December Updates
Axento Safety: Providing you with expert health and safety management solutions to enhance your business success.
Axento Safety’s focus
Axento Safety’s focus is to help create safe, healthy, innovative AND PRODUCTIVE workplaces. By working with Axento Safety, you can refocus on your productive activities, achieve them more safely and with greater peace of mind.
Seasons Greetings to all my valued clients and contacts. Thank you for your support over the past year and best wishes for a happy, safe and prosperous 2015
None of us really know how many incidents and injuries we have prevented but YET AGAIN, NOT ONE OF MY REGULAR CLIENTS HAS HAD A SERIOUS INCIDENT THIS YEAR! Keep up the good work. Stay safe during your festive season activities and come back refreshed for a successful New Year. Jon
NSW – Mining
The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Amendment Bill 2014 amends the mines Act to state that expressions used in the WHS Act and Regulation for general industry – such as “this Act”, “the Act” and “this Regulation” – also refer to the mines Act and Regulation. The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Amendment Bill 2014 amends the mines Act to state that expressions used in the WHS Act and Regulation for general industry –such as “this Act”, “the Act” and “this Regulation” – also refer to the mines Act and Regulation.
The Amendment Bill also makes it clear that regulatory action taken by WorkCover NSW is deemed to have also been taken by the mine safety regulator. The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Amendment Bill 2014 and explanatory notes; and Second Reading Speech are available from these links.
South Australia
The SA Return to Work Act 2014 has passed SA parliament and will replace the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986 on 1 July 2015.
Western Australia
The WA Work Health and Safety Bill 2014 has been tabled in WA parliament. Comments are to be submitted by 30 January 2015. Your feedback comments and a list of changes to the model WHS Bill can be found here: WA WHS Bill 2014: comments and changes . Three areas of the national Model WHS Bill that have not been adopted in the WA version are:
- Union right of entry – in WA, union right of entry for workplace safety reasons is provided under industrial relations legislation, and this is considered to be a more appropriate location than in workplace safety legislation;
- Safety and health representatives’ capacity to direct the cessation of work – it is believed that the decision to refuse to continue working where there is a serious risk of harm should remain with the individual worker; and
- Reverse onus of proof in discrimination matters – WA considers the inclusion of this section to be contrary to one of the issues that initiated the “harmonization process”.
VIC COP: Building and Construction Industry
The new Code of Practice for the Building and Construction Industry applies in Victoria from 8 October 2014. Available here: Victorian-Code-of-Practice-for-the-Building-and-Construction-Industry-2014.pdf
Safe Work Australia Developments, CEO Announcement
Michelle Baxter has been appointed as CEO of Safe Work Australia (SWA) for a period of 12 months from 1 November 2014. Michelle has been Acting CEO of SWA since Rex Hoy’s retirement.
Michelle summarizes Safe Work Australia Month, the Virtual Seminar series, actions under the Australian Strategy and the role of SWA. You can hear her comments on: Safe Work Australia: Looking-Ahead. While we are with SWA, they still have the Virtual Seminar series available including the following:
- Safety reputations and how they are easily lost and harder to rebuild?
- How incentive schemes for reporting near misses might work for your business?
- If regulator interventions are proportionate to the risk, coercive or cooperative?
- The moving stories behind safety and why it matters?
Hot Weather, Outdoor Work and the Risk of Snakebite.
According to WorkSafe Victoria, this season has already seen a number of workers bitten by snakes, with one death due to a tiger snake bite. WorkSafe have provided some useful information on prevention in the attached article: browse the rest of their “Safety Soapbox” for other articles at Worksafe Victoria. Safety Soapbox article on snakebite
Jons Comment: Having been involved in two snake issues over the past few days, I can attest to snakes being present and very active in some built up areas as well as rural areas.
And from NSW: Workers Urged to Stay Safe in the Heat
WorkCover NSW recently issued a reminder to businesses and workers to work safely in the heat following temperatures which rose into the 40s in many parts of the state. Read more.. Jons Comment: This is useful summary information in case you or your workers need a refresher.
What are The Safety Gaps in Annual Reports?
When it comes to OHS in annual reports, there is a substantial gap between what key stakeholders are expecting to see, and what companies are actually reporting, according to initial results of a study into the area. Read more…
Jons Comment: Over several years I have been fortunate to hear Dr Sharron O’Neill’s views on health and safety KPI’s and to discuss further possibilities with her such as encouraging innovation based health and safety KPIs. Sharron brief article available here is definitely worth reading. Hopefully her final sentence will get you thinking about measuring what is really important to safely running your business, or perhaps to ask me for assistance if needed.
How OHS Can Help Get Emergency Risk Management Right
There are three main strategic gaps when it comes to effective emergency risk planning and management strategies in the construction industry, according to an expert in the area. Read more… Jons Comment: I suggest that you review your emergency procedures to verify that you are adequately prepared should an emergency occur. Ensure that you also have a plan for recovery and business continuity.
The Role of Unsafe Design in Workplace Fatalities
More than one third of workplace fatalities could be due to poor safety design, according to a recent Safe Work Australia research report. Read more… Jons Comment: Use this article as a reminder to review your workplace to identify and manage design flaws that may put your workers at unacceptable risk.
Scary outcomes from 9V Batteries
The following link provides a scary illustration of how vulnerable we are at work, home and elsewhere if we don’t look after our 9V batteries safely https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnVDayI-gwI Jons Comment: A highly recommended 3 minutes of viewing, take it home to show your family, but don’t show little kids who may want to try it out.
Get Healthy at Work
Get Healthy at Work is a new NSW Government initiative that aims to improve the health of working adults by giving businesses all the tools, resources and support they need to develop an effective Workplace Heath Program. Available from: Get Healthy at Work
Are you new to Axento Safety?
If you are looking for a recognised expert health and safety advisor who is well qualified, experienced, pro-active and commercially astute – I invite you to contact me. Jon Temby, 0439 441 264
Assist your friends and colleagues: forward the ‘Axento Safety Update’ link to them.
Please don’t keep us a secret: we really appreciate your referrals.
Note: This communication provides a brief Health and Safety update; it does not constitute legal advice.