TRADIES NATIONAL HEALTH MONTH
August is Tradies National Health Month which aims to raise awareness of the risks posed to those who work in trade occupations – among individuals, their families, employers and the wider community.
The trade industry in Australia continues to have the highest health and safety issues of any sector despite all the improvements made in recent years.
Initiated by the Australian Physiotherapy Association the Tradies National Health Month is a good opportunity for employers to spread the health and safety message.
The website provides information for both workers and employers.
There are free resources available for employers and also information on how a free-of charge worksite assessment provided by an APA physiotherapist can be organised.
To find how you can get involved and benefit from this initiative visit Tradies Health Website
YOUNG WORKERS CENTRE IS CONDUCTING A SURVEY
The Young Workers Centre is a one-stop-shop for young workers who want to learn more about their rights at work or who need assistance in resolving workplace issues.
Currently, the Young Workers Centre is conducting an on-line survey with the aim of obtaining information about life at work. The survey is anonymous and those participating will go into the draw to win an iPad.
The survey closes on 21 August 2016.
More information can be obtained by clicking on the following links:
Young Workers Centre info
Young Worker Survey 2016
FRESH SAFETY PODCASTS
Cabbage Salad and Safety is a series of podcasts based around conversations with Siobhan Flores-Walsh, a work health and safety lawyer with Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and Kevin Jones, a workplace safety consultant and editor of the award-winning SafetyAtWorkBlog. Each episode focuses on one or two safety topics.
Episode 1 – Resilience and Psychological Health
The discussion covers workplace psychological health and the way some businesses deal with it. It makes reference to a number of resources such as Resilience training and the potential offered by using the National Standard of Canada’s “Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace Standard” given that Australia does not have a standard for this area.
Listen to the Podcast
Episode 2 – Who is responsible for Workplace Safety?
This episode features a comparison of legal and non-legal views about responsibility for safety in the workplace.
Listen to the Podcast
WORKSAFE VICTORIA IS SEEKING PUBLIC COMMENT ON CHANGES TO OHS REGULATIONS
Victorians are encouraged to have their say on changes being proposed to Victoria’s OHS regulations.
The changes have been designed to modernise and streamline the existing OHS Regulations 2007, which automatically expire in June 2017.
Proposed changes affect regulations in important categories such as Plant, Mines, Asbestos and Major Hazard Facilities.
Some of the changes relate to high risk work licence classes and requirements, safety management obligations relating to major hazard facilities, mining hazards, entry into a mine, communication and safe air levels in mines, chemical labelling, asbestos removal work and record keeping.
The Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2007 are also being updated.
Public comments will be accepted until Friday, 9 September 2016. Comments can be provided online, via email or by post.
More information is available on WorkSafe’s new public comment website
AUSTRALIAN WHS STATISTICS
As at 5 August, 100 Australians workers have been killed at work in 2016.
In the top 3 industries 2 have a higher number of fatalities than this time last year:
Transport, postal & warehousing – 32 compared to 30 in 2015
Agriculture, forestry & fishing – 28
Construction – 14 compared to 13 in 2015
It is worth mentioning that two industry sectors have performed significantly better than last year:
Mining with only 3 fatalities compared to 8 at same time in 2015
Manufacturing with no fatalities this year – Well done!
More at: Safe Work Australia
QUAD BIKE REBATE SCHEME IN VICTORIA
Victorian farmers are being encouraged to take part in a $6 million rebate scheme to help reduce quad bike deaths in Victoria.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the scheme at the Victorian Farmers Federation annual conference recently.
Eligible farmers will be offered up to $600 each for up to two quad bikes to fit rollover protection (known as an operator protection device, or OPD), or $1200 towards the cost of buying a more appropriate work vehicle.
WorkSafe Victoria and the Victorian Farmers Federation are working through final details of the scheme, which will begin later this year. The scheme will be administered by the VFF.
The rebate will be available to businesses in Victoria who have no more than 19 employees, and where agriculture is their primary source of income. Farmers with no employees will also be eligible if they are based in Victoria and agriculture is their primary source of income.
The rebates will be offered on a first in, first served basis.
WorkSafe will soon be launching a major public awareness campaign in regional Victoria to warn of the risks associated with using quad bikes in the workplace.
The full article is available here.
WORKPLACE BULLYING PREVENTION WORKSHOPS PROVIDED TO GTO STAFF
AEN have engaged BullyZero to deliver a Workplace Bullying Prevention workshop to staff of Member GTOs.
Some of the topics covered include:
- What is bullying and what are its impact on the worker and the workplace
- Different forms of bullying
- Relevant legislation and the Legal responsibilities of workers and employers
- Strategies to respond and mange bullying
The details of the workshop are:
Date and time: Wednesday 28th September from 9.30am – 1.00pm
Location: AEN Office, Level 3, 478 Albert Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002
For more information please download the flyer and return your registration form by email to rozalia@aen.org.au
SafetyFirst - Ahead of the Action
Your own branded learning management system not only benefits your apprentices and trainees, it also benefits you as a business. You need not worry about putting your resources out of play for a day or two just to conduct the program. With SafetyFirst's online safety induction training, you'll enjoy benefits such as:
- Assist in meeting compliance - designed as tools to assist managers and supervisors to meet their Work Health and Safety obligations
- Do it anytime - The training course is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Interactive and engaging - easy to use by various learners, entertaining content for a more enjoyable learning experience
- Cost-effectiveness
- Consistency - ability to maintain a particular standard with staff WHS training
- Results – immediate results and feedback that identify further training needs
SafetyFirst can assist you in creating a safe work environment for all your new employees, apprentices and trainees.
A free trial of the material can be found here - demo.safetyfirst.org.au
Learn more about SafetyFirst
SafetyFirst is an initiative of the Group Training Association of Victoria. Visit our site to keep up to date with the latest Health and Safety news Australia wide. SafetyFirst.org.au
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