AI know-how & OHS

There isn't a day that goes by where AI isn't a topic for conversation, so it was refreshing to hear about how it can be used for good, not evil!  John Ansley's engaging presentation demonstrated how you can take safety instructions beyond a mere compliance exercise using his product Knowby Pro, which harnesses AI to create videos that present information in a clear and concise way.

When speaking about the issues his product aims to address, John made reference to Cognitive Load Theory that deals with how the human brain takes in and stores information. Bite-sized information is apparently more effective as a general rule and not just for those of us with a diminishing attention span!

John emphasisied the importance of collaboration as a guiding principle. This is a feature in both the creation of "knowbys" tailored to each organisation and the ability to provide feedback about the product. In fact, John is always happy to receive feedback and ideas on how to make Knowby Pro work better for users. This has led to the development of new capabilities, including ways to capture data to ensure and demonstrate compliance

The most fascinating aspect of the presentation was the live demonstration of how to create knowbys from an existing video as well as from a 16-page pdf document. John spruiked their offer of a 30-day free trial so that you can try it out for yourself: https://www.knowby.co/.

Our very own Gavin Kenny contributed to the presentation by talking about how he uses the product at his own workplace. He showed some great examples, including how he created a knowby for contractors changing over their huge bins. Those of us who attended the Opal site visit in July could really appreciate the challenges in that workplace, and so it was very interesting to learn how some of these are being addressed with the Knowby Pro digital tool.

Gavin has presented to us in the past and is renowned for his approach to using technology in the workplace: keep it simple and make it work for you. You can view his presentation from May 2021, Using technology to make work safer, in the Speakers archive (log in first).

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Opal Specialty Packaging

CSG members enjoyed a terrific site visit to the Opal facility in South Oakleigh. We had great weather, a fascinating venue and a wonderful tour guide in Chris Coon, Operations Manager for Opal. Chris has been with the company for 10 years and he loves his job. Not only does he have the opportunity to travel the world in search of new ideas and technologies, but he also revels in the creative possibilities that these new technologies offer.

He enthusiastically demonstrated some of the machinery in the facility; laser cutters and digital printers are spread out in the huge manufacturing area, which is full of light and displays some of the amazing and colourful products that these machines can produce. There are even artworks on the wall made by staff (including Chris) using the digital printers.

Chris took us into a cardboard house that was built for a trade show - everything in it, except the lighting, is made of cardboard and it is structurally sound! Inside is a wide range of products that they produce for clients. 

Another project made for an expo was the cardboard bar that you can see in this photo. Again, everything is made of cardboard, including the “brass” rails. The counter felt very solid. 

CSG Committee Member Gavin Kenny was on hand with other members of the safety team to answer questions about hazards and control measures. While the new machines include innovations to reduce manual handling, that is still the primary hazard in other parts of the processing. The team is working towards an Opal standard across their various sites in Australia & New Zealand to manage this and other risks.

It was a real eye-opening experience as well as a great opportunity to catch up with other CSG members in person.

Thank you, Gavin, for organising the visit, and thank you, Chris for being such a marvellous guide. 

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Site Visit: Opal Specialty Packaging

Date & Time: Tuesday 19 August 2025, noon

In person only

Host:  Gavin Kenny, Opal Specialty Packaging

Venue:  100 Carroll Road, Oakleigh South, Vic, 3167

Topic: Site Visit - Opal Specialty Packaging

Opal Specialty Packaging provides tailored cardboard-based packaging solutions for small, medium and large businesses. Their fully integrated packaging development service is based on circular economy principles.
Join CSG for a tour of their Oakleigh South production facility on Tuesday 19th August and see Opal’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. Learn how they deal with hazards such as mobile plant, traffic management, noise and machine guarding.
We will also hear about recent safety programs related to video SOPs and streamlining the on-boarding of casuals.
Opal’s sustainable corrugated cardboard packaging solutions cover every application you can think of, from smartly designed bespoke boxes and vibrant digital print to high-end corrugated cardboard point-of-purchase displays for retailers. ..read more.

Numbers limited: book early to secure your place.
Non-Members welcome to attend

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 18 August 2025.  When booking, please ensure you select the August Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

RSVP Here