Kevin Jones
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 7 February 2022. When booking, please ensure you select the February Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.
CSG had a relaxed finish to the end of the year with an informal zoom event on December 14th.
The results of our recent survey on topics for 2022 seminars were discussed, with the top five listed below. Interestingly, the least popular topic was COVID. I wonder why?
There is a clear preference for continuing recorded zoom sessions, though there is still a demand for face-to-face networking opportunities. The committee has already been considering how to offer hybrid events to meet these needs.
The zoom attendees were invited to share their workplace experiences over the past year. Cameron spoke about his work with a national recruitment business that includes electrical drafting. As an essential service, business has continued as usual under COVID, except for the challenges of site visits and new rules, such as mask wearing and vaccinations.
As Bryce is based in Albury/Wodonga working for a global company, he has spent most days dealing with multi-jurisdiction COVID issues rather than core business.
David shared his experiences in a national role with Coles, with 120,000 team members across 850 stores. Like many businesses, Coles has had to develop new COVID-safe ways of working.
This forum was a great opportunity to hear from our members and share some personal experiences.
We hope you all enjoy a wonderful safe Xmas and will join us in our 60th Anniversary year.
If you would still like to particpate in our VERY SHORT survey, the link is below. We are always keen to hear your views on which topics and types of events are of interest to you. CSG Network Survey
As Central Safety Group approaches the impressive milestone of its 60th anniversary in 2022, the Committee is busy planning the year's speakers and events.
We are seeking your input via a VERY SHORT survey -just 4 questions. Please click on the link below and take a few minutes to tell us which topics you want to hear about next year and the types of events you'd be interested in attending.
Thank you in advance and we will share the results at our networking event on December 14th.
CSG networking get-together
A FREE zoom event
for both members and friends of CSG
Host: Nan Austin, President, Central Safety Group.
December is the time of year for us to celebrate our CSG network, share ideas and get to know each other a little better.
While circumstances prevent us from gathering in person for a second year, please join us via zoom for an informal networking function. Let’s share our experiences and valuable lessons from 2021, as well as exploring next year's events... Read more...
Note: RSVP not required for this event.
For more information, please contact the project coordinator Dr Linda Shen on 0423 855 748 at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We are proud to announce that, as of 16th October 2021, we are an Incorporated Association. Financial Members will recall that, at the 2020 Annual General Meeting in February this year, a resolution was passed to commence the process of incorporation, and now that is complete.
As a result there have been a few changes to roles within the Committee and these remain until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 2022. The Committee comprises 4 office bearers and 3 ordinary members.
Office Bearers:
President - Nan Austin
Vice President - Frank Imbesi
Secretary - Heather Turner
Treasurer - Cameron Cranstoun
Ordinary Members:
Jane Loudon - Events Co-ordinator
Marina Milankovic - Membership Co-ordinator
Christina Rennick
The Constitution has been replaced by the Rules of CSG Inc. In addition there is a one-page Membership Policy. We urge all Financial and prospective members to read these documents.
This is an important step for the Association, and the Committee continues to work hard to provide value for members and our broader network.
Return to work in Covid times: managing psychosocial risk
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on workplace conditions and work arrangements. This has brought new psychosocial risks that can affect the health and wellbeing of workers. Occupational health expert Dr Natasha Lazareski will discuss this issue, along with strategies to manage it, in a Zoom presentation to Central Safety Group Inc. on Tuesday 9 November at noon.
She says that, if not appropriately assessed and managed, psychosocial risks increase stress levels and can lead to physical and mental health problems. Psychological responses may include low mood, low motivation, exhaustion, anxiety, depression and burnout. Read more...
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 8 November 2021. When booking, please ensure you select the November Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.
The current job scene for OHS – what’s different now
The current job scene for OHS – what’s different now
What’s the current job scene for OHS? The news is that at the moment there are more roles on offer than candidates, according to Helen O’Keefe, who runs a leading national health & safety executive search agency. This will be the subject of her zoom presentation for CSG at midday on Tuesday 12 October.
Helen will discuss the reasons for the current shortage of applicants happening across the board in a range of industries, as well as in different levels and roles in the OHS field.
