Central Safety Group Melbourne

New research into manual handling injuries in healthcare.

Date & Time: Tuesday 14 September 2021 at 12:00pm 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Speaker: Professor David Caple AM.

Topic: New research into manual handling injuries in healthcare

Work-based musculoskeletal injuries remain a major issue, but research is telling us more about how and why these injuries occur, along with better prevention and management strategies.

Professor David Caple AM has recently been involved in a range of projects related to manual handling injury prevention in hospitals. These injuries account for around 70% of Workcover claims in hospitals for both clinical and non-clinical staff.
He discussed interesting results from a couple of studies in a zoom presentation for Central Safety Group on Tuesday, 14 September.

One of these is a study done with La Trobe University’s Biomechanics laboratory that focused on shoulder injuries in clinical staff. These account for 40% of their musculoskeletal injuries, while 60% are back injuries.

David also spoke about work being done to address the increase in injuries involving the handling of a range of patients, including those with co-morbidities such as dementia, those who present fall risks and bariatric patients.

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Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 9 August 2021.  When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the September Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

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Managing the healthcare challenge of COVID-19.

Date & Time: Tuesday 10 August 2021 at 12:00pm 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Speaker: Alison Hunt-Sturman, Group Manager, WHS, Mercy Health Australia

Topic: Living through COVID-19 in healthcare and aged care

When the Covid-19 crisis arrived, organisations everywhere were hit with a massive task without warning and precedent. The healthcare industry faced significant challenges in managing and implementing new and complex requirements.
Alison Hunt-Sturman, Group Manager, WHS, at Mercy Health Australia, presented a compelling account of what happened across the healthcare industry as well as within her organisation. Mercy Health manages four public hospitals, 30 aged care homes, in-patient and outpatient mental health services, and home care services around Australia.
“We are serving some of the most vulnerable members of the community. We couldn’t just shut down,” said Alison. In addition to the many thousands of clients in its care, Mercy Health has a workforce of 9,000 people.
There was a great deal for Alison's team and other sections to care about, learn, plan, organise and manage carefully to ensure everything was kept functioning safely, all the while dealing with the impact of the unknowns. Alison discussed the issues they faced, how it affected their operations and people, and how they responded.

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 9 August 2021.  When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the August Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

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Dr Kate Branford, Senior Human Factors Specialist, V/Line.

Date & Time: Tuesday 8 June 2021 at 12:00pm 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Topic: Safety risks and understanding human factors

Human Factors issues constitute a significant source of risk in many industries. Human error contributes to an estimated 60-80% of incidents, while other Human Factors issues also play a part in a large proportion of incidents.

Understanding human error, how it contributes to safety incidents and how it can be managed, was the subject of a zoom talk by Dr Kate Branford on 8 June, 2021.  Read more...

Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available for a limited time to members only.

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Gavin Kenny, Manager SHEQ-Service Delivery, Melbourne Water.

Date & Time: Tuesday 11 May 2021 at 12:00pm 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Topic: Using technology to make work safer

Melbourne Water shared how technology has improved its safety systems and performance in a zoom presentation to Central Safety Group on Tuesday, 11 May. Gavin Kenny, Manager SHEQ - Service Delivery at Melbourne Water, has introduced a number of digital technology improvements to safety processes there.
Melbourne Water is a statutory body which supplies high-quality water, provides reliable sewerage services, integrates drainage systems to prevent flooding and enhances waterways and land for Melbourne and its surrounds. Gavin spoke about the changes involved, how they were introduced and the resulting efficiency gains. Read more...

Note: Full video of this meeting now available from the 'View Presentation' button below. Available to members only.

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COVID-19 response in Victoria: A union perspective

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 July 2021 at 12:00pm 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Speaker: Dominic Melling, Lead Organiser, OHS Team, Victorian Trades Hall Council

Topic: COVID-19 response in Victoria: A union perspective

The COVID-19 crisis brought some major challenges to unions affiliated with the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC), their members and workers. These challenges, along with lessons learned and solutions, will be discussed by Dominic Melling, Lead Organiser of the OHS Team at the VTHC in a zoom presentation at midday on Tuesday, 13 July.

