Thinking you wont be caught?

Some interesting data from the Safe Work Australia Comparative Performance Monitoring Report (link below). Especially for workplaces who may be thinking there are only two chances of getting caught breaching the WHS Act.

A summary of the compliance and enforcement activities show that in 2010–11 there were:

•  79,290 proactive workplace visits around Australia
•  61,588 reactive workplace visits around Australia
•  11,01 field active inspectors employed around Australia
•  57, 611 notices were issued by Australian jurisdictions
•  397 legal proceedings against businesses were finalised, and
•  Australian courts handed out  $15.5 million in fines.

 For more details hit the link below. Other data includes:

• Progress against the National OHS Strategy
• WHS Performance including- Serious claims, Long term claims,  Fatalities
• Industry information - claims by industry, Premium rates by industry.

and more.


Safe Work Australia Comparative Performance Monitoring Report

Bullying a WHS Risk?

Myths about workplace bullying.


HC online have an interesting thread regarding Workplace bullying.


It seems that there are certain workplace hazards/risks that people feel are unable to be addressed utilising the WHS Act.

They tend to fall under "people behaviour". Maybe it's because low "industrial risk" workplaces don't see a place for the WHS Act or that because it's people related and not machine, plant or heavy physical work it doesn't apply.

Under the WHS Act Sect 19 (3) (c) a person
conducting a business or undertaking must ensure,
so far as is reasonably practicable:
(a) the provision and maintenance of a work
environment without risks to health and
safety; and
....(c) the provision and maintenance of safe
systems of work;

If the systems of work are not preventing bullying then they need reassessment. Utilise the risk management process to keep it objective. The "Health" part of Work Health and Safety relates to a persons well being at work. If work is the factor or a contributing factor to a person being bullied then assess it and manage it.
It's not always easy dealing with the human side of WHS but when done well it can the more satisfying aspects.

Like help with utilising WHS to manage bullying? Send an email and we will be happy to assist.

What does the board need to know about Work Health Safety?

Duty of Officers,  Section 27 of the Work Health Safety Act 201

Do you report WHS activity to the board or any other form of "Officers"?
With the first anniversary of the introduction of the WHS Act rapidly approaching it is a good time to review what you report and whether is assists the officers meet their obligations.

What are the obligations?

Under Section 27 (1) Duty of Officers.  -->

An officer….must exercise due diligence to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking complies with that (WHS) duty or obligation.

Due diligence includes:

• acquire & keep up to date knowledge of WHS matters,
• understanding the nature of operations & generally of the associated hazards and risks. 
• ensure PCBU has available:
•  and uses appropriate resources & processes to eliminate or minimise WHS risks. 
• appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks and responding to them in a timely way.
• and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation under the WHS Act.
• The officers Verifying the provision and use of resources.

 Now is the time to review your reporting to boards and senior management. 

It is also important that the board are offered the opportunity to understand the WHS risks associated with the business operations. Don't just put it on paper give a presentation or have an expert deliver it. It need only be 15 minutes plus question time.

Check what information is provided to the board by people from other areas of risk or/and quality. This may provide a great opportunity to commence integrating risk operations.

 Work Risk Solutions can help put the presentation together and help deliver it if required.

Send an email to david@workrisksolutions.com.au for more information.  

Outdoor concert or event safety

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/arts/music/advocating-for-outdoor-concert-safety-standards.html/?_r=0

Outdoor Event Safety is a topic that may not be that well thought about. Read the New York Times Article and have something to think about before you attend or organise an outdoor concert or event.

We at Work Risk Solutions have developed systems for indoor events that utilise mobile technology. We are now giving serious thought on how to extend it to outdoor events.

Oh S***

 
 ‘Oh S…!’: New government safety campaign launched, free info sessions on offe

The Corporate Risk & Insurance e-news has an interesting story relating to the Tasmanian Governments WHS legislation awareness raising campaign. Titled oh s*** the Tasmanian government is reminding workplaces it's time to get their act together in terms of meeting responsibilities under the Work Health Safety Act 2011.

It's good to see a less dry approach to promoting WHS.

If you are concerned now is the time to get a move on. Before we know it Melbourne Cup will come and go and suddenly Santa is about to visit.

Our advice is plan first and follow the risk management approach. This may be the time to consider getting in some help.

