Central Safety Group Melbourne

June 2014

Advances in Harmonised OHS Legislation

Presentation by: Rhonda Murray, Director, National Fraud Response Unit and Regional Services Vic/Tas, Comcare

Presentation package now available (members only)

Advances in harmonised OHS legislation and the widening role of Comcare were outlined by Comcare Director Rhonda Murray at Central Safety Group's meeting on June 17, 2014.
In a move designed to widen access to the national Comcare workers compensation scheme, the Federal Government, in March this year, announced proposed legislative changes that would allow private sector organisations, who work across State borders, to be regulated by Comcare, which was originally set up to cover public sector employees. Rhonda discussed various aspects of this proposed legislation and the implications of new rules.
Rhonda also spoke about new approaches already being adopted by Comcare to be more procative when dealing with workplaces.

April 2014

Are we measuring safety performance the right way?

Presentation by: Conor O’Malley, Director, Global Safety Index - Safety Culture and Leadership Insights

Presentation package now available (members only)

Conor O’Malley, Director, Global Safety Index – Safety Culture and Leadership Insights, spoke at Central Safety Group’s meeting on 8 April, 2014, and discussed how measures and data collection usually fail to give insight into the safety climate, culture capability or competence of an organisation.
The Global Safety Index – GSI - has captured some useful findings with its Culture and Leadership surveys on what companies were doing well, as well as where the gaps lay. Conor discussed some survey findings in detail and the broad picture was that outputs were driven by culture, and that culture was driven by leadership.

The presenter:

Conor O'Malley has coached and led teams all his career as an Executive GM, with a strong supply chain background. His previous roles have been Chief Operating Officer for Glen Cameron Storage and Distribution, GM Logistics for Coles and the Group Executive at National Foods, responsible for Group Safety, Procurement, Shared Services, Logistics and Planning. Prior to coming to Australia in 2006 his career in the UK spanned 3rd Party Logistics and Wholesale supply chain management. He has a passion for strong safety leadership and, having had Executive accountability for safety in the Logistics and Manufacturing sectors, he has had success in leading organisations on a journey using leadership and culture as core drivers of that success. In 2013 he joined Global Safety Index as Sales and Distribution Director to support the co-founding Directors grow the business and is now on the Advisory Board.

October 2013

How CEOs, Executives and Boards can be assisted to drive OHS culture

Presentation by: Professor David Caple, OHS Consultant and Adjunct Professor, Centre for Ergonomics & Human Factors, La Trobe University, David Caple & Associates

Presentation package now available (members only)

Boards and executive teams can play a crucial role in driving safety culture. They are usually strongly motivated and interested and they place high importance on their organisation having a sound safety record. They also now have accountability under the WHS Act 2011 to ensure that health and safety obligations are met. That was the message from Professor David Caple in a lunchtime talk to Central Safety Group on 8 October, 2013.
David shared his experiences engaging with boards and senior executives. An observation he made was that, while keen to demonstrate safety culture leadership, boards often lack ideas on how to do this. David provided a number of very practical suggestions for OHS Managers, including how to assist their senior executive by presenting them with an OHS strategy.

The presenter:

Professor 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.

August 2013

Enforceable Undertaking: A catalyst for culture change

Presentation by: Maree Thomson, Safety Improvement Facilitator, Australian Air Express (AaE)

Presentation package now available (members only)

Accepting an enforceable undertaking (or EU) with Comcare as an alternative to prosecution for a safety breach proved a valuable exercise in improving OH&S decision making and safety culture for freight company Australian Air Express (AaE). This was the topic of a lunchtime presentation to Central Safety Group on August 13, 2013, by Maree Thomson, the company’s Safety Improvement Facilitator.
Maree said the company committed to review and rectify not only the specific factors which contributed to the incident, but also to conduct a critical review of all components of its safety management system and safety culture. It did this with the help of a highly successful collaborative project with the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), Australia’s leading transport safety research centre. Maree said the findings from this research were challenging for the company to hear, but very constructive.

