Tuesday 9 March 2021 **Please note earlier start time of 11:00am
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.
Christina Rennick has worked in the Occupational Health and Safety field for over 25 years. She has been in her current role as General Manager Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital for nearly six years. Before that, she was with Mercy Health and held different roles in a number of other organisations, starting out in the health industry then later returning to it.
Christina started her career as an Occupational Therapist and, with the ergonomic work she still undertakes, has retained her registration. She is also a Committee member of Central Safety Group.
Date: Tuesday 9 March 2021
Time: 11:00am to 12:00pm **Please note earlier start time**
How: Online via Zoom.
N.B. A video recording of the session will be available on the website exclusively for financial members.
Cost: Financial members* free. Others $10
[Individual membership fee for 2020: $75]
*If unsure of your membership status, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
RSVP: COB Monday 8 March, 2021.
The Zoom meeting link will be emailed upon confirmation of payment.
Online using our RSVP form
or phone the secretary T: (03) 9387 9768 Mobile 0417 040 252
or Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Don’t forget to put every second Tuesday from February to December in your Calendar!
CSG Zoom meeting video now available.
Welcome to the second of our Zoom meeting videos, exclusive to Central Safety Group.
What Covid-19 means for workplace safety
2020 – what a year! Central Safety Group wrapped it up with the subject that has had such an impact on our lives and work these past eight months.
Professor David Caple discussed Covid-19 and workplace safety via zoom on Tuesday 8 December. David has been working on Covid-related projects with the healthcare and government sectors during the crisis.
He reflected on the psychological and physical risks, ways these can be managed and what long-lasting impacts coronavirus could have on the workplace. He then opened the session for questions and discussion, in which participants were encouraged to talk about what is being done in their own industry or workplace. It was a great session!
Professor David Caple AM, is a leading figure in occupational health and safety here and overseas. He has advised a wide range of businesses, industry groups and public sector organisations, and has worked with Australian and overseas governments on work health and safety strategy. He is currently an OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.
CSG Zoom meeting video now available.
Welcome to the first of our Zoom meeting videos, exclusive to Central Safety Group.
Web safety – are you taking risks?
Cyber crime is at an all-time high with so many people working from home and shopping online. Most of us could do a lot to improve our cyber security.
Michael Connory of CyberCertified gave invaluable advice and answered questions on this topic during a lunchtime zoom presentation to Central Safety Group on Tuesday 17 November.
As one of Australia’s leading voices in cyber security, Michael’s session gave viewers a practical demonstration and plenty of useful tips.
CSG Talks video now available.
Welcome to the fifth in a series of videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
What does the data reveal about the state of OHS in Victoria?.
Barry Naismith has once again produced a fascinating and frank analysis of the current state of OHS in Victoria.
Should we stay the course or shoot the rapids? That’s the question Barry poses, offering some invaluable insights and assessments based on his review of the latest full-year data from WorkSafe Victoria and other sources.
You can enjoy it here in PowerPoint form, provided by Central Safety Group as part of our video series during the Covid shutdown.
Says leading blogger Kevin Jones, "This level of analysis and interpretation is rarely available outside of formal academic research, and Naismith provides the all-important social and political context from which much academic occupational health and safety (OHS) research shies."
This presentation is based on Barry’s most recent research paper "Deaths at Work in Victoria 2019", available to financial members.
CSG Talks video now available.
Welcome to the fourth in a series of videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
Safety shake-up across The Tasman-update.
An interesting insight into OHS in New Zealand is provided by Nan Austin, who recently spent almost four years as Manager, Health and Safety at the University of Waikato on New Zealand’s North Island.
The death of 28 miners in an underground explosion at New Zealand’s Pike River Coal Mine ten years ago led to 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 gives a first-hand account of some of the safety reforms in New Zealand, and how the new system is working out. This talk is of particular interest to anyone who works for an organisation with operations in New Zealand or, indeed, to anyone contemplating a move across the Tasman and looking for job opportunities in the field of health and safety.
Note: This video is an abridged and updated version of a presentation Nan gave to CSG in November 2019.
CSG Talks video now available.
Welcome to the third in a series of videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
Building safety consciousness in pandemic times – How to ensure people follow OHS guidelines in your workplace.
Returning to the workplace after the Covid-19 shutdown presents OHS challenges from both a physical and psychological perspective.
In this video, Dr Natasha Lazareski talks about how OHS managers can help employees adjust to the new reality and pandemic-safe workplaces. She outlines an easy to apply guide for employees to embrace the new safety requirements and interact with respect and tolerance towards others.
As an occupational health and behavioural science specialist, Natasha offers six helpful points in this video for managing occupational and psychosocial risk in a post-lockdown workplace that requires everyone to comply with Covid-19 guidelines.
Natasha explains that we all feel differently about this new situation, and while we cannot control our feelings, we have control over our actions. At work our actions should show respect, compassion, caring and understanding towards those who have different feelings about the impact of Covid-19.
CSG Talks video now available.
