people. Helen gave some practical suggestions about how to make a PD more attractive.
Helen also had some great tips during her presentation for retaining staff, and further tips came up during the engaging discussion afterwards. One fascinating insight was how important a platform like LinkedIn has become. Having an up-to-date profile is advantageous for both a candidate and a potential employer, because it can show how well-connected you are and the range of activities you are involved in. In fact, Helen predicts that CVs will become obsolete and will be replaced by a LinkedIn profile or similar.
Helen is such an enthusiastic speaker on her topic and the attendees really appreciated her expertise.
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What a great presentation this was as Ross demonstrated the qualities of the high-calibre speakers we have been able to bring you once again this year. His enthusiaism for the topic and incredible breadth of knowledge shone throughout the presentation. As he said himself, he could have spoken for hours.
The tips he discussed were around scheduling, planning, the audit interview, evidence and corrective action, and he showed how they can be applied to variously sized organisations. The tip he concentrated the most on was the third one, the audit interview, because this is the area most people struggle with. He talked about strategies to put people at ease and emphasised that the core aim of an audit is to verify risk controls and not to trip people up. I certailny felt that, if I were about to be audited, I would like it to be done by Ross.
During the discussion after his presentation, Ross mentioned that he had discovered surprising advantages with "zoom" audits, so it is good to find a silver lining from the pandemic restrictions of last year.
One of the comments from an attendee in the zoom chat sums up perfectly the standard of this presentation: "Great to hear what you have learnt throughout your years of auditing. Love the positive approach."
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In a refreshing change, we heard about a specific industry this month when Ben Thomson from Flight Academy Australia presented to us. While it was fascinating in itself to learn more about the subject of aviation safety, it was inspiring to learn about ways of instilling a better safety culture into smaller organisations more generally.
Ben began by giving a brief overview of the evolution of safety approaches. It was interesting to see how it began with "airmanship", which focussed on the individual, and gradually evolved to the holistic approach of a full-blown safety management system that they have today, where the focus is on the culture.
Ben outlined some new thinking into the 5 ingredients of an effective safety culture that are really useful for all organisations, no matter the size. The one that resonated most with us was the concept of a Just Culture and Ben delved into that, particularly in relation to incident reporting. One of the main challenges is encouraging people to admit when they've made a mistake, because it is counterintuitive for people to do so. The way an organistaion responds has an effect on the value that can be derived from reporting.
Another challenge with reporting is if the process to do so is overly complicated: while it's important to document incidents, it shouldn't be too onerous for the person reporting. This put me in mind of a great presentation a few years ago from David Provan about Safety Clutter, which complements Ben Thomson's advice for smaller organisations. Financial members can access it here.
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