Dominic’s talk will cover essential workers who reported to their usual workplaces throughout the lockdowns as well as people working from home. He will review the structural problems that facilitated the spread of COVID-19 and the Union’s role in advising Health and Safety Representatives and members. Using case studies from high risk industries, he will discuss what happened when OHS structures and procedures failed and what lessons can be learned from these failures.

The presentation will outline VTHC initiatives to support HSRs and workers, and Unions’ lobbying efforts that led to changes in Government policy designed to protect workers and the community and to eliminate the spread of COVID-19.

About the speaker:
Dominic Melling has been the Lead Organiser of the OHS Team at the Victorian Trades Hall Council since January 2020. In this role he works with affiliated unions in their collective efforts to campaign for safer workplaces and better conditions for workers. Recent examples of campaigns include the introduction of industrial manslaughter as an offence; exposure standards to crystalline silica and the introduction of psychological health regulation.

Dominic also assists WorkSafe Victoria by liaising with relevant VTHC affiliates in relation to health and safety and workers’ compensation matters.

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Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 12 July 2021.  When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the July Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

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Celebrating Ollie Matthews

At Central Safety Group's AGM on the 9th February 2021, our President Alan Matthews (universally and affectionately known as Ollie) formally resigned from the position after being at the helm for an impressive 18 years. Ollie's career in OHS and association with CSG is extensive, making him one of the group's living treasures!

He commenced with Fairfield Plumbing in 1966, which became Pratt Safety Systems in 1974, where he was their sole technical adviser. The company specialised in safety eyewash units; safety showers; safe storing and dispensing of chemicals and flammable liquids, as well as manufacture of safety signs, including working with the authorities to develop HAZCHEM signage for vehicles and buildings. It was at this time that Ollie first started attending CSG meetings.

In 1986 Ollie commenced as the first OHS Manager with the now John Fawkner Private Hospital in Coburg. By 1991 he was OHS Manager for five hospitals and eventually became National OHS Auditor for Healthscope hospitals across Australia, a position he held until March 2015. After a brief break of 6 months, he joined the Ramsay Healthcare group looking after two hospitals part-time before retiring from work in July last year.

Ollie has many memories of CSG since he first attended meetings in 1974 and he offers an insight into the evolution of the group. Originally  there were a number of safety groups that all had a connection with the Department of Labour and Industry (DLI), now Worksafe.  Meetings were in a similar format to how they were conducted prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but the venues were many and varied. He recalls that meetings in 1974 were held at the Richmond football ground; later they took place in various hotels, including the Celtic Club, and the group even experimented having breakfast meetings at the North Melbourne football ground. Other venues were the Bryant and May match factory in Richmond, the Australian Ballet in Southbank and a number of meeting rooms in offices in the CBD. He also recalls that there was a period when CSG conducted annual Apprentice Seminars with guest speakers on safety-related topics.

In 2003 Ollie was elected President of CSG and in 2013 he was awarded Life Membership. He has overseen many changes within the composition of the Committee. While welcoming and encouraging the evolution of the group through the input of new Comittee members, he provided continuity and a steady and supportive presence along with a strong commitment to our values.

In addition to his illustrious career in OHS and long involvement with CSG, Ollie has packed in many other interests. In 2020 he retired, after 20 years as board member and 16 years as President, of the Riddell District Football and Netball League. He has umpired 2,038 matches and continues to play and umpire football in the AFL Masters competition. In 2019 he was inducted as a Legend in the Hall of Fame.

Ollie has been a volunteer fireman with the CFA and was the initial Unit Controller with the Craigieburn SES for 10 years. In between all of that, he is a painter of wonderfully quirky emu images.

We wish Ollie all the best in his retirement alongside Jan, his wife of 50 years, their three daughters and seven grandchildren. Family, golf, painting, travelling...he continues to enjoy a rich and fulfilling life, and we look forward to seeing his smiling face at future CSG meetings. Thank you, Ollie, for all you have done for Central Safety Group!

David Trembearth, Safety Business Partner, People and Product Safety, Coles.

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 April 2021 at 12:00pm 

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Topic: TBA

Details coming soon.