Welcome to the second in a series of videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
This presentation should not be missed by anyone responsible for safety and risk management in transport, logistics or supply chain operations.
In an incident that sent shockwaves through the community, four Victorian police officers parked beside Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway were killed when hit by a truck on 22 April this year.
When looking at who is potentially liable for prosecution for the incident, lawyer and safety specialist Sue Bottrell has some interesting answers.
Sue says a range of regulations and several prosecuting bodies, including WorkSafe Victoria, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and Police, could potentially become involved. They could commence prosecutions of the truck driver and others, including the transport operator who employed the driver, under the WHS regulation, Heavy Vehicle National Law and Criminal law.
Sue Bottrell has worked in occupational health and safety and workers compensation rehabilitation for the past 20 years.
Sue has postgraduate qualifications in OHS and law, and is a practising lawyer in safety and employment law. She was the first safety professional in Australia to become a Certified Chartered Generalist OHS Professional Member of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.
She is a specialist in the legal and safety aspects of the management of contractor safety, and regularly speaks and publishes on this topic and acts as an expert witness.
Sue is also a specialist in the application of the National Heavy Vehicle Law under Chain of Responsibility obligations. She is the AIHS representative for the current review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law being undertaken by the National Transport Commission.
CSG Talks video now available.
Welcome to the first of a series of videos exclusive to Central Safety Group while normal physical meetings are suspended.
Some new books about key OHS issues are discussed in this 10-minute video by Kevin Jones, author of the influential SafetyAtWorkBlog.
The Bystander Effect: The Psychology of Courage and Inaction
Author: US psychologist Professor Catherine Sanderson
This book deals with the psychology and context of expecting people to intervene in unsafe workplace situations. Kevin says it includes some useful insights and advice on dealing with bullying.
The COVID19 Pandemic: Lessons on building more equal and sustainable societies
Authors: Professor Michael Quinlan and a dozen of his global colleagues
Kevin discusses this highly topical research paper that examines whether things could, and should, change in the workplace because of the current situation, and the potential implications for OHS.
Michael Tooma on Mental Health
Author: Michael Tooma
Kevin mentions several topics of interest in this book: the legal implications of workplace bullying; industrial manslaughter, and the importance of both managerial and organisational approaches to mental health in the workplace.
We hope you enjoy Kevin’s discussion. Details of the publications can be found under Further Reading in the Members section of our website: www.centralsafetygroup.com.
Kevin Jones has been a consultant, writer and commentator on OHS matters for many years, and is a Life Member of Central Safety Group.
He is well known for his award-winning SafetyAtWorkBlog.com, as well as a podcast series of interviews with leading safety experts safetyoz.podbean.com
Presentation & Enviromental Checklist now avaialble. Members only.
Customer abuse: The Reject Shop’s frontline solutions
Presented by Kenn Rogers, Safety Team Leader, The Reject Shop
Customer abuse is a growing problem in the retail industry that can take a heavy toll on workers’ confidence and wellbeing. Of the Reject Shop’s 6,000 team members, a majority are part-time and 60% are under the age of 25. This means many are inexperienced and particularly vulnerable when faced with customer aggression.
Kenn Rogers, Safety Team Leader of the Reject Shop, outlined a new approach to the problem in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on 10 March. This included a trial program the variety discount retailer has been helping to pilot.
Known as the Respect and Resilience program, it was developed by the NSW Government insurer ‘icare’ in conjunction with researchers at Griffith University in Queensland. It has proved a great success in reducing incidents at the stores where the trial was implemented.
Kenn spoke about what the program does to help team members to manage themselves and respond better to customer aggression. He discussed the enthusiastic response by team members to the program as well as changes to a store environment that can help influence customer behaviours.
Another area where part-time and younger workers need extra attention and training is in manual handling. Kenn outlined an in-house program he has developed to make staff more aware and responsive to manual handling issues.
Kenn Rogers moved to a career in safety 16 years ago after working as a store manager with Dan Murphy’s. He joined the Reject Shop three years ago after working in safety roles with Dan Murphy’s, Myer and Woolworths.
Presentation now available. Members only.
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 outlined what happened in a presentation to Central Safety Group at its first meeting for 2020 on 11 February.
Mary discussed the principles and approach adopted and the setbacks and obstacles that had to be overcome. In addition, she described step-by-step what it took to drive effective risk management and improve safety culture.
Mary Kikas has had a long career in health and safety management, working both in-house and as a specialist consultant. Her background includes roles across a range of industries including manufacturing, rail, construction, aged care and disability. Mary also conducts work as an expert witness in matters of Common Law, Public and Product liability, failures in building regulations and TAC accidents. She is currently an OHS and Ergonomics Consultant with Action OHS Consulting.
Initially qualified as a physiotherapist, Mary has obtained tertiary qualifications in Occupational Health and Safety Management and in Ergonomics. She is a certified OHS Management System Auditor and has held office with a number of professional committees.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Safety shake-up across the Tasman
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 has just returned to Melbourne after three years as Manager, Health and Safety at the University of Waikato on New Zealand’s North Island. She gave a first-hand account of the safety reforms in New Zealand, and how the new system is working out, concluding that there is still a long way to go in achieving an effective proactive approach.
