Tuesday 10 July 2018
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 will be outlined by seasoned WorkSafe Inspector Les Cameron in a lunchtime presentation on 10 July.
Les will also have something to say about his work on the front line, discussing incidents and some new intervention programs now being tested.
Questions, comments and discussion will be welcome during the session.
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.
Date: Tuesday 10 July 2018
Time: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Address: Level 1, 333 Queen Street, Melbourne (AMS Consulting Group)
Cost: Attendance: members free, non-members $10 Lunch (optional): sandwich and juice lunch $15
(Individual membership fee for 2018: $70)
RSVP: by close of business Friday, 6 July 2018
Online using our RSVP form
or phone the secretary T: (03) 9387 9768 Mobile 0417 040 252
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Note: To cover catering costs, the full fee will be charged for those who advised they would be having lunch but did not attend
Don’t forget to put every second Tuesday from February to December in your Calendar!
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.
Manual handling injuries are some of the most common and costly injuries in the workplace.
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.
Presentation coming soon. Members please login first.
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.
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A new approach to injury management helped Yarra City Council achieve a 40% reduction in standard WorkCover claims and a WorkSafe Employer Excellence award in 2015.
Stuart Cross outlined the actions the Council took to reduce workplace injuries and assist injured workers in rehabilitation and return to work. The result in just one year was a 55% reduction in lost time days due to injuries and a 46% reduction in injury occurrence rates. It also translated into a $400,000 saving in Yarra City Council’s annual WorkCover premium.
He also discussed how the Council is maintaining these results and making further improvements to their new OHS model in relation to injury management.
Before joining Yarra City Council in 2009, Stuart worked with CGU in Safety & Risk and Injury Management roles. Prior to that he was with Corporate Health Management. He studied Human Movement and Exercise Rehab at Victoria University and has an advanced diploma in OHS.
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It’s both trade and profession, according to Leo Ruschena, Senior Lecturer OHS, RMIT University and Chair, Technical Committee of the Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board.
Leo talked about how safety education and accreditation are going through a process of major reform. This includes developing a uniform system of knowledge, accreditation of universities and certification of individuals. This has led to some confusions and gaps, including problems with the role of TAFE in safety education and certification.
He also discussed the current (controversial) move to ‘professionalise the profession’, which will require safety professionals to have accreditation the same as engineers, doctors and accountants.
Leo Ruschena was previously Director of Human Resources at WorkSafe Victoria and before that held senior roles in human resources and OHS with several utility companies.
He has bachelors degrees in chemical engineering and economics from the University of Queensland, a Masters in Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene from the University of London and a Masters in Industrial and Employee Relations from Monash University.
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Fatigue at work can present significant risks, with fatigue management policies covered in OHS regulations and industrial agreements.
But Professor David Caple questions whether our current arrangements are dealing with it very well.
He discussed shortcomings in this area as well as looking at some less well understood implications of fatigue. He also highlighted the increase in fatigue problems with white collar workers.
David said fatigue has physical, psychological and cognitive effects which can apply in any role in the workplace. This makes it important for OHS professionals to see it not only as a safety hazard but as a wider workplace wellbeing issue.
“We don’t always appreciate the cumulative impact of fatigue, or the poor quality of sleep people are getting today. We’re now in a generation that celebrates extended work hours, lives with round the clock digital activity and sees long daily commutes as normal,” he said.
David talked about increased understanding of the psychological, emotional and cognitive cost this is having on people, as well as the impact on their physical health, and whether awareness of this should lead to changes in the workplace.
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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What are some of the key things successful organisations do to achieve a high performance in health and safety? How would your workplace rate?
This was discussed by Rocky Armstrong, basing his observations on his experience in his current role and previous job as Asia Pacific Head of Safety with Linfox, the international logistics and supply chain company.
At Linfox, Rocky was involved with a wide range of safety programs in companies across different sectors, including BlueScope Steel, Unilever, Tesco, bhp Billiton, ExxonMobil and more.
He talked about lessons and insights this gave him on safety strategy, leadership and culture.
Rocky also provided a scorecard with key elements of success and invited the audience to participate in a self-assessment exercise based on their workplace experience.
Rocky Armstrong has worked in health and safety for 15 years.
He is currently Group Manager, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality with Ausnet Services, the energy delivery service business that owns and operates Victoria's largest network of electricity and gas infrastructure.
He previously worked with Linfox, and was Asia Pacific Head of Health and Safety. Linfox has over 20,000 people operating in 10 countries and is exposed to a diverse risk profile.
Rocky completed tertiary studies in science, occupational health and safety and management before completing his MBA at Melbourne Business School.
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How well do we carry out incident investigations and how useful are they?
This issue was explored by Greg Splatt, a former detective with the Victoria Police Force and experienced risk auditor and safety professional now working in the construction industry.
He believes traditional incident investigation models used by the safety industry often fall short.
He also questions how much value is derived from the results of investigations. This is important as incident investigation is a vital part of improving safety performance.
Greg discussed investigative techniques used by detectives for crime and traffic accidents. While some of the methods used in safety investigations are similar, Greg says the follow up and resolution are often different.
Greg Splatt is an OHS professional whose background includes working as a risk and safety systems auditor and conducting safety training courses.