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 12 April 2021.  When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the April Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

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Hospital safety during the pandemic

Date & Time: Tuesday 9 March 2021 at 11:00am **Please note earlier start time**

PLEASE NOTE: ONLINE ZOOM MEETING:

Hospital safety during the pandemic

When the Covid-19 crisis exploded just over a year ago, the demand for special safety measures in our hospitals was massive, sudden and urgent. Christina Rennick, General Manager Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, will do a presentation via Zoom at 11 am on 9 March about how her workplace responded.
The hospital has a big and complex structure, a workforce of 7,000, and a large number of patients and visitors to protect. Beyond implementing large-scale basic requirements for Covid protection, the safety team had to develop new rules and systems, learn from experience and adapt. This has been ongoing as knowledge of the coronavirus unfolds and the situation in the community changes.
Christina will talk not only about physical safety measures, but also the need to monitor and manage the wellbeing of people in the hospital system during this time. Read more

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 8 February 2021.  When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the March Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

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Central Safety Group news

Central Safety Group's AGM on the 9th February 2021 was action-packed! (Well, as much as an AGM can be, that is.)

A motion to commence the process of becoming an Incorporated Association was passed, and a sub-committee has been formed to facilitate this. It's expected to take about 6 months to complete the process. The main advantages of this move are to establish a clear structure for the group as well as to protect individual members from legal liability.

Our long-serving President Alan Matthews formally resigned from the position (see the separate blog entry about this), and Vice-President Nan Austin was duly elected as his replacement. Congratulations Nan! 

Due to the move to becoming an Incorporated Association, it was decided not to fill the role of Vice-President at the moment, nor to alter the rest of the make-up of the committee. The review of our group and roles within it means that the scope of the Executive roles in particular could change and we want to clarify those before asking anyone to put up their hands to join the committee.

Finally, two new Life Members were appointed at the AGM. Our Secretary Jane Loudon was the first of these. In 2014 when our then secretary John Knowles left the group suddenly due to ill health, Jane became our saviour by stepping into the role immediately without a second thought. She has since established herself as an invaluable member of the committee, particularly in her work securing a high calibre of speakers for our monthly meetings.

The other new Life Member is Marina Milankovic, who has been a committee member since 2006, served as Treasurer from 2008-2015 and, since 2016, has been Membeship Secretary. During the challenges of 2020 she played an important part behind the scenes to ensure that CSG could adapt to the changing situation.

To view the full list (and smiling faces) of our committee and Life Members, go to the About Us section of the website here.

To view the AGM minutes, President's report and Treasurer's report, go here (login required).

ISO 45003:2021: Introducing the first global standard for managing psychosocial risks

CSG members may be interested in ISO 45003: Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work — managing psychosocial risks. It was published in June 2021 and is the first globally agreed standard for psychological injury prevention. The ISO framework has been applied so this standard aligns with the structure of ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management systems. However, the new standard offers more specific psychosocial risk guidance to address the many areas that can impact a worker’s psychological health, including ineffective communication, excessive pressure, leadership, and negative or toxic organisational culture.

The ISO resource includes a course that takes you through the standard structure to demonstrate the requirements in each section. You can read the entire standard online, but payment is required if you want a hard copy. I am currently doing the course and find it very systems-focused. I love an integrated systems approach so have found the demonstrated overlay onto ISO45001 a sensible approach.

As Worksafe Victoria is currently considering the addition of psychological hazards into the OHS Regulations 2017, this is your opportunity to address the three psychological hazards identified in the standard now. These hazards are: how work is organised, social factors at work and the work environment (equipment and tasks). The ISO resources offers a further online course offering practical guidance on how to conduct a psychosocial risk assessment.

Go to www.45003.org to access:

(1) free ISO 45003 Foundations Course that provides a comprehensive overview to get you across the standard quickly for incorporation within your occupational health and safety management system

(2) free live panel discussion on 4 August 2021 where they will discuss current psychosocial risk assessment practice, hosted by the Psych Health and Safety Podcast

(3) free course to teach you how to meet your legal obligations where they exist and how to address important requirements of ISO 45003:2021

We welcome your thoughts on this emerging workplace issue as Victorian employers will have a wide range of capacities to manage this workplace hazard.