Central Safety Group Melbourne

March 2015

Key OHS issues for employers in 2015

Presenters:

Carolyn Davis, Manager, Work Health and Safety and Worker’s Compensation Policy, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
Phil Lovelock, Senior OHS Consultant and Specialist Policy Advisor, Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI)

Presentation package now available (members only)

What are some of the most pressing OHS issues facing employers in 2015?
Both national and Victorian perspectives were presented at Central Safety Group's lunchtime talk on March 17, 2015. The national scene was discussed by Carolyn Davis, Manager Work Health and Safety and Worker’s Compensation Policy with the ACCI.
This was followed by Phil Lovelock presenting a more detailed look at what’s currently happening in Victoria. Issues for VECCI include the state of flux within WorkSafe Victoria itself and the alignment of regulations with the Model WHS legislation.
Both Carolyn and Phil are responsible for informing and representing businesses of all sizes and sectors of the economy. ACCI is a peak organisation which represents at national level VECCI and other state chambers of commerce and industry associations. VECCI is Victoria's most influential employer group, directly representing 15,000 members.

The presenter:

Carolyn Davis has a background in industrial chemistry and occupational hygiene, and has been involved in WHS management, policy and advocacy for more than 20 years. She currently represents industry on a range of issues with Safework Australia and other agencies.

The presenter:

Phil Lovelock is a qualified Occupational Health and Safety specialist who provides occupational health and safety assistance to a wide range of industries. He also conducts a number of OHS courses for VECCI and provides input to WorkSafe Victoria.

August 2014

Victoria's Emergency Management Reform

Presentation by: Tony Murphy, Director of Capability and Response, Emergency Management Victoria

Presentation package now available (members only)

Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) was launched on 1 July as a single authority to coordinate all State emergency services’ response to emergencies and disasters. It is the first of its kind in Australia and represents a step change in emergency management by the State.
Tony Murphy, Director of Capability and Response, Emergency Management Victoria, presented to Central Safety Group on August 12, 2014, and spoke about the creation of this new authority in the wake of emergencies, such as Black Saturday. Reports highlighted shortfalls in integration between the emergency service agencies and so EMV was created to address this.
Tony outlined the agency’s brief, which includes reaching out and working in conjunction with communities and business as well as Government as a whole, not just agencies involved with emergency services.
Tony also explained the newly-established control arrangements for response to Class 1 emergencies, as well as the incident management structure.
As a result of this integration, the approach to health and safety requires an overhaul. It is a key agenda item for EMV and is being led from the top. Tony said there was recognition of the importance of aligning operational standards and procedures and having a joined-up, consistent approach to health and safety across the different emergency service agencies.

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.