Southern Ultimate Sign Installations Pty Ltd (Southern USI) pleaded guilty at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court this week to one charge of failing to provide a safe system of work.

The incident happened on 9 November 2010 when the worker and his colleague were dismantling an advertising sign at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston.

The court heard the worker was taking off a metal rod at the top of the sign – which had to be removed so he could install a new banner – when it hit an overhead power line, sending 22,000 volts though his body.

The worker remained in intensive care for five days and has since undergone extensive skin grafts to treat third degree burns, the court was told.

A WorkSafe investigation found the company failed to ensure employees had sufficient training when working near powerlines at this particular site.

The investigation also found the company could have installed “fixed tracking” at the site, which would have prevented the worker from being able to remove the metal rods over his shoulder, striking the power lines.

The court heard that following the incident, Southern USI undertook a range of remedial measures, including fixing the metal tracking at the site, providing training in “no go zones” areas for its employees and mandating the use of a “spotter” in all jobs.

Magistrate Anthony Parsons convicted and fined the company $50,000 and ordered it pay almost $6000 in legal costs.

WorkSafe Construction and Utilities Acting Director, Allan Beacom, hoped this case served as a reminder of the dangers associated with working near powerlines.

“Understanding “no go zones” when working near power lines is essential and strict procedures must be implemented,” he said.

“Not doing so greatly increases the risk of workers receiving an electric shock through either direct contact with the powerlines or due to arcing of the electricity.”

Want to know more or need help? Why not contact us here.

Employers must have an overall safety program including relative site specific safety information where applicable. The safety training program should cover topics such as:

• Accident Prevention and Safety Promotion
• Safety Compliance
• Accident and Emergency Response
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Safety Practices
• Equipment and Machinery
• Chemical and Hazardous Materials Safety
• Workplace Hazards
• Employee Involvement

Employers must document all training as a record of their staff’s attendance.  Creating a training matrix will help keep track of who has been trained, when they were trained, the training topic, and when it is time for refresher training.  Employees must also sign an official sign-in sheet provided by the employer that can serve as proof that employees received proper training.  The sign in sheet must have a broad description of what is being covered in the training.  Tests or quizzes on the presented material can help gauge employee understanding of the material and highlight topics that need to be reviewed.  It is also important to do refresher training as this reminds the employees of the content and what it means to them.

The non-English speaking population is consistently growing in many industries and it is important that employers provide bilingual training for those workers, as OSHA requires that all employees be properly trained.

Most employees display attitudes of disinterest and dread at the thought of attending a safety training, which can leave the trainer feeling frustrated and unappreciated.  It is the trainer’s duty to make safety training fun and educational and with examples the employees can relate to, which will help the trainees to retain the information, enjoy the course, and apply the learning to their work and lives. 

Benefits of a training program:

An effective training program can reduce the number of injuries and deaths, property damage, legal liability, illnesses, workers’ compensation claims, and missed time from work.  

Safety training classes help establish a safety culture in which employees themselves help to promote proper safety procedures while on the job.  It is important that new employees be properly trained and embraces the importance of workplace safety as it is easy for seasoned workers to negatively influence new staff.  That negative influence however, can be purged with the establishment of new, hands-on, innovative effective safety training which will ultimately lead to an effective safety culture.  

If you would like more information about how Safety Concepts can assist with your training needs drop us an email at joanne@safetyconcepts.com.au

Manual handling contributes directly to a significant percentage of work related accidents and injuries. Manual handling is an issue that must be addressed as an ongoing subject in the workplace and education and training is an important factor when managing risks especially manual handling risks.

This training program covers:
• Detailed description of manual handling
• The problems and how injuries are caused
• The types of injuries
• Steps to deal with manual handling & correct lifting techniques

DURATION: 12 Minutes

This training program comes with a Facilitators Guide and Questionnaire for your employees to complete and for you to keep on their records as confirmation of their manual handling training.

Please note – This training download is valid for 12 months from date of purchase and can only be accessed from the computer in which it is downloaded onto. We suggest downloading onto a laptop or the designated training computer and use of projector for classroom type delivery!

Once payment has been received the training download will be emailed to you with login details within 24 hours.