Prior to her three years as Health and Safety Manager at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, Nan held a number of senior national safety roles in Australia. This included Manager, Work Health and Safety at the Red Cross Blood Bank and National OHS Manager at Healthscope.
Throughout her career Nan has specialised in the development of auditable systems for safety and injury management. Her work experience has been complemented by studies at Masters level in Business Administration and Personal Injury Management.
Presentation & Paper now available. Members only.
Does OHS in your workplace feel weighed down by paperwork, rules and procedures? Dr David Provan said this can be due to ‘safety clutter’, described in a study he co-authored as "the accumulation of safety procedures, documents, roles and activities that are performed in the name of safety, but do not contribute to the safety of operational work." Worse, this can create negative beliefs and attitudes to safety, according to the research.
David spoke about how to identify ‘safety clutter’, what to do about it and how to remove it in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on Thursday, 10 October.
He said that clutter can take the form of too many rules and procedures, duplication and ‘tick the box’ safety activities. This can include meetings, audits, observations and investigation processes that are not actually reducing the risk of safety incidents. David explained how to ‘de-clutter’ without affecting legal compliance and certification.
Dr David Provan, a leading safety thinker and practitioner, is the former General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment for Origin Energy.
He has more than 20 years of safety management experience across several high-hazard industries with international operations.
David is the founder of safety consultancy firm Forge Works, and also a part-time lecturer and researcher at Queensland’s Griffith University.
He has a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology), Masters of Health Science (Risk Management and OHS), Masters of Business Administration (Finance) and a PhD in Safety Science, where his research thesis was titled, “What is the role of a Safety Professional? The identity, practice and future of the profession”.
Presentation now available. Members only.
When Workplace Changes Outpace OHS Standards
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 discussed this issue in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on 10 September.
David explained that today we have ‘agile work’ in offices while Australian Standards and equipment design have been designed for static workplaces. The term ‘agile’ describes the fact that a lot of computer work now is not done at conventional office workstations. People are likely to work at team tables, booths, video conference rooms, break-out areas and collaborative spaces as well at home and off-site locations. This means existing Australian Standards for task chairs and workstations are potentially based on assumptions that, in many instances, are no longer appropriate.
David looked at the current gaps and the need for change and offered some recommendations.
Professor David Caple AM has been a leading figure in occupational health and safety in Australia for many years.
He has advised a wide range of businesses, industry groups and public sector organisations, and worked with Australian and overseas governments on work health and safety strategy.
He is an OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.
Presentation now available. Members only.
It is estimated around 20% of the Australian workforce is involved in some form of shift work, many of them in roles critical for public safety. The challenges of shift work and occupational fatigue have long been acknowledged, but recent research has increased understanding of the negative consequences of working against the body clock.
Dr Tracey Sletten of Monash University and the Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity presented some of the latest findings and recommendations in this area at the August meeting of Central Safety Group.
Tracey has been working closely with several industries including aviation, transport and healthcare, researching the effects of shift work and sleep loss on workers in their operations. This work has included interventions to improve alertness, health and safety.
As well as the best way to manage shift work, Tracey discussed the need for cultural change to address the growing incidence of sleep loss in the general population linked to modern lifestyles.
Dr Tracey Sletten is a Senior Research Fellow with the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, and serves as a Project Leader with the Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity. She has also held research positions in the US and UK.
Dr Sletten frequently consults nationally and internationally, conducting training and education, analysing work schedules and conducting fatigue assessments for industry. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of South Australia.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Safety and the aged care sector
Presented by Michael Carley, Safety and Risk, Villa Maria Catholic Homes
The aged care sector is amongst the fastest growing sectors in Australia. Employment in this area has exploded, growing 36% in the past five years – three times the rate of growth across all other occupations.
The particular OHS challenges for this industry were discussed by Michael Carley, Safety and Risk, Villa Maria Catholic Homes at the July meeting of Central Safety Group.
Michael spoke about the common hazards and risks in safety management in aged care. He also discussed current trends, gaps and recommended solutions.
Before taking up his role in Villa Maria Catholic homes in mid-2018, Michael was Health and Safety Manager at ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) and Manager, Health and Safety for Macquarie University. Before that, his career included roles in Ageing, Disability and Home Care in the Department of Human Services.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) from Curtin University, WA, a Masters of Occupational Health and Safety and a Postgraduate Diploma in psychology rehabilitation.
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.
He emerged from a long and painful recovery and rehabilitation with a strong passion to raise awareness about new approaches to safety that go beyond the standard thinking. Rohan shared his experiences and discussed his special insights and perspectives on safety at the Central Safety Group lunchtime meeting on Tuesday, 11 June.
He spoke about the real life consequences of a workplace accident and outlined a model for safety and ‘safety psychology’ he believes should be adopted. In Rohan’s view, with the right habits and attitudes to safety, most accidents are preventable.