The presenter:

Maree Thomson’s position as National Environment Health and Safety Manager Australia Air Express (AaE) commenced in 1999 after the company had recently acquired a Self-Insurance Licence. The experience was wide and varied having been involved in major project work with the building and fit-out of freight processing centres on the eastern seaboard, downsizing during the GFC, a demerger and the retail section being transferred to Star Track. In November 2012, Qantas acquired 100% ownership of AaE and Maree became Safety Improvement Faciltiator working with the Corporate Safety and Compliance team. Her task was to manage the implementation of findings from a research project undertaken by Monash University Accident Research Centre around cultural change. Prior to this, her health and safety experience was in food manufacturing.

June 2013

Site Visit: MacKillop Family Services

Presentation by: Jim Hinton, Manager Work Health and Safety, MacKillop Family Services

Presentation package now available (members only)

An historical overview of the MacKillop buildings in South Melbourne, which used to be an orphanage, was given by Jenny Glare, Manager Heritage & Information Service at MacKillop. Jenny accompanied us on a tour of the buildings.
Afterwards, Jim Hinton gave an insight into the OHS culture at MacKillop, which has about 800 employees and 400 volunteers, and takes responsibility for the highest risk children in Victoria. Jim outlined MacKillop's operational model that ensures health and safety is incorporated into all of their day-to-day operations.

April 2013

WAVE: The Breakaway Techniques

Presentation by: Ollie Matthews, National OHS Auditor, Healthscope

Presentation package now available (members only)

Handling violence or aggression in the workplace was the subject of an absorbing and useful presentation by our President, Alan 'Ollie' Matthews at Central Safety Group's meeting on April 9, 2013.
Ollie  shared details of a system for dealing with incidents of violence and aggression or occupational assault, which he developed for his employer Healthscope, one of Australia's largest private hospital and clinic operators.
The system he uses is the WAVE system - Workplace Aggression and Violence Education - which is a tool for identifying, de-escalating and keeping employees safe in aggressive or violent situations.

The presenter:

Alan (Ollie) Matthews’ career in OHS stretches back as far as the early days of Central Safety Group itself. In 1974 he became technical advisor for Pratt Safety Systems, where he worked with the authorities to develop HAZCHEM signage for vehicles and buildings, and also specialised in the safe storing and dispensing of chemicals and flammable liquids. In 1986 Ollie commenced as the first OHS Manager with the now John Fawkner Private Hospital in Coburg. By 1991 he was OHS Manager for 5 hospitals, eventually becoming the National OHS Auditor for Healthscope hospitals across Australia. In 2003 he was elected President of Central Safety Group, a position he still holds. Recently he was awarded Life Membership of CSG.

November 2012

Workplace Psychological First Aid

Presentation by: Rhonda Brand, Organisational Psychologist, Xchanging

Presentation package now available (members only)

Stress can be both positive and negative (distress). When an event occurs in a workplace that causes distress, psychological first aid is an effective tool for assisting workers to deal with it. That was the topic of a talk to Central Safety Group on November 13, 2012 by Rhonda Brand, Organisational Psychologist at Xchanging.
Rhonda outlined the many and various responses to a critical incident that a person may experience, ranging from physiological to psychological, emotional and behavioural. She then spoke about psychological first aid, what it involves and what it is not. Rhonda also gave examples of the application of psychological first aid to particular organisations.

The presenter:

Rhonda became Psychologist/Organisational Development Consultant for Xchanging in 2006. During this time she has been involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of targeted interventions to reduce incidents and severity of psychological injuries across Victorian workplaces. Her work was recognised at the 2010 WorkSafe Awards in the category of Best OHS solution in the Public Sector & Community Services. The framework Rhonda developed was the first stress prevention model recognised in 22 years of the prestigious safety awards. Rhonda has a BA in Psychology & Sociology from Monash University as well as a Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology/Organisational Psychology from Victoria University.