Price: $49.95

To purchase simply email me at joanne@safetyconcepts.com.au and I will organise immediately.

Proper induction training is increasingly a legal requirement and employers have a formal duty to provide new employees with all relevant information and training relating to health and safety, particularly.

Every employer has obligations to its employees under workplace laws. In fact all people who work in the construction industry need an induction to Occupational Health and Safety before they can commence on a work site. All construction workers have a role to play in making sure that people are safe at work.

In turn there are also quite important obligations on the employees to follow safe working procedures and take reasonable precautions to prevent personal injury to themselves or to others. One of the proven ways to meet those obligations is to create an induction program that every new employee completes when they first start with the employer.

However, designing an appropriate and cost-effective induction package is a complex task. The induction programme has to provide all the information that new employees and others need, and are able to assimilate, without being overwhelming or diverting them from the essential process of integration into a team. A well constructed OHS Induction Program can pay dividends for the organisation and there are some simple steps that you can take to ensure your OHS Induction is worlds best practice.

• Agree on the outcome in mind. The term ‘induction’ is generally used to describe the whole process whereby employees adjust or acclimatise to their jobs and working environment. It’s not just orientation or socialising. The purpose of induction is to ensure the effective integration of staff into or across the organisation for the benefit of both parties. Research has shown that tailor-made induction programmes increase staff retention.
• Make the process uniform across the whole organisation but allow for changes to be made to content. The length and nature of the induction process depends on the complexity of the job and the background of the new employee. One size does not fit all – a standardised induction course is unlikely to satisfy anyone. However there should be no tampering with the legal binding instructions such as reporting an incident.
• Use proven adult learning techniques. There is nothing worse than pushing a new employee into a poorly designed and delivered classroom program that they find boring or ill suited to their learning style.
• Collect, collate and report. Any successful system will have good reporting components which articulate into auditable results. Control systems must be in place to ensure that all risks are addressed and the employee signs off that they understand the information they have received. One day you might find yourself needing to prove that a certain safety policy was delivered and learnt by an employee – how will you prove that it was?
• Seriously consider using an on-line or hosted induction program. Unless you have a large HR department at your disposal the amount of time and energy used in creating and maintaining a strong effective program can be prohibitive. Even larger organisations with more than 100 people are outsourcing their induction management now because they can deliver a uniform induction process at multiple sites. Other benefits include the employee or contractor completing some of the program before they arrive on site, no more classroom training, and low costs of changes.

Having an OHS Induction Program shows a commitment by management at the highest level. It also provides a strong compliance lever under governance obligations of the company.

Here are some things a good induction checklist should contain:

• Details of Emergency Actions 
  - evacuation procedures
  - location of fire extinguishers
  - nearest first aid kit
  - nearest emergency exits
  - isolating switches
• Responsibilities of the employee
  - reporting procedures
  - accident report form
• Personal Protection Equipment
  - issue and proper fit confirmed
  - monitoring equipment
• General Safety
  - Housekeeping
  - waste removal 
  - access 
• Policies and Guidelines 
  - Drug and alcohol
  - Machine operation

The Australian and New Zealand Chapter of the International Association of Safety Professionals was launched on the 1st January 2010 and is now taking new memberships.

As a non-profit organization, the IASP reaches out to workers worldwide with fellowship, training, advice, and equipment designed to reduce the inordinately high number of workplace injuries and deaths. The IASP is currently working in more than 42 countries to improve workplace safety and operates at the highest levels.

The United Nations has approved the establishment of consultative status with the International Association of Safety Professionals (IASP).  The IASP works with committees of the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations supplying representatives and providing advice and world wide perspectives.

Safety Concepts has been accepted as a foundation partner in the establishment of the ANZ Chapter of the IASP. According to Director General of the IASP, Thomas Hardin, the partnership between IASP and Safety Concepts is based on shared values and a mutual passion for safety in the workplace.

For safety professionals in Australia and the Asian region the IASP provides access to a high level professional association participating in and sponsoring worldwide debate and networking.

Members of the IASP become part of an international network of safety professionals and are encouraged to contribute and participate in networking activities. Members are also able to add the IASP to their resume or CV.