Rohan Sykes started his career as an apprentice fitter and turner with ALCOA. He immediately showed a passion for workplace safety and safe work practices, becoming an apprentice safety rep. Soon after that he started work as a multi-skilled operator at a glass bottle factory where the serious injury occurred.
After his recovery Rohan founded Phoenix Workplace Safety with a mission to encourage industrial workplaces and individuals to completely re-think the way they approach safety. Through his presentations he has had a positive impact on the safety culture of many organisations, including major companies in the mining, defence, packaging and food industries and bodies such as local councils.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Prevention of mental injury at work – where can employers best direct their efforts?
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.
She outlined common causes of mental injury at work, as well as employers’ obligations under Victorian legislation to manage and control the risk.
Information was given on WorkSafe programs supporting prevention of mental injury and promotion of mental health and wellbeing at work. This included the WorkWell Toolkit, launched last year for small and medium businesses, with a version for larger organisations launched in early April 2019.
Workwell Toolkit
Claire Nivarovich is the Director of Mental Health Programs in the Health and Safety Business Unit at WorkSafe Victoria. This role involves delivery of programs designed to prevent mental injury and illness and promote mental health in Victorian workplaces.
Claire originally trained as a physiotherapist but learned quickly that working 1:1 with patients did not allow her to feel as though she was making a significant contribution to improving the health of the community at a system level. Claire has since worked within government and the insurance sector on initiatives to ensure delivery of good quality health and disability services.
Claire is enjoying her current role with its focus on prevention of injury and the opportunity it offers her to spread the message about the positive influence that good work can have on the health and wellbeing of Victorian workers.
Report on Presentation now available. Members only.
Many businesses have seen an upsurge in staff impacted by difficult customer interactions that may place them at risk of a physical or psycho-social illness. This has particularly been the case in the banking industry and is varied across customer contact, whether it is face-to-face or telephone interactions.
ANZ Bank has a strategy in place to keep their staff safe from this risk and this was presented by Kristen Richardson, Wellbeing and Safety Business Partner Team Leader, at a lunchtime presentation on 9 April.
The strategy looks at all aspects of staff safety – physical, psycho-social and most importantly the leadership culture shift required to enable this strategy to be successful. This strategy was developed using external consultancy expertise and research across other industries.
Kristen Richardson joined ANZ in mid-2014 and has been in her current role providing Business Partnering wellbeing and safety support across ANZ Australia Division for two years. Prior to that, she was Retail Wellbeing and Safety Business Partner at ANZ.
She spent over seven years in senior HR roles with infrastructure company Golder Associates after being with Coles Supermarkets for 10 years as National HS Manager.
Kristen started her career in nursing before studying OH&S at RMIT and doing further studies in change management.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Combustible dust can be a hidden chemical hazard in workshops, factories, storage facilities and many other places. Because it’s not classified as a hazardous substance or as dangerous goods, it is often ignored in workplace procedures and risk control. The significance of this was discussed by chemical hazards expert Richard Greenwood in a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on 12 March.
The consequences of not recognising the presence of combustible dust were dramatically demonstrated recently when two workers doing routine maintenance were seriously injured in a workplace explosion in Victoria. The result was an Enforceable Undertaking for the company involved, including preparation of basic workplace training materials and a video for awareness of the hazard. Richard spoke about this case as part of its compliance with WorkSafe’s Enforceable Undertaking.
He explained how fine combustible dusts are likely to form and potentially explode when disturbed in an enclosed space. He also discussed how to detect and manage risks associated with this.
Richard Greenwood has spent over 25 years working in chemical safety training and consulting and has been involved in the development of some key chemical safety regulations. His career includes 15 years as Manager, Compliance and Training with Chemwatch, an international company with its headquarters in Australia. He now has his own business, RG Chemical Safety.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Key job market trends in safety in Australia were the subject of a presentation at the Central Safety Group’s first meeting for 2019 on 12 February.
OHS recruitment specialists Rachel McGregor and Ebonie Martello of Safety People gave a presentation followed by an extensive Q&A session with the audience.
They spoke about how employment trends are matching the industries experiencing a boom and presented a table of salary trends for various OHS positions in the Melbourne market. They noted that the demand for consultants is increasing and talked about the reasons for this as well as the implications for those seeking OHS roles.
They concluded by discussing what employers are looking for in a safety professional and what candidates are looking for in an employer. Then they opened the floor to the audience, which covered a wide range of topics.
Before joining Safety People, Rachel McGregor worked in WorkCover/Return-to-Work roles and Ebonie Martello was an OH&S Advisor with John Holland.
Presentation available now. Members only.
Throughout Australia there is unprecedented growth in all areas of construction – commercial, civil and residential. This boom has created issues relating to knowledge, skills and competencies needed at all levels of the construction workforce.
The issue of safety in this climate was discussed by Greg Splatt, a construction safety manager and trainer, in a lunchtime presentation for Central safety Group on 13 November.
Greg said that many people are coming into the industry with the promise of long-term work, long hours and good pay packets. But without the necessary industry experiences and know-how, what risk do they present on job sites? Challenges with safety understanding and experience can also exist at supervisor and manager level.
