October Updates
Legislation Update:
The Victorian Treasurer, Gordon Rich-Phillips, has introduced the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Bill 2013 into Parliament. If passed, the Bill is expected to become operational on 1 July 2014.
The Bill is designed to amalgamate the Accident Compensation Act 1985 and the Accident Compensation (WorkCover Insurance) Act 1993 into a single Act that is simpler and easier to use.
I understand that the Bill is not intended to change the benefits available to injured workers, or the way that premium is calculated. Return to Work arrangements for all existing and new claims are supposed to be the same under the new Bill.
Information on the Bill is available on the WorkSafe website at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au. You will also find comparison tables that show how the Bill matches up to the existing legislation.
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Hot weather, sweating and electric shocks
Work safety authorities in the Northern Territory have put out a timely warning for all workers to be wary of electric shocks from excessive sweating while operating powered tools.
“Welders often receive shocks when sweat soaked gloves and clothing offer a better return path than the metal being welded, often this occurs due to a failure to maintain effective earthing between materials being welded.”
“Power drills, grinders, welders and tech screw guns are the most common power tools to cause electric shocks during hot humid build up conditions. Sweat runs over the power tool being used often entering the trigger and air vents causing surface tracking over the plastic shell.”
NT WorkSafe says that modern protection systems mean this kind of electrical shock is not too often fatal, but can lead to a lot of lost work through extended medical supervision.
The 11 point plan to combat heat stress – consider:
- Rescheduling work so hot tasks are performed during the cooler part of the day
- Doing work at a different location
- Wearing light clothing that still provides adequate protection from the sun and other hazards
- Reducing the time spent doing hot tasks (eg. job rotation)
- Providing extra rest breaks in a cool area
- Using mechanical aids to reduce physical exertion
- Keeping people away from hot processes
- Allowing workers to acclimatise
- Providing cool drinking water close by (workers should drink about 200ml of water every 15-20 minutes in very hot conditions)
- Providing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as wide brim hat and sunscreen for outdoor workers or reflective aprons and face shields for reducing exposure to radiant heat
- Providing workers with information, instruction and training on recognising heat-related illness and first aid, as well as providing first aid facilities and access to medical assistance.
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Is High Visibility Clothing becoming the new camouflage? YES
Recent visits to several clients have identified that high visibility clothing can actually camouflage workers when we also use the same colours to highlight plant, equipment, barriers, corners, buildings etc.
EASY SOLUTION: Ensure one colour for your workers and other colours for everything else.
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Safe Work Australia Month smart phone app now available!
For the first time a smart phone app has been developed by Safe Work Australia. The Safe Work Australia Month app will put information on the hundreds of events being held around Australia during Safe Work Australia Month at your fingertips. It will also provide you with Take10@10 ideas and work health and safety statistics for sharing in your workplace. You can download the free app from the Apple App store or the Google Play store by searching for Safe Work Australia Safety Month.
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Some interesting info from the USA – it’s worth skimming through.
There are many parallels between Australian and US incident data however the consensus is that there is a ratio of about 7:1 not the very conservative just over 2:1 indirect to direct costs as stated in the following infographic: The True Cost Of Work Related Injuries
This is a simple graphic representation of some of the costs involved when an employee is injured at work. Lost wages, low morale, lost productivity, familial stress, recruitment and much more.
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Are your SWMS helping you, your workers and your business?
- Are they too long?
- Do your workers need to know all the information included?
- Are you wasting valuable time on non job-specific information better placed elsewhere?
- Do your SWMS really assist safe operations?
Simplifying SWMS reduces risks. I will again be speaking publicly, this time in Albury on 31/10/2013 to assist rethinking about how SWMS can be a more effective risk management strategy. This is a FREE EVENT, if you would like to attend please contact: www.eventbrite.com.au/event/
Call Jon Temby to assist your SWMS upgrade.