Central Safety Group Melbourne

November 2011

Regulatory accountability through an office of a Victorian Health and Safety Ombudsman

Presentation by: Jim Kent, Director, Jim Kent & Associates

Health and safety is increasingly important to society, at work and in the community. OHS offences are indictable and carry heavy fines. It is imperative that there be external review of the regulators of health and safety. Jim Kent spoke about his proposal for the establishment of a Health and Safety Ombudsman for Victoria at Central safety Group's meeting on 8 November, 2011. This role would encompass public authorities with a role in workplace and public safety, such as WorkSafe Victoria, EPA, Department of Health, Department of Primary Industry, Energy Safe Victoria and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
He described WorkSafe’s current review processes involving its Advisory Service Complaint System, VCAT, the DPP and the Public Service Ombudsman, using the example of a long-running workplace bullying case to highlight failings in the current process.
He also made reference to the use of Section 131 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which permits a person to request WorkSafe to launch a prosecution if one has not been commenced 6 months after the person believes an offence was committed.

The presenter:

Jim Kent & Associates (JKA) is a Victorian based, national occupational health and safety consultancy providing a range of specialist and technically authoritative services to clients with varying profiles – large, medium and small, with national and international interests. Having worked with WorkSafe for many years, JKA has an in depth understanding of health and safety law and the requirements of businesses in relation to these laws.

September 2011

National Health and Safety update–the new model laws

Presentation by: Steve Baltas, Manager, Strategic Policy–National OHS Reform, WorkSafe Victoria

Presentation package now available (members only)

WorkSafe Victoria is working towards harmonisation of OHS laws by 1 January 2012, but there are still a number of sign posts to pass on that journey. Steve Baltas, Manager, Strategic Policy–National OHS Reform for WorkSafe Victoria, gave an update to Central Safety Group on 13 September 2011. In particular, there has been a delay in adopting the model regulations while the Minister considers the Regulatory Impact Statement.
Steve also spoke about some of the key changes in the legislation and about WorkSafe Victoria’s communication strategy, as some Codes of Practice are about to be released for public comment.

The presenter:

Steve Baltas has been with WorkSafe Victoria for the last 11 years, working in management roles in the fields of strategic policy and safety reform. In 2010 he was appointed one of 4 directors of the National Health and Safety Reform Division to support the Health and Safety Business Unit, which was undergoing extensive restructuring, and to develop and implement a business plan for 2010/11. Since then he has been involved with leading and directing all the activities of a multi-disciplinary Strategic policy team to support Victoria’s role in the national OHS reform process established by COAG in 2008.

July 2011

Empowering your staff to self manage their stress

Presentation by: Will Shacklock, Principal Trainer, Master Your Mind

Presentation package now available (members only)

High stress has serious physical and psychological health effects, including high blood pressure and depressive modes.  However, there are programs available to reduce these stress-based psycho-social hazards. Will Shacklock, principal trainer at the Corporate Training Network and creator of the Master Your Mind program, outlined his program at Central Safety Group's meeting on12 July 2011. The Master Your Mind program aims to improve workplace functionality by giving staff the skills they need to self-manage their stress.
The presentation included a practical demonstration, in which he took attendees through a 10-minute mediation exercise.

The presenter:

Will Shacklock has over 20 years' experience training individuals and workplace teams to build stress resilience, increase productivity and engage more fully in their lives. Since the foundation of Master Your Mind in 2006, Will has been developing and delivering resilience programs within the public and private sectors. Prior to his career as a corporate trainer, Will held planning, environmental and development roles across the private, local government and state government sectors. He now specialises in training workplace groups to build resilience and better manage the process of change.

May 2011

Occupational Fraud and Abuse

Presentation by: Peter Callaway, Managing Director, RISQ Consulting Services

Presentation package now available (members only)

Fraud costs the Australian economy at least $3 billion per year, and the incidence of fraud is increasing year by year. At the same time Australian entities are ill-prepared to detect and prevent fraud against their businesses. Peter Callaway, Managing Director of RISQ Consulting Services, delved into this topic in detail at Central Safety Group's meeting on 10 May 2011.
He began by giving examples of some recent fraud and corruption cases and shared some recent survey results. He then went through what is involved in an investigation, including the myriad sources of information and common pitfalls. Michael also outlined 11 tips to protect yourself from fraudsters.