Greg also spoke extensively about his experiences with the unique OHS challenges during extensive construction rebuilds after major events such as cyclones and bushfires.
Greg Splatt has spent many years as a Safety Manager in the construction industry, and is also a trainer in various OHS courses with the Master Builders Association.
He has experience in all areas of construction and is an experienced safety systems auditor and incident investigator.
Prior to working in OHS, Greg was a detective in the Victorian Police Force."
Unfortunately we are unable to provide the presentation from this meeting.
There has been surprisingly little research done on how inspectors assess health and safety in workplaces. Although the inspectors’ task is grounded in rules and regulations, there are few standardised measures to assist them.
Dr Ross Donohue, our speaker on 9 October, has done ground-breaking work on this. He shared his research findings with us and outlined the 7-item generic OHS metric checklist he developed as a result of this research, in order to create a standardised tool to assist inspectors.
Ross also talked about the need for developing measures and training to assist OHS inspectors to assess psycho-social risk.
Dr Ross Donohue, Senior Lecturer, Monash University.
Dr Ross Donohue works in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University as a Senior Lecturer.
He is currently working on a program to improve the training, competency assessment and development of safety inspectors.
His other work includes developing a competency-based framework and continuing professional development program for OHS regulators.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Many organisations have invested in sit-stand desks in response to experts’ claims about the benefits, ranging from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes to solving back pain.
Professor David Caple discussed the latest knowledge on the effectiveness of sit-stand desks and issues surrounding their use on 11 September in a lunchtime talk to the Central Safety Group.
David recently presented two papers on this topic at the International Ergonomics Association Congress in Florence, Italy in August. He was part of a group of 16 presenters from around the world sharing the latest research relating to sit to stand desks.
There can be confusion about how much to use these desks while working, and whether a certain duration or pattern of standing should be prescribed. “In some places they are using them very well, but in other places employees and their managers are unclear about how to benefit from them. As a result, you’ll sometimes find people feeling guilty for not using them,” says David. “A lot of factors can affect how successful these desks are in the workplace. This includes things like the change management process, job design, employee education and work culture.”
David Caple, who has a background as an ergonomist, has been a leading figure in occupational health and safety in Australia for many years.
He has advised a wide range of businesses, industry groups and public sector organisations, and worked with Australian and overseas governments on work health and safety strategy.
He is an OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.
David was awarded the AM – Member of the Order of Australia – in the 2018 Queens Birthday Honours list. The honour is in recognition of his “significant service to community health through workplace health and safety reforms and ergonomic policy development."
Presentation now available. Members only.
Contractor management is one of the most challenging areas of safety risk management. Contractor management systems can be onerous and complicated, leaving gaps when it comes to covering business and compliance requirements.
John Naughton and his team tackled this problem and transformed contractor management while he was Director of HSE at a major food company, and he shared his experiences at the August meeting of Central Safety Group.
He described the journey from a manual spreadsheet-based contractor management system to an easy-to-manage, efficient and flexible system embracing modern technology. This change also brought crucial new dimensions and features to the company’s system for managing contractors, and significantly, reduced administrative time and costs.
John Naughton has over 20 years’ experience designing, implementing and managing safety and environmental management systems for large companies.
In his recent role as Director of HSE at George Weston Foods, he was responsible for a team of over 50 HSE professionals in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. Prior to that he was National SH&E Manager for the Baking Division of Goodman Fielder.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide the presentation from this meeting.
Things have been happening at WorkSafe Victoria, including the relocation this year of its head office along with several hundred roles from Melbourne CBD to Geelong.
This and other current changes, projects and priorities at WorkSafe were outlined by seasoned WorkSafe Inspector Les Cameron in a lunchtime presentation on 10 July.
Les shared his experiences of working on the front line and discussed incidents and some new intervention programs now being tested.
Les Cameron has spent over 20 years with WorkSafe as a dangerous goods and general inspector. He has also taught OHS/WHS for 10 years at Victoria University and Kangan Tafe.
Before that he was with the Board of Works and Melbourne Water in a range of roles, including deep sewer maintenance and Training and Rescue special operations. He has also worked as an occupational diver.
Les started work as a young teenager in the wool and mining industries in the NT, and went on to “railways, skinning rabbits and roofing” before he settled into a career in safety and related areas.
Presentation & exclusive pre-release OHSIntros Paper available to CSG Members only, now available.
What do the latest data and developments tell us about the current state of OHS in Victoria? Barry Naismith, who has done a keen-eyed independent analysis, shared his conclusions at the Central Safety Group lunch meeting on 12 June.
Barry was a consultant with the Victorian WorkCover Authority (now WorkSafe) for 14 years. Since then he has produced a number of independent reports into the operations and performance of WorkSafe Victoria.
He has just concluded his latest report, based on 2017, and discussed his findings and spell out some trends and predictions that are likely to be of interest to those working in OHS in Victoria.