She will be offering advice to recruiters, current job seekers and people trying to decide whether to move in the current job climate. “When you have a candidate-led market, the traditional recruitment methods may not work,” says Helen. “Candidates also need to consider certain things carefully before accepting a new role.”
Helen will talk about how workplace changes during the pandemic have led to some organisations creating different OHS roles or adding new requirements.
The session will conclude with discussion and questions from the audience..
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 11 October 2021. When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the October Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Early this year, long-time member Les Auld said farewell to Central Safety Group, as he has moved to Far North Queensland –lucky man!
Les has been a valued member since the early 1990s and also served as Vice President from 2012 to 2014.
I asked Les to share stories from his life in Health & Safety and I think many of us can identify with the path he followed.
During the mid-1960s, he was working in the Catering Branch accounting office of the Victorian Railways when they advertised for a safety officer. He decided to apply and was successful. From there he gained his first OHS qualification at South Melbourne Tech.
His main duty was dealing with PPE. Safety footwear was supplied free to employees, but a fair percentage was being returned as a bad fit. Therefore, Les and a colleague would roam the state in a van full of safety shoes & boots in all brands and sizes to assist employees obtain the best fit.
Les says: “On one occasion we were in a station office, fitting track men, and a shoe came flying across the room. We said, “What did you do that for?” The guy came back, “Well, if I can kick it off, it doesn’t fit.” That was a lesson well learnt.”
He was sent off to expand his knowledge, which included doing the ACTU Safety Rep course. This led to him being asked to conduct safety training for staff. While it put him well outside his comfort zone, he appreciated the experience.
The job entailed him visiting and liaising with management and staff at various locations, ranging from the cafés at Flinders St to canteens at rail workshops to the Mount Buffalo Chalet, which was run by the railways back then.
Les worked on the implementation of a catering module for country trains, which is still in use. At the same time he gained a qualification in food safety from William Angliss College.
Eventually he became a Senior Safety Officer in the Transport Operations Division and remained there until he accepted redundancy in 1988.
A month later he began work as a medical orderly with Melbourne Health, his first “blue collar” job, which naturally involved a lot of manual work. This included stints in Emergency, X-Ray and the burns unit. After sustaining a back injury 5 years later, he was redeployed as an Assistant Safety Officer, due to his prior experience.
Later on he became Safety and Fire Officer at Northwest Hospital near the zoo. One day, while conducting fire extinguisher training, he turned his attention to the fire blanket. He says: “We had a square metal pan with water and a small splash of petrol. The fire blanket was a bit old in the tooth and had a hole in it. We placed it over the lighted pan and it also burst into flames. I saw the irony of this!”
During this time Les was involved with presenting Safety Rep courses and laser safety courses, and he also formalised his own on-the-job training and initial education with a Diploma of OHS from RMIT.
Les worked on a number of projects, including contamination reduction in the Nuclear Medicine Dept and addressing manual handling issues in the Catheter Lab, where cumbersome monitors and heavy protective aprons posed risks.
When Les retired he did pro bono work for not-for-profit organisations during the period of OHS Act harmonisation. He maintained his membership of CSG, because he found the speakers informative and valuable, not to mention our great Christmas luncheons!
With amazing foresight, he left Melbourne in March 2020. We thank him most sincerely for his many years of loyalty to the group and wish him all the best for his new life up north.
The committee has begun to meet regularly under the direction of new President Nan Austin. Once a month we catch up in the days following the zoom presentation and discuss future speakers, our financials, membership, website resources and other topics to benefit and promote the organisation.
Financial members can access the minutes via Quicklinks in the footer on our Home page. Go to About Us - Meeting Minutes or click here (log in first). They are posted after they have been accepted at a subsequent meeting, so the first one there is for June 2021. It is your opportunity to see how we are working on your behalf. We welcome your feedback!
In other news, Adrian Glaubert has resigned from the committee as he has moved away from the sphere of health and safety and has secured a role as Head of Enterprise for a large retail operation. We wish him all the best and thank him for his valuable contributions over the last two years.