September 2012

Safety and upgrade of the Western Ring Road

Presentation by: Fred Worboys, Quality Officer, Tulla Sydney Alliance

Presentation package now available (members only)

Jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments, the M80 Ring Road Upgrade is a $2.25 billion project under the federal Nation Building Program. 20000 trucks currently use the Ring Road each day and the project is expected to be completed by mid-2014.
Fred Worboys, Senior Project Engineer at Hyder Consulting has been engaged as Quality Officer for the Tulla Sydney Alliance (TSA), which is constructing the section between Sydney Road and the Calder Freeway.
At Central Safety Group's meeting on September 11, 2012, Fred outlined the high risk environment faced day-to-day by road construction personnel. He also spoke extensively about a number of strategies being employed by TSA to mitigate the risks of working in “live traffic”.

The presenter:

Fred Worboys has been Senior Project Engineer at Hyder Consulting since 2009. He has extensive experience in technical and commercial roles and his fields of expertise include Project Management; Quality Management & Auditing; Systems Conceptualisation, Development & Management; Personnel Management & Recruitment and Contract Management. Fred has a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from La Trobe University and a Masters in Systems Engineering from RMIT University.

July 2012

What happened to harmony? Managing partial national reform

Presentation by: Steve Bell, Senior Associate, Freehills

Presentation package now available (members only)

It has taken about 5 years to achieve harmony in OHS law between the Commonwealth, Queensland, NSW, Tasmania, ACT and NT, but it is likely to take another 5 years to achieve harmonious workers compensation laws. The implications of this were discussed by Steve Bell, Senior Associate at Freehills at Central Safety Group's meeting on July 10, 2012.
Steve began by discussing the various legal issues following a workplace incident and the current status of the Model Laws.
He then took us through the key concepts and new terms by comparing the old & new legislation. He also spoke extensively about the concept of due diligence.

The presenter:

A leading work health and safety lawyer, Steve Bell, Senior Associate at Freehills, advises and represents businesses on all aspects of safety regulation. Steve holds a law degree from the University of Melbourne (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in political science.

April 2012

A Force for Good? BP, Safety and the Pitfalls of Corporate Culture

Presentation by: Ross Macfarlane, Director and OHS Risk Manager, RM The Risk Manager

Presentation package now available (members only)

In 2000, BP relaunched itself with a new logo, slogan and the 4 core values of being Green, Progressive, Innovative and Performance driven. However, since 2005, it has become responsible for some of the worst safety and environmental disasters of the past decade. How did this happen?
Ross Macfarlane, OHS Risk Manager and former HSSEQ Manager at BP, gave his perspective on this at Central Safety Group's meeting on April 11, 2012. In analysing these events, he pointed to the corporate culture at the company and suggested that people throughout BP firmly believed in the 4 core values, but neglected the day-to-day management of hazards and risks and failed to learn the lessons from each disaster.
However, he concluded that there were positive messages to come out of this, including the importance of investing continuously in safety. In this way, BP's experiences have become a force for good.

The presenter:

Ross Macfarlane worked in various management roles at BP from 2001-2008. Prior to that he worked with Castrol and Betz Laboratories. In November 2008 he formed a private consultancy specialising in safety and risk management for industry. He has extensive experience in a range of industries, including chemical and petrochemical, mining, steel and aluminium, automotive and general manufacturing, timber, pulp and paper, construction, aviation and health.

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.

October 2010

Demystifying fire & essential safety measures compliance in Victoria

Presentation by: Russ Porteous, CEO, Maintenance Essentials

Presentation package now available (members only)

All owners and occupiers of buildings and places of public entertainment have extensive obligations under the Building Regulations (Vic) 2006 in relation to essential safety measures At his presentation to Central Safety Group on 12 October 2010, Russ Porteous, CEO of Maintenance Essentials, provided a guide to navigating these obligations.
He gave information both for the preparation of an annual essential safety measures report and for building owners to satisfy themselves that essential safety measures are being maintained properly. This included a 9-point checklist that he said would help building owners & agents sleep at night.