To quote leading blogger Kevin Jones, “This level of analysis and interpretation is rarely available outside of formal academic research, and Naismith provides the all-important social and political context from which much academic occupational health and safety (OHS) research shies.” Questions, opinions and comments from the audience were welcomed.
Before a career in OHS, Barry Naismith worked as a journalist and editor. He spent more than 14 years with the Victorian WorkCover Authority and then worked independently as an OHS consultant. Recently this led to a position with Uniting Victoria, working on a program to reduce the impact of work harms on the community. Barry has qualifications in science from Melbourne University and media studies from RMIT.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Injuries and fatalities from contact between people and animals are known to be a high risk in zoos worldwide.
At Zoos Victoria a special program for working with dangerous animals is being supported by Jason Hensel, Senior Advisor, Health and Safety, who gave a presentation on this subject to Central Safety Group on 8 May.
Jason discussed how he has drawn on safety programs from a number of industries to develop effective and consistent controls for the safe keeping of all animals likely to endanger human life, known as Category 1 Animals.
Melbourne Zoo has 20 species of animal that fall into this category – ranging from the big cats to gorillas, hippopotamuses and African wild dogs. Jason has been working on risk assessments and safety systems for each of these, taking into account physical, mechanical, animal behaviour and human factors.
This initiative is part of Zoos Victoria’s aim to become a world leader in zoo safety. Zoos around the world put a sharp spotlight on safety following incidents such as a child falling into a gorilla exhibit at Cincinnati Zoo and the death of a keeper at New Zealand’s Hamilton Zoo.
Jason Hensel has been in his present role with Zoos Victoria since 2016. Before that, he worked in safety roles with Veolia Environmental Services and in OHS, process improvement and project management roles with Visy Industries.
He began his career as an electrical engineer with Southcorp Packaging, having graduated in this field from RMIT. He also has an Advanced Diploma in HS&E from RMIT.
Presentation now available. Members only.
Manual handling injuries are some of the most common and costly injuries in the workplace.
An account of how Jetstar Airways reduced these injuries by 40% was shared by Conor Healy, Manager, Work Health and Safety, Jetstar Australia New Zealand in a lunchtime presentation on 10 April.
Baggage handlers, cabin crews and engineering workshop teams all do a lot of manual handling at Jetstar, which now has 7,000 employees and is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.
Conor developed a multi-pronged program to reduce manual handling injuries and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders for employees working in body stressing environments. In two years he has found that the program has already made a significant difference.
He discussed this program and what the airline is doing to continue to gain improvements in this area.
Conor Healy has been Manager, Work Health and Safety, Jetstar Australia New Zealand for three years.
His background includes significant experience in areas ranging from transport with London Underground, defence with BAE Systems to logistics with Toll and working with aerospace organisations.
He is a graduate of the University of Westminster in the UK and has attained an MBA in Strategy.
Presentation now available. Members only.
The new international standard for OHS Management Systems – ISO 45001 – has been finalised and was published the day before Kevin’s presentation on 13 March.
Kevin Jones has been following the evolution of this new Standard closely and considering its implications for Australia. He provided his perspective on ISO 45001 and how it could fit with your safety management systems.
Many are claiming this Standard is a “game changer”. Kevin believes it’s not, but it is important and it does include support for some of the OHS Principles which are now considered essential for effective safety and health management. He reviewed these features as well as providing a handout that summarised the different sections, comparing the new standard against AS4801 & OHSAS 18001.
Kevin Jones is well known for his award-winning SafetyAtWorkBlog. He has been a consultant, writer and commentator on OHS matters for many years, and recently launched a podcast series of interviews with leading safety experts (safetyoz.podbean.com).
Presentation now available. Members only.
Return to work for people who have suffered workplace psychological injury or illness can be a complicated and challenging process.
The best-practice approach and potential problems when helping employees recovering from mental health issues was discussed by Frank Imbesi, Managing Director of AMS Consulting, an occupational rehabilitation company.
This area is of special interest to Frank, who has been working in in the field of return-to-work planning, management and support for many years. He said that a lot is known about rehabilitation and return to work after physical injury, but far less about how to help people recovering from events or situations in the workplace that led to mental injury.
There has been a recent increase in the reporting and acceptance of mental injury conditions and claims, which has found many employers unsure and unprepared when it comes to dealing with the challenges of rehabilitation and preventing recurrence of the problem. Frank outlined a number of ways to assist employers with these challenges.
Frank Imbesi is Managing Director of AMS Consulting, a multi- award-wining company specialising in health and wellbeing, injury prevention, injury management, return to work consulting and human factors analysis . He began his career as a physiotherapist, working in sports medicine and clinical private practice, before moving to the field of occupational rehabilitation.
Frank has consulted and presented to national and large state based employers, Scheme Agents and universities in the areas of occupational rehabilitation and best practice return to work following occupational injury.
Frank has been a university lecturer and has presented in the areas of occupational injury management and best practice RTW over many years and on behalf of VWA. He has also presented at numerous conferences. He was on the organising committee for the international forum on disability management in 2014.
Frank was a member of the VWA Clinical Panel providing specialist advice in the area of occupational rehabilitation peer review for the duration of the program.
