Central Safety Group Melbourne

Workplace mental health research findings

Date & Time: Tuesday 8 October 2024, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation - via zoom or in the room

Speaker: Daryan Rosic, Mental Health Programs and Initiatives Specialist, Allianz Insurance Australia

Topic: Workplace mental health research findings

Workplace mental health research findings
Research findings on the state of mental health in Australian workplaces will be discussed on October 8 by psychologist Daryan Rosic, Mental Health Programs and Initiatives Specialist at Allianz Insurance Australia. His talk will draw on several years of external research by Allianz, surveying over 12,000 employees and managers.

Daryan says today’s workforce is experiencing a profound shift towards greater diversity, due to globalisation, changing social dynamics and more inclusive hiring practices...Read more

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 7 October 2024.  When booking, please ensure you select the October Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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Where are the psychosocial safety regulations?

On the eve of National Safe Work Month, Victorians are justified in asking “Where the hell are the psychosocial safety regulations?”  

Over two years ago the Victorian Government was proud to be leading the pack of jurisdictions and various WorkSafes in promising amendments to the occupational health and safety (OHS) laws.  Now it is the last to introduce those amendments

In reality, those laws seem as far from introduction as ever.  The government has conducted two rounds of public consultations on the issue with the last ending early this year.  Since then WorkSafe representatives have pre-empted the inevitable question at their public appearances by saying, rightly, the “the laws are with the Minister” or “on the Minister’s desk”.  The delay is becoming negligent.

This delay is puzzling as the government had a major inquiry into Victoria’s Mental Health System and, although workplaces were on the periphery of consideration, there was an overlap.  The unions are in favour of psychosocial reform.  Business groups always argue against any new OHS regulations based on the spurious, rote reasons of increased cost of compliance.  But this whiney opposition is very weak when all other jurisdictions have resolved any concerns.  So why hasn’t Victoria?

It is highly likely that whatever draft regulatory amendments the government holds are out of date compared to the other States and Territories and a further cycle of consultation may be required.  All the while, workers are facing psychosocial hazards that their employers could be controlling.  Of course, employers should have been controlling these since the OHS duty of care in 1985, but many employers do not act on occupational hazards until they have to.  And in Victoria, they feel they don’t have to.

Remember this Minister’s delay on the elimination and management of psychosocial hazards at work, the next time any government representative says that “we give the safety of Victorians the highest priority”.  If that statement were true, the OHS laws would have been amended over 18 months ago and workers would have been safer.

Kevin Jones https://safetyatworkblog.com/

Safety beyond city limits

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 August 2024, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation -via zoom or in the room

Speakers: Phil Dwyer & Carly Chambers, OHS Officers, South West Institute of TAFE

Topic: Safety beyond city limits

How do you keep in contact with safety colleagues and issues out in the country? Phil Dwyer, from regional Warrnambool in Victoria, will give us an insight into this on 13 August when he talks about regional safety networks and his own job as OHS Officer - Audit, Risk and Compliance, at multi-campus South West Institute of TAFE.
Phil is a keen member of safety networking groups: Warrnambool Area of Safety and Health Group (WASH Group) and the TAFE Safety Network Group that covers Victoria. He is also a member of Central Safety Group...Read more...

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 13 May 2024.  When booking, please ensure you select the August Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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Psychological health & safety at work

Both the room and the zoom were packed to the rafters for this event. I think members were not only keen on the topic, but also appreciated the opportunity to interact directly with the Regulator. As one of our Cororate Members, WorkSafe Victoria is a valued partner of Central Safety Group and they were very generous is supplying 3 speakers for this event. They were Madelaine Barry, Program Officer for Psychological Health Programs; Darcy Cooper, Program Manager, WorkWell and Daniel McConville, a Psychosocial Inspector.

The elephant in the room was dealt with straight away: they know as much as we do about when the Psychological Regulations are due to see the light of day. However, they did re-assure us that the information they provided us was considered best practice and, therefore, would still be relevant once the Regulations are released.

They talked through the risk assessment approach and emphasised the need to address potential long-term impacts of this hazard in the workplace; as Madelaine said, "Yoga and a fruit bowl don't cut it!"

They acknowledged that the biggest barrier for many Employers is knowing where to start. This is where WorkSafe offers a range of practical guidance, including the WorkWell toolkit that provides a step-by-step approach. WorkSafe has also formed partnerships to run 13 projects aimed at testing their programs. Our presenters showed us a video (available in the power point) of one such initiative, dealing with shift workers in manufacturing and logistics, that was very interesting.

They concluded that these various projects did indeed validate WorkSafe's programs. Interestingly, even if a program were unsuccessful, the fact that an Employer invested in it still had a positive effect.

There was plenty of discussion after the presentation, especially in the room. Financial members can also view a number of past presentations related to this topic under Speakers in the Members Section (log in first). Just type "psychological" into the Search box.

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Psychological health & safety at work

Date & Time: Tuesday 14 May 2024, noon

CSG Hybrid Lunchtime Presentation -via zoom or in the room

Speaker: WorkSafe Victoria

Topic: Psychological Health & Safety at Work

Come along to a special event on 14 May with 3 in-person presenters from WorkSafe Victoria, including an Inspector, on the topic of health & psychological safety.

Any worker experiencing unsafe work is a matter of concern for all – employees, employers, insurers, and regulators. So what are some practical approaches companies can take to prevent mental injuries and create safe and mentally healthy workplaces?Read more...

Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 13 May 2024.  When booking, please ensure you select the May Event from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP.

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