Central Safety Group Melbourne

OHS lessons from NZ

CSG is thrilled to welcome back long-time member Nan Austin, who recently returned from a three-year stint as Health & Safety Manager at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Judging by her presentation to the group in November, Nan gained a great depth of knowledge from her time across the Tasman.

One of the things that stood out for me is the fact that New Zealand has only had OHS legislation since 2015. This came about after the Pike River Mine disaster of 2010; sadly the bodies of the 28 men who died have still not been recovered. While the legislation is based very much on what we have in Australia, Nan pointed out a number of shortcomings with it. In particular, the way that the accident compensation scheme is set up means that there are many gaps in useful data.

However, Nan did note that the situation has begun to turn around since a major review was commenced in 2018. Of particular interest to CSG members is the fact that there is a big demand for capable health & safety practitioners, many of whom are coming from Australia. As Nan said, Aussies can practically step off the plane and start working!

View Presentation
members only, please login first.

Safety Shake-up Across The Tasman

Date & Time: Tuesday 12 November at 12:00pm

Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne
(Between Queen & Elizabeth Street).

Safety Shake-up Across The Tasman

Nan Austin.

The death of 28 miners in an underground explosion at New Zealand’s Pike River Coal Mine nine years ago led to anger, accusations and the call for a major inquiry into the country’s safety laws. The result was a major re-engineering of New Zealand’s safety systems with the introduction of the new Health and Safety Work Act in 2016.
Nan Austin will give a first-hand account of the safety reforms in New Zealand, and how the new system is working out, at Central Safety Group's lunchtime meeting on 12 November... Read More

Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the November Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

RSVP Here

OHS clutter & what to do about it

Every now & then we have a speaker who challenges our traditional ways of thinking and how refreshing that is! Dr David Provan was just such a speaker at our October meeting.

He described safety clutter as processes and activities organisations undertake that do not actually add value to safety, but they are loath to let go of them. He asked for a show of hands to see if anyone could identfy any such activities in their own workplaces and, clearly, people were reluctant to admit such a thing. However, by the end of the presentaton, we understood exactly what he meant and could relate much of what he said to our own workplaces. David gave many examples to illustrate his thesis and to help us "suspend disbelief" in the efficacy of certain practices. He even presented the controversial notion, obtained from research he conducted with Griffith University, that a risk assessment is mostly a social exercise that merely re-confirms people's beliefs.

He outlined a number of negative consequences that can arise from such safety clutter, but also suggested ways of dealing with it. He also posited the interesting concept that more uncertainity can lead to more caution, which in turn leads to more safety.

David also alerted us to a new weekly podcast by him and his fellow researcher from the Safety Science Innovation Lab at Griffith University, Dr Drew Rae. Called The Safety of Work, each week they will look at a different item of the latest safety research and provide practical management tips. To learn more, go to safetyofwork.com

View Presentation
members only, please login first.

The real impact of shift work and workplace fatigue

It was a packed room as we all listened with interest at the findings from a range of research that covered the health effects of shift work, factors that contribute to impairment as well as the effects of sleep inertia.

We could relate to the findings as they do not apply just to shift workers, but to many people who share some of the same characteristics in their daily life. How many of us stay up late on our computers or participate in other activities that affect our sleep? The Turner Institute's and CRC's research -via controlled laboratory tests as well as analysing real-life data -shows us the risks we are exposing ouselves to by doing this. While the natural biological rhythm varies amongst individuals, it can never truly adjust to working through the night when we really should be asleep.

It is not all "doom and gloom", though, as Tracey also presented a range of strategies for alleviating the harmful effects of shift work and fatigue.

View Presentation Report
members only, please login first.

When workplace changes outpace OHS Standards

The group is lucky to have an annual presentation from renowned ergonomist Professor David Caple, who is always such an engaging speaker as he shares the latest developments in his field of study.

This month he focussed on 2 Australian Standards that deal with workstations and chairs, both of which bear little relevance to today's ways of working in offices. One is 22 years old, so it is easy to see how workplace changes have moved so far ahead of its recommendations. The other, however, was revised in 2018 and yet it contains recommendations that do not relate to any data that David is aware of. It is also silent on the issue of dual and multiple screens, which has become very common. In fact, David asked for a show of hands in the room to see how many people work with dual monitors and the majority of attendants put up their hands.

David also mentioned an initiative of La Trobe University’s Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors, the APHIRM toolkit (A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management toolkit). There will be a workshop on it for Health & Safety Professionals at the university’s city campus on November 14th. For details & bookings, visit www.aphirm.org.au

View Presentation
members only, please login first.

Rebuilding Safety Culture - a case study

Date & Time: Tuesday 11 February at 12:00pm

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE:

Venue: Venue: Room B411 – Level 4, CAE building, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
(Between Swanston & Elizabeth Streets).

Rebuilding safety culture – a case study

Safety culture: pulling it all together – a case study When employee morale, trust and job satisfaction plummet in the wake of major changes, how do you restore a strong safety culture? Mary Kikas faced that exact challenge when asked to help the Health and Safety team of a utilities company that had undergone a significant change management process and redundancies. She will outline what happened in a presentation to the Central Safety Group at its first lunchtime meeting for the year on Tuesday 11 February 2020.... Read More

Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the February Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

RSVP Here

When Workplace Changes Outpace OHS Standards

Date & Time: Tuesday 10 September at 12:00pm

Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 2), 360 Collins Street, Melbourne
(Between Queen & Elizabeth Street).

When Workplace Changes Outpace OHS Standards

Professor David Caple, OHS Consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonimics & Human Factors, LaTrobe University.

More and more jobs today require working on mobile devices including laptops, Surface Pros and tablets. Some workplaces ‘dock’ these with monitors and keyboards and others are being used as the primary input device. When it comes to assessing ergonomic risks linked to this, compliance is measured by long-established OHS Codes and Australian Standards.
But how relevant and effective are the current Standards for white collar workplaces where agile work is changing the way we work? Professor David Caple will discuss this issue in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on 10 September... Read More

Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the September Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

RSVP Here

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 August at 12:00pm

The Real Impact of Shift Work

Dr Tracey Sletten, Research Fellow at CRC for Alertness, Safety and Productivity & Monash University.
Details coming soon

Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the August Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

RSVP Here

Date & Time: Tuesday 11 June at 12:00pm

Safety lapses and real life consequences

Speakers: Rohan Sykes, Phoenix Workplace Safety

Rohan Sykes was a healthy, active young family man when he suffered an horrific workplace injury that caused severe burns to 35% of his body. He was seriously injured by exposure to radiant heat from molten glass, despite wearing full PPE and following procedures. Read more...

Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the June Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

RSVP Here

Date & Time: Tuesday 14 May at 12:00pm

Prevention of mental injury at work – where can employers best direct their efforts?

Claire Nivarovich, Director Mental Health Programs, WorkSafe Victoria

Work-related mental injury is the second most common cause of workers' compensation claims in Australia, and accounts for around 13% of workers' compensation claims in Victoria.
What can employers do to prevent mental injury in their workplace? Where can they best direct their efforts?
Claire Nivarovich, Director Mental Health Programs, WorkSafe Victoria, spoke about this topic in a lunchtime presentation on 14 May. Read more...

Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the May Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.

RSVP Here