Frank was the recipient of the National Outstanding Achievement in RTW Award in 2017. He has also been a judge for the Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association Awards.
Presentation currently unavailable
Falls are a major cause of death and serious injury in Australian workplaces. But are current safety standards and regulations adequate to ensure protection for workers?
This important issue was discussed by David Davis, a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Working at Heights Association at the November meeting of Central Safety Group.
David outlined a number of concerns the Association has about current industry guidelines and standards, as well as areas where there is a need to raise awareness.
This included his own review and critique of AS1657, the main Australian Standard covering fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders, which was revised in 2013. David identified 20 shortfalls, omissions or areas of potential confusion in the revised standard. These were detailed in a report submitted to Standards Australia when the 2013 standard was released.
He gave a number of examples where people working in OHS need to be aware that the current revised AS1657 is inadequate.
David Davis became a Director of the Working at Heights Association of Australia in 2016. He is the owner of Hi-Rise Access Pty Ltd, a consulting and engineering company specialising in height safety, fall protection and suspended access.
David became interested and involved in the safety industry through a friend who was working in the field. He acquired his current company 12 years ago. Prior to that, he had a successful career in the computer software industry, creating and selling his own company and looking at retirement at the age of 40. His plans changed when he discovered and developed his passion for industrial and workplace safety.
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Recent developments in some areas of OHS law in Victoria were discussed by leading OHS lawyer Graham Dent at the October meeting of Central Safety Group.
This included the relevance of the harmonised WHS laws in Victoria, trends in cases, courts and penalties, and the use of Enforceable Undertakings.
Graham gave examples to illustrate these issues and the implications of changes we see going on around us. He also discussed changes that may have quietly slipped past us.
Graham Dent has over 30 years’ experience in the regulatory field, including time as a government prosecutor in OHS, industrial and consumer law matters.
He is now in private legal practice representing clients in major regulatory actions for OHS, environmental and other areas. He represents clients and conducts training programs in all jurisdictions.
Graham is also the founder of Australia’s largest online OHS forum with 17,000 members, the Work Health Safety Leadership [Australia & International] Group.
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What will OHS look like in the future? What jobs are likely to be available and skill sets required? Professor David Caple, a close participant and observer in the safety industry for over 40 years, examined these questions in his talk to the Central Safety Group on 12 September. David spoke about how the field of workplace safety has evolved, looking at the most important trends and changes over the years. He discussed what he sees as the latest significant developments in the area and where he sees things heading in the future. This included what OHS practitioners will be expected to know and do and the skills, background and experience they will need in the years ahead.
David Caple, who has a background as an ergonomist, has been a leading figure in occupational health and safety in Australia for many years. He has advised a wide range of businesses, industry groups and public sector organisations and worked with Australian and overseas governments on work health and safety strategy. He is an OHS consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University.
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There is growing recognition of the value of workplace peer support programs in helping employees at times of critical work incidents. The experience, learnings and benefits of a well-established peer support program were discussed by Jacqui Bloink, Workplace Wellbeing Program Manager, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne at the August meeting of Central Safety Group.
The hospital this year is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its award-winning staff peer support program, marking it as an early supporter of the concept of a team of colleagues helping one another with typical reactions to stressful events.
Jacqui gave a case study of the St Vincent’s program and outlined findings on how it meets the needs of its users, improves wellbeing and provides value for service.
She also discussed the evolution of such peer support programs and how they can stay relevant in the face of today’s workplace incidents and issues.
Jacqui Bloink has been responsible for managing St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s staff-support services, EAP Liaisons and Critical Incident Stress Management/Peer Support since 2000.
She has a background in emergency and intensiv
e care nursing, and has held roles in management, clinical education and project organisation, and served on St Vincent’s executive team. Jacqui was awarded the Critical Incident Stress Management Foundation Australia (CISMFA) achievement award in 2009 and the hospital’s peer support program was recognised in the 2016 Victorian Public Health Care Awards and the 2016 WorkSafe awards.
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There are many unique and complex safety challenges in the live performance industry, ranging from high risk work of theatre rigging and powerful electrical lighting, to manual handling of heavy sets and working with children and animals.
Chris talked about their approach to risk management that involves looking after the safety of entertainers, production teams and audiences. Chris believes there is a need for clearer universal standards and codes of practice in the industry and is working to have these established.
Chris Hayes has worked at Arts Centre for most of his career. He is a specialist in automation systems with special expertise in flying systems, safety and training.
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Poorly designed work is unsafe work. Many times simple but important aspects are overlooked in the project planning stage, setting the scene for future problems. This was the message from David Trembearth, Safety Business Partner, People and Product Safety, Coles. When he spoke to the Central Safety Group on 13 June. David gave examples of how safety in design can make a difference, and discussed the key elements of good safety design both from a people management perspective and an organisational perspective.
He also outlined some of the steps in optimising safety when designing and managing a project.