 The IASP helps build the social capital of the safety profession by creating a community with strong ties  and by promoting standards of professional practice. The IASP also allows safety professionals who can find themselves working in isolation an opportunity to access a like minded social network and benefit from international reciprocity with other overseas contacts.

If you’re interested becoming a member of the IASP please click here.

Workplace Layout

• Design your office/factory/store to discourage robbery and violence
• Locate Cash Registers or POS terminals so they are clearly visible
• Display minimum amounts of goods that are often targeted in robberies
• Install security devices to monitor people in high risk areas in the premises (eg. mirrors in corners or ceilings)
• Keep counters clear of heavy or sharp items that could be used as weapons
• Use a high counter between reception person and the public or install screens
• Position staff to avoid ‘blind spots’ where the public enters the premises

Security Devices

• Use electronic sensors to alert staff that customers are entering or leaving the premises
• Use security cameras
• Offer staff personal protection devices, eg. personal duress alarms

Lighting

• Maintain a well lit interior and exterior to minimize hiding places

Doors and Windows

• Secure rear and side external doors to restrict access
• Organise an escape route for staff in the event of a violent attack
• Use deadbolts for doors and key locks for windows

Safes and Money

• Use drop safes and time delay safes
• Encourage electronic forms of payment
• Display signs to advise customers that minimal cash is held and time delay safes used

Training

• Design safety procedures that protect you and your staff
• Always follows the procedures and never chastise staff if they use the procedures, even if it is a false alarm
• Provide training and written procedures so everyone is prepared
• Teach employees how to deal with customers politely
• Show employees how to deal with confrontational customers
• Train employees how to pick up on signs of anger and tension from customers
• Educate employees on how to be aware of their surroundings
• Inform staff that their own safety is paramount and that they should not put their own safety at risk in order to rotect goods or property
• Train staff in non-violent responses to threatening situations
• Teach staff about what they should do in the event of a robbery or shoplifting incident
• Make sure staff are familiar with cash handling procedures and credit checks
• Train staff how to raise the alarm and operate security equipment
• Ask staff to take notes of any ‘odd’ occurrences – these notes may help to identify a future risk and ways to avoid it

Procedures

• Avoid opening and closing the shop/office/factory alone
• Roster more staff and more experienced staff at high risk times (eg. night)
• Minimize cash levels
• Use cash handling procedures that make cash less visible
• Transfer cash to bank regularly, at irregular times, by different routes and where possible with two people
• If dealing with large sums of cash use professional security services to transfer money
• Work with neighbouring businesses to reduce risks in your area
• If working after hours encourage staff to walk to carpark in groups, or be escorted to their vehicle by security staff

Feedback is a better alternative for observing and commenting on work performance and behaviours. Semantics, you might think – but there’s more to it than that.

Criticism tends to focus on what is wrong or what someone has done wrong, while feedback tends to focus on both right and wrong – it is an overall observation of what is.

If you’re going to comment on someone’s work – even if you want to highlight something negative – do it as feedback, and never, never, never begin your observations with “Just some constructive criticism…” Ouch!

Your feedback should be for the purpose of improving performance and systems, not to score points or prove a point. Your intent should be to make the other person aware of how they can improve what they’re doing, and what they are currently doing ‘right’. Too often we assume that people just know what to do because it seems like common sense to us. And even though people are doing it ‘right’ it’s nice to have someone verify it.

After your feedback the person should feel empowered to improve, not feel that you’re a nit-picking pain whose whole purpose in life is to make their lives miserable! That certainly doesn’t encourage a ‘team’ atmosphere.

A great recipe for giving feedback is with a ‘Feedback Sandwich’.

Basically there are a few layers to this particular sandwich.

There is the initial slice of bread – this is where you tell the person what they are doing right already.

Now, this isn’t about ‘sucking up’ or ‘trying to win someone over’ – it’s about a genuine observation of what the person is doing correctly. 

It could be as simple as:

“Hey, you did a good job getting that oil cleaned up – what did you use?”

“Geeze, you make that look easy.”

Or as at one workplace “Nice goggles – good to see someone’s wearing them… hey, they match your eyes!”. This made the staff member laugh – obviously a private joke that I wasn’t privvy to – but it had the desired affect. The Supervisor was then able to stress the importance of the worker unrolling their sleeves to protect their forearms – with little resistance to the ‘feedback’.