The presenter:

Over the last 20 Years, Russ Porteous has worked with the ‘big guns’ in the fire protection industry, multinationals such as Wormald and Tyco, honing his skills in fire safety, building design, sales, communication, marketing and technology. In 2001, Russ seized an opportunity to start a new venture, Maintenance Essentials, and bring together a team of competent professionals to this fire protection consultancy. With a head office in Melbourne, Maintenance Essentials provides strategic fire protection services to commercial, government, residential, healthcare and other properties throughout Victoria.

August 2010

Communicating safety through modern technology

Presentation by: Kevin Jones, Author, SafetyAtWorkBlog.com

Presentation package now available (members only)

The advent of the internet and social media means that there is now a myriad way to communicate to the world, whether for good or ill. For safety professionals, it offers a whole new way to circulate worthwhile safety messages. Kevin Jones, author & blogger at SafetyAtWorkBlog.com guided us through this new landscape at Central Safety Group's meeting 10 August 2010.
Kevin analysed a number of platforms and gave tips on how to ensure your safety messages are noticed, as well as how to identify credible websites and blogs. Kevin’s own blog has been operating for 2.5 years and attracts up to 18,000 readers a month. He noted that social media can never diminish the advantages of the type of face-to-face meeting offered by Central Safety Group.

The presenter:

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 at safetyoz.podbean.com

June 2010

Management Systems & Assessments

Presentation by: Terry Dold, Certification Manager, Davis Langdon Certification Services

Presentation package now available (members only)

According to AS/NZS 4801:2001, there are many reasons why organisations implement an Occupational Health & Safety Management System, including legal imperatives, ethical concerns, industrial relations considerations and to improve financial performance. Implementation of an effective OHSMS should, however, primarily lead to a reduction of workplace illness and injury.
Terry Dold, Certification Manager at Davis Langdon Certification Services discussed the AS/NZS 4801:2001 model at Central Safety Group's meeting on 8 June 2010, and how certification can contribute to the success of an OHSMS. He explained the difference between accreditation and certification and gave a detailed account of the certification process.

The presenter:

Terry Dold has 20+ years experience as Insurance Premium Auditor and Safety Inspector in the USA, prior to moving to Australia in 2002. as I am now auditing Management Systems for a JAS-ANZ accredited Certification Body. He has been Certification Manager at Davis Langdon Certification Services since 2006, where he specialises in Management System development & implementation; 3rd Party Certification audits for Quality (9001), Safety (4801/18001) & Environment (14001) and 2nd Party Audits for supply chain verification.

March 2010

Community Fire Safety – it is happening

Presentation by: Kelvin Blackney, Chairman, Safety Institute of Australia (Geelong Branch)

Presentation package now available (members only)

Kelvin Blackney's experience as a firefighter in the 1969 Lara fires, which destroyed 44 homes, made him determined to set up an effective community-based fire property preparation system. At Central Safety Group's meeting on 16 March 2010, Kelvin shared the 4-step process he has developed for any community or workplace to use to prepare for bushfire or wildfire attacks.
There was no powerpoint presentation to accompany this talk, but in the meantime, Kelvin has written a submission to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission on behalf of the Safety Institute of Australia, in which he describes his 4-step community plan in detail. It is attached here for members to view.

The presenter:

Kelvin Blackney joined the Lara Rural Fire Brigade in the 1960s. In 1993 he received the Community Individual award at the Victorian Fire Awareness Awards. As chairman of the Safety Institute of Australia (Geelong Branch), he became aware in 2001 of a culture improvement process called Values-Driven Safety (VDS) and introduced the concepts into the construction industry. He also believes it has a place in Community Fire Safety culture. He is a Member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and a Registered Safety Professional.