David is a Certified Professional Ergonomist (HFESA) and a Chartered Generalist OHS Professional (SIA) and is Safety Business Partner for Coles providing safety support across all brands nationally. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Human Movement, and Graduate Diplomas in OHS Management, Ergonomics and Teaching. A key driver in his role at Coles is Safety in Design. He has over 30 years of experience in the provision of health and safety advice, including professional/consulting roles in teaching, clinical massage, safety, ergonomics, injury management, and as a WorkSafe inspector.
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A lot is said about ‘safety leadership’. But what specifically can leaders do to shape an organisation’s safety culture? This was discussed by Wayne Richards, General Manager, Group Health Safety Environment & Quality, Transdev Australasia at a lunchtime presentation to the Central Safety Group at 12.15 pm on 9 May. Wayne talked about what is being done in Transdev. He also drew on his experience in senior safety roles with the MFB and the aviation and environmental services sectors. Transdev is a leading transport provider in Australia and NZ, operating train, bus, coach, ferry and light rail operations in partnership with public authorities and private companies. In Melbourne, this includes operating passenger transport services and school bus services on behalf of Public Transport Victoria.
Wayne commenced his role with Transdev in mid-2016. He was previously Director of Work Health and Safety with the MFB and Executive General Manager of SHEQ with Veolia. He holds a Masters of Business and Technology from the University of NSW as well as technical certificates in electronics. He is also a chartered professional member of the Safety Institute of Australia and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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Automation is rapidly affecting everything from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors to the healthcare industry. An insight into what automation can mean for safety procedures and related workplace arrangements was given by Mark Letman of Pacific Brands on 11 April. Pacific Brands, which manufactures and sells products that include Bonds underwear and Sheriden sheets, recently automated some of the key procedures for picking and packing orders in its 43,000 square metre national warehouse in Truganina. Mark’s experience is that the move to automation has had some positive effects on working conditions “The automation’s taken away a lot of the hard slog and legwork in the warehouse, and it’s become a joint activity between employees and the machine,” he says But it has also brought challenges in introducing employees to new work practices. This includes safety requirements when working with machines for the first time.
Mark Letman joined Pacific Brands 27 years ago and has worked in logistics, freight management, manufacturing and management roles. He started working in safety12 years ago, after his interest in the field was stirred by his experience as a member of the site’s emergency response team.
Presentation available later this year
Poorly designed work is unsafe work. Many times simple but important aspects are overlooked in the project planning stage, setting the scene for future problems. Someone dedicated to spreading this message is David Trembearth, Safety Business Partner, People and Product Safety, Coles, who will speak to the Central Safety Group on Tuesday 13 June. David will talk about how safety in design can make a difference, and discuss the key elements of good safety design both from a people management perspective and an organisational perspective. “If safety practitioners are not thinking and practising safety in design they are missing an important safety element in their approach” states David. Putting safety in design at the forefront of project management and at the concept stage is crucial to risk reduction, and David will outline some of the steps in optimising safety when designing and managing a project.
David is a Certified Professional Ergonomist (HFESA) and a Chartered Generalist OHS Professional (SIA) and is Safety Business Partner for Coles providing safety support across all brands nationally. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Human Movement, and Graduate Diplomas in OHS Management, Ergonomics and Teaching. A key driver in his role at Coles is Safety in Design. He has over 30 years of experience in the provision of health and safety advice, including professional/consulting roles in teaching, clinical massage, safety, ergonomics, injury management, and as a WorkSafe inspector. For over 20 years, David has consulted in safety and human factors to small industry, government and large commercial enterprises. He has worked as an expert witness on injury causation, task and product design in common and civil law. He was a Principal Auditor certified by Exemplar Global (formerly RABQSA International) and has conducted safety audits in private and government organisations. He continues to provide sessional teaching at two Melbourne Universities in post graduate courses involving Occupational Ergonomics and Occupational Assessment and Rehabilitation and supervises ergonomic projects to Masters Level.
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The emphasis on psychosocial risk in the workplace is fairly new in the area of health, safety and wellbeing. Although there has been a huge amount of research on it globally and locally, there is limited understanding on how to assess and manage it.
The subject was discussed by occupational health specialist Dr Natasha Lazareski, who specialises in this area, on Tuesday, 14 February 2017 at the Central Safety Group lunch.
She outlined what psychosocial risk is and how to assess it, and provide insight into some of the latest developments in this field.
Taking action can improve the workplace environment and culture by reducing things such as bullying, conflict, complaints, absenteeism, poor teamwork and mental health issues.
Natasha talked about some of the most powerful and effective things organisations can do to control the impact of work-related stress and improve the mental wellbeing of their employees
Dr Natasha Lazareski is Managing Director of Psyflex, which provides expertise in workplace mental health and wellbeing.
She has been Health and Wellbeing Manager for a number of organisations including National Australia Bank and Ambulance Victoria. She has also worked as a medical officer for personal injury insurance and was National Manager of CGU Workers Compensation Injury Management Services.
Through Psyflex Natasha now develops programs for businesses in a range of industries as well as government organisations, schools, and health and emergency services.
View more of our presentations from previous years, in our Presentation Archives.