The next part of the sandwich is the filling – this is where you tell the person how they could improve what they are currently doing. Maybe they forgot to fill in a certain form, wear specified PPE, or have deviated from the procedures manual.

Then the last slice of bread – you finish off with what the person was doing right (again). You could build on what you said they were doing right earlier, or you could highlight something else that you noticed they are excelling at.

Once again, it’s as simple as: 

“When you have a chance can I get you to spend some time with … he’s struggling a bit and could do with your expertise.”

“Great that you’re wearing the goggles – the newbies will start wearing them now too without me having to get on their backs about it. Thanks.”

This article has been supplied by Brad Matthews of Winning Safety.  Winning Safety uses a process that goes beyond simply observing behaviour. It is designed to encourage “active listening” and promote safety leadership especially by managers in the workplace. Brad believes that with the proper framework, an organisation can use safety as a mechanism to meet production and profitability objectives and develop a culture of openness and trust.

Manual tasks contribute to injuries affecting all parts of the body, particularly the back, shoulder and wrist. These are commonly called musculoskeletal disorders and account for more than half of the following:

• cost of workers’ compensation claims
• number of days lost from work
• work absences over six months.

According to data collected by the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC), performing some manual tasks can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s) which can lead to death, injury or disease.

Between July 1997 and June 2003, injuries caused by manual tasks at work resulted in;

• 437,852 compensation claims in Australia, or 
• 41.6 % of all compensation claims during that period, 
• a direct cost not counting indirect impacts (including long-term impacts on the quality of life of the injured worker) of $11.965 billion.
• an estimated 11.6 million lost working days a year.

A staggering 38% of musculoskeletal disorders relate to back injury and an additional 27% of MSD’s relate to shoulder, hand, wrist and finger injury through carrying out manual tasks.

As an employer, you are responsible for preventing work related injuries or disorders (MSD’s) caused by manual tasks.

MSD’s are a priority risk to your business costs;

• they affect large numbers of people across most job roles
• they have the potential to ruin people’s lives 
• they impose heavy costs on your business and on society.

Key points to remember about MSDs :

• you can do things to prevent or minimise MSDs
• prevention measures are cost effective 
• you cannot prevent all MSDs, so early reporting of symptoms, proper treatment and suitable rehabilitation is essential. 

What are the Risk Factors?

Risk factors causing MSDs can be found in virtually every workplace from commerce to construction.

Areas that can create a risk:

• repetitive and heavy lifting
• bending and twisting
• repeating an action too frequently
• uncomfortable working position
• exerting too much force
• working too long without breaks
• adverse working environment (e.g. hot, cold)
• psychosocial factors (e.g. high job demands, time pressures and lack of control)
• not receiving and acting upon reports of symptoms quick enough

Remember that the greater the number of risk factors you are exposed to, the higher your risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.

The longer your exposure, the higher your risk.

Managing the Risk

Risk management for manual tasks involves a 3 step process aimed at preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Major stages in the risk management process include:

1. Risk identification: Identify the problem jobs/tasks which are likely to, or have caused injury.

2. Risk assessment: Investigate the problem jobs/tasks, determine the risk factors and evaluate them, assess their importance, and look for their causes.

3. Risk control: Decide on solutions, trial and implement them, and check later to see the changes are working.

Key Points:

• You can do things to prevent or minimise MSDs
• Prevention measures are cost effective
• Early Reporting is essential

Developing a Risk Management Strategy

Planning is critical to make sure controls for reducing risks in the workplace are implemented.

Successful programs aimed at reducing musculoskeletal disorders have five essential elements.

1. Safety Leadership.
2. Training.
3. Risk Management.
4. Rehabilitation.
5. Evaluation.
 
1. Safety Leadership
The most effective solution to reducing safety and health hazards is a combination of Management leadership and worker involvement.

In order to control and reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the management of the organisation must be committed to the program both financially and personally. The commitment includes listening to and acting on feedback given by the workers.

Employees take their cue and motivation from the management’s actions and responses to their feedback. Without employee commitment the return on a program investment will not be fully realised.

2. Training
Training provides the basis for consistent awareness, identification, analysis, targeting and control of musculoskeletal disorders hazards.