Work Risk Solutions has found that the clients we help via planning assistance and a mentor approach have a more robust and workable WHS system than organisations that do a rush job..  The rushed method of trying to get everything done in a short time frame has the risk of  watching it all collapse when the assistance/consultant leaves.

Don't forget the "Board". The WHS Act puts fairly high expectations on boards so include them in considerations from the beginning.

Can a WHS Risk lead to an opportunity for process improvement

If WH&S systems really wants to adopt a risk management approach (or become a component of integrated risk management) then opportunity needs to be a consideration.

Currently the process of  WH&S risk assessment and  the development of  subsequent risk controls do not consider the aspect of opportunity.

How can something considered to be a risk to peoples health and safety be considered an opportunity?

As mentioned in a previous blog (Is OHS blanketing  process risk managements -19/6/11) concentrating solely on WHS risk may lead to being blind to process risk. If, when WHS risk factors are reviewed during the assessment phase, consideration is given to the context of the risk an opportunity for process improvement may be identified. The resulting risk controls or risk treatments will then benefit both people safety and process efficiency.

Another way of looking at it may be: can this WHS risk control (or aspects of it) be applied to other areas of operation?

WRS has a client who invested a lot of effort in consultation to ensure a workable WHS system for Event Management, Property Management & Contractor Management. One aspect was introducing an assessment tool for Events and Contractor Management that could be performed on a mobile device (phone or ipad). It was quickly discovered that the mobile tool provided an opportunity to  benefit other areas of operations and more assessments (non WHS) were added to the mobile system leading to improved efficiencies and record keeping.

Remembering to incorporate opportunity as a component of WH&S risk management will lead to improved safety and efficiency. It will also assist in keeping people engaged in the risk management process whether it be WH&S or Process Systems.

Anyone seen Jonah?

So many topics to pick from this fortnight. The risk of not winning gold. The risk of watching the olympics and ending up with Eddie commentating (maybe it's Channel 9s version of Roy & HG).
But I have chosen the "biggest" story of last week; taking apart a decomposing whale.

Imagine showing up for work in National Parks. Gosh it's a lovely day for a walk around my bit of the park. Biggest risk? ".. avoiding arrows of National Park feral animal controllers" (see todays August 6, Herald pg 5 story of a Joey injured by an arrow). As you're getting ready a call comes through " look Bob it's a great day for the beach so could you grab your chainsaw and head out to Newport Beach?"
You beaut a day at the beach. Pulling up you notice a few more rangers and a back hoe on the beach. Stepping out of your ute the stench of rotting flesh hits you. My god whose had a curry and beer night! No one, you're here to cut up the dead decomposing carcass of a whale!

Where do you start with the site and job risk assessment?
1. Job is sited right on the high tide mark.
 - risk of drowning or just you swimming out to sea to get away from the smell. (Hoping the sharks sense of smell has failed them).
- The hazard of the beast rolling around as each wave washes up to it provides the enticing risk of being squashed by the smelly slimy thing.

2. Positioning yourself inside the belly of the beast. Beautiful! congealed blood, other whale body fluids dripping down. Standing on a rib or liver is rather slippery with the added risk of a few chainsaws being waved around by others in the same boat. Others who are gagging, trying not to look at what it is they are cutting up and generally thinking cleaning the sewage works would be better.

3. Being frightened to death as Jonah steps out of the whales' stomach and asks what has taken so long to rescue him.

And so it goes.

Controlling such risks needs some creativity.
Eliminate: Just leave the thing there. I suppose the locals would complain but you know we have to take a stand against this ever increasing NIMBYism. This is where the blanket statement of last weeks blog comes in handy: For health and safety reasons we can't let our workers near the whale. It's a natural event and we think we should let nature take its course.
Transfer the risk: Ask the Japanese whale scientific testers if they would like a free whale - to be removed at their cost.
Reduce the number of people handling the whale: Leave it until the swell drops and tow it out to sea. There is a possibility that every shark within a 100km radius will drop in for the feeding frenzy. When the frenzy is over what are those sharks going to eat next? Ocean swim anyone.

Ultimitely it comes down to turning the operation into a reality TV show - the Northern Beaches version of the Shire maybe.

We are looking for more identifiable whale risks and the associated management of such risks. So please forward them. We may even turn this into a competition! Include a name for the reality TV show - must be more inspiring than the pathetic Hobbitish name "The Shire".