He has done risk reviewing and auditing with the Defence Force and a range of other government departments, including The ABC and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Most recently he has been the lead external auditor during the construction of the $1 billion dollar Victorian Comprehensive Centre facility (the new Peter McCallum cancer centre) in Parkville.
Greg takes a keen interest in ongoing developments in workplace incident investigation. “There’s been a lot of change in the work environment in the 21st century, including things like social media and working from home,” he says.
“There’s challenges faced by employers where courts have revised the definition of a workplace and when the duty of care begins and ends—not just in health and safety legislation but in accident compensation and fair work laws as well.”
Before entering the safety profession, in addition to his time with Victoria Police Greg also worked as an operator for the Triple 0 emergency service.
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Workplace aggression, or occupational violence, is an issue today for many organisations that deal with the public.
Tiffany Plummer discussed the problem and strategies to help prevent and manage it.
She is responsible for programs at St Vincent's to train employees in aggression prevention and management strategies, and investigates critical incidents of aggression.
Tiffany also runs programs to help strengthen the resilience of hospital employees. There is an increasing call for such programs as healthcare workers and other service providers today deal with a decline in civility by the public.
St Vincent’s Hospital was a pioneer in strategies for dealing with occupational violence 20 years ago, and Tiffany’ current role was created six years ago.
In addition to her role as Aggression Coordinator Tiffany is also coordinator of St Vincent's Hospital’s successful Star Program for peer-to-peer support.
This program provides employees with trained colleagues to help them deal with stress in the workplace. They are available 24 hours a day to offer one-on-one support to workmates experiencing stressful events, provide information and referrals and facilitate team debriefing sessions e.g. after the death of a patient.
Tiffany has been with St Vincent’s Hospital for 27 years, working as an Emergency Care nurse before moving to the OHS department.
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As cranes have grown larger and more complicated so have the safety challenges.
An insight into how the industry works on safety with operators and companies was provided by Brandon Hitch.
He also provided an interesting insight and overview of how cranes worked, and where the risks lie.
Brandon discussed some prominent crane accidents and their causes, and extensive measures being taken to help prevent such incidents through initiatives such as the mobile crane industry’s Cranesafe program.
Before being appointed CEO of the Crane Industry Council, Brandon was General Manager of the industry’s Cranesafe program, overseeing the technical and day to day operations of the program nationally.
Brandon joined CICA four years ago after working as a senior engineer for companies in the USA and Australia. With bachelors and masters degrees in engineering, he is registered as a chartered engineer with Engineers Australia and is a licensed professional engineer in the USA.
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Having a safety strategy in place is not enough – what can you do to ensure employees are aligned with it?
Valerie Hudson outlined a different and more direct approach being taken by V/Line, Australia’s largest regional public transport operator.
She discussed her organisation’s new “Destination Zero” safety program and the reasons why it was needed. It’s a program that has to serve a workforce ranging from highly skilled technical personnel at head office, drivers and signal operators to track work gangs in remote locations across the State.
Sylvia described how V/Line is working to strengthen its employees’ connection to safety, responding to issues revealed by workplace surveys. This includes things such as using simpler language, changing the subject emphasis, and balancing the human element with the focus on compliance.
Before joining V/Line in late 2014, Sylvia was responsible for safety at Citywide, which delivers physical services to councils, mainly along the Eastern seaboard. Prior to that she had a national safety role with Visy and has worked in a number of manufacturing organisations, such as Trico and GM Holden. Sylvia has spent time working in the warehousing, transport and distribution sector and has experience in developing a Safety Management System for a greenfield operation.
Sylvia’s passion for safety first developed while working as a shoemaker in a manufacturing plant, complemented through time spent as an HSR. This led to her studying for a safety qualification and becoming a full-time safety professional in the 1990s.
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Few jobs are as high pressure and stressful as that of Emergency 000 operators. They deal constantly with life and death situations, often working with distressed, panicked and confused callers.
Helping them handle the stress of their job is the task of Stephen Dowling, whose role is focused not only on physical safety in the workplace but also on reducing the risk of psychological injury and mental health.
Stephen talked about his work with the 000 team, and discussed strategies for helping employees in stressful frontline situations with the use of Mental Health First Aid.
He outlined what was involved in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training and why workplaces should appoint people to this role as they did physical first aid officers.
Stephen also discussed intervention strategies for managing psychosocial risk in the workplace.
He has been a leader in dealing with workplace psychological injury for many years and helps a wide range of organisations and industries around the country develop systems to ensure their employees get help when they need it.
Stephen believes lack of knowledge and stigma about psychological injury can prevent people from seeking help early, and limit the ability of co-workers and managers to provide mental health first aid to their workmates until appropriate professional treatment is available.
To spread awareness in the wider community, Stephen helped develop the national RU OK? Program which encourages people to have meaningful conversations with family or friends who might be struggling, to check how they are going and support them.
As an ambassador for RU OK, he recently addressed a Workcover WA conference on mental health strategies for FIFO workers, a system which has been linked to a high rate of stress and mental health issues.
In addition to his role at ESTA, Stephen continues to work with the mining and oil industry, non-profit organisations, manufacturing, universities, the health sector, state-wide emergency services and other areas on mental health first aid and reducing the risk of psychological injury at work.
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Advances in software and mobile devices are bringing a revolution to safety management systems.View more of our presentations from previous years, in our Presentation Archives.