3. Risk Management
Management and workers must be aware of risk factors and hazards of their jobs and in their work environment that lead to musculoskeletal disorders.

Careful evaluation of the workplace identifies risk factors and hazards; including the use of checklists and registers to help document all observations.

Once the risk factors, hazards and injuries are identified and recorded, the OHS personnel, in collaboration with management, contractors and workers, have the facts to assess the risks and develop solutions, e.g., improve site housekeeping through the alteration of material delivery schedule, use self-raising platforms or buddy system for lifting, etc.

4. Rehabilitation
Effective injury management relies on the cooperative efforts of all participants – employers, workers, insurers, doctors and other health practitioners.

The longer a worker is away from work the less likely they will return. Replacement of a skilled person is expensive or, at times, difficult to impossible.

It is a benefit to the individual and employer to bring the injured worker back to alternate or reassigned duties as soon as medically appropriate. This may mean re-skilling or providing additional training.

Your Risk management strategy should outline how this is going to be addressed.

5. Program Evaluation
Evaluating the effectiveness of a program is just as important as implementing the program.

• Is your program reducing musculoskeletal disorders, hazards and risks? 
• Does an initial upsurge in musculoskeletal disorders reporting mean your workplace became less safe because of the program?
• Does this upsurge mean that a hidden population of injured workers has received treatment and will be returned to a healthier level of productivity and lifestyle?
• Have you successfully identified and targeted your MSD hazards?

Program evaluation is vital to validating your required outcomes and obligations.

For more information regarding this article or Workplace Health & Safety advice or training, please contact Brad Matthews on 0423 902 477, via email at brad [at] winningsafety [dot] com or visit Winning Safety

Thank you Brad.

One of the most serious threats in driving long distances is drowsy driving, where a driver is more tired than they may think they are, and simply drift off. Have you ever sat in front of the TV, feeling a little worn and the next thing your spouse or kids are nudging you to wake up and you’re surprised to find that you had unintentionally dozed off.

The other danger behind the wheel with fatigue is not being able to react as quickly as necessary in traffic conditions.

Before any driver is allowed to hit the road, they must be sure they know how to identify sleepy driving. Sometimes drivers think they are “a little tired, but I can drive through it”. 

Safety sessions about driving should include learning about:

The Signs of Fatigue – How to notice them and how important it is to respond to those signs. The strategies include getting to a safe location and resting until it is safe to drive again. It is important for drivers to understand it is all right to make a stop for safety purposes – no deadline is as important as a person’s life! And an employee that does not enforce this idea is in breach of Duty of Care for their workers.

The Dangers of Drowsy Driving – Drowsy Driving can be just as dangerous as drink driving. Drunk drivers can at least respond (albeit more slowly) to a traffic situation. Drowsy drivers who fall asleep at the wheel are unable to correct their driving, meaning accidents can happen at a higher speed and without any attempt to avoid them. So much time and money (rightly so) has been put into the campaigns to create a stigma against drunk drivers and their irresponsibility with theirs and other’s lives. The same stigma should be applied to any work schedule that forces a driver to continue to drive despite feeling drowsy or concerned for their safety.

Situations that Lead to Drowsy Driving – It is important that drivers get a good night’s sleep before they start driving. This means may mean they need to cut back on ‘off-duty’ activities that might cut into their sleep time.

Awareness of the Sleepy Hours – If drivers are travelling at night, or during hours where sleepiness is more likely, they need to be aware of this and realize they need to be more observant of their state of alertness during that time.

Employers can implement strategies to help their drivers, including:

Lessen the Drives – If possible, shorten the legs of your long distance drivers so they have a chance to take a break and rest more often.

Require Breaks – There should be set limits for how far a driver can go at one time, as well as per day, week and month. Driving limits are to help keep your people safe on the roads.

Network Driver’s Experiences – Drivers can share their experiences on the roads – such as what’s the best B&B to stay at, good rest stops (with good food and clean rest stop facilities), where road conditions are challenging and to take extra care, etc.

Keep in Contact with Drivers – Speaking regularly with your drivers during their shift (obviously hands free for the driver) is a way of checking up on how they’re feeling, and to find out if there is anything you need to know.

Safe driving and take care of yourselves!