Central Safety Group Melbourne

Recent OHS research results

How lucky are we to have someone like Dr Marilyn Hubner presenting to us. She has delved into a great wealth of research, both in Australia and abroad, and gave us a very interesting distillation of some key findings. She has done so much work on our behalf. Her presentation was also a very fitting one to end 2023, because she covered a number of areas that relate to and enhance other presentations we had in the year.

Marilyn began by referring to a recent piece of research that confirms what many of us have suspected for some time: our brains need breaks between meetings! What a valuable message for all workplaces.

She then focussed her talk on 5 topics: construction; training; working from home; WHS Radar project; and harmonious safety passion. She discussed several aspects of construction safety that follow on from Dr Helen Lingard's talk in October. It includes a report that is hot off the press from Helen and her team: the RMIT Safety Index.

Research into the use of digital technology in both construction and training is extensive. Members who went on the site visit to the Victorian Tunnelling Centre will recall seeing first-hand how these tools can be used. The effectiveness of safety training in general is always a hot topic and Marilyn pointed to some interesting studies in that area. It also stimulated quite a bit of discussion amongst those present.

The WHS Radar project comes from the NSW Centre for Work Health and Safety. Marilyn recommends their work and says that they are great communicators.

Marilyn was very generous and provided each in-person attendee with a USB containing all the research papers she discussed. However, financial members not present have not been left out, because we have all of them in our presentation package in our Events archive.

We look forward to having Marilyn present to us again in the future. If there is a particular topic you would like discussed, please get in touch through our Contact Us portal on the website.

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Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Strategy 2023–2033

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:

• Uphold standards for WHS education and training to enable good WHS practice, based on the OHS Body of Knowledge.
• Drive informed collaboration as the independent experts sitting between unions and employer organisations to respond to WHS challenges effectively.
• Promote and showcase innovation and exemplary WHS practices that prevent work-related psychological and physical harm.
• Build an effective WHS workforce by promoting the career path and ensuring professional and ethical standards.
• Raise the capability and credibility of the profession through certification to assure employers and governments of the quality of advice needed to save lives in our workplaces.
• Support Australian researchers to provide employers and governments with evidence regarding current and emerging risks to deepen knowledge and broaden understanding.
• Shape contemporary policy and practice by providing regulators with the evidence base beyond the WHS system to inform policy and regulation.

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.

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The changing role of the OHS professional

It was another big turnout for our March event and it was great to see so many people staying on after the recording had finished to continue the discussion. As OHS professionals, attendees had much to think about during and following Pam's presentation.

Pam made it an interactive session by conducting a number of short polls throughout. The polls prompted us to contemplate our roles as well as the emergence of the concept of "wellness" and how that fits into OHS. The polls do not show up on the recording, but Pam does discuss the results and we have included a summary of the results in the presentation package.

While Pam began by analysing some of the challenges for OHS professionals, she also looked at the positives of how we can take control of our roles and "craft" them to improve both our own work and our organisations themselves. Pam also alerted us to a range of resources, including research, publications and the OHS Body of Knoweldge (BoK), which is a wonderful free resource under the auspices of the AIHS. See www.ohsbok.org.au

Pam also touched on some other topics that are currently being developed by AIHS in position papers and for future BoK chapters. The talk of a Code of Ethics certanly piqued attendees' interest and CSG will be looking to address this topic at an event later this year. As always, Central Safety Group is here to serve its members, so we always welcome your suggestions for future speakers and events.

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