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.

Background
A worker was killed when he was crushed by the lifting device while replacing one of the scissor lift arms. The incident involved a scheduled manufacturer warranty recall on a vehicle lifting device.

Contributing factors
It should be noted that in this incident, the design of the device was not shown to be deficient – rather the system of work used at the time of incident was unsafe.
One of the scissor lift arms on the unit was being replaced as required by the manufacturer. The supplier of the vehicle lifting device was engaged to carry out the remedial work on the unit.
The lifting device itself had been designed to accommodate purpose built post stands for supporting and securing the unit’s platform deck into position, so that the under chassis scissor arm and hydraulic ram components could be disconnected. However, the two workers carrying out that task did not use the post stands while performing work under the platform.
Instead of using the recommended safe system of work, the workers used two makeshift props under one end of the platform deck, along with a hydraulic jack under the opposite end of that deck to support the platform. While attempting to align and fit one of the connection pins into the newly fitted scissor arm, the platform deck became unstable and one of the support props dislodged. This caused the platform deck to crash to the ground, tragically crushing one of the workers between the scissor arm action and the frame.

An investigation of the incident revealed the following:
• The manufacturer provided the supplier with information explaining the procedure to follow when replacing the scissor arm. The procedure specified the use of three purpose built post stands made by the manufacturer, to support the platform deck, through brackets that are securely attached to that deck.
• The two makeshift props and hydraulic jack used to support the platform were not restrained or clamped to prevent lateral movement.
• The employer of the workers did not ensure, either by way of instruction, training or supervision, that the workers were aware of, or followed, the procedure as recommended by the manufacturer.

Action required
Plant that supports vehicles must:
• be used/designed to ensure structural integrity and stability
• be fitted with an additional back up safety system which must be engaged prior to commencing work underneath the plant. For example use of vehicle axle stands (once vehicle raised from ground).
Prior to commencing work consider the following:
• Have the hazards/risks been identified?
• Have the risks been assessed?
• Have all appropriate controls been considered and implemented?
• Have the manufacturer’s instructions on the use or maintenance of the plant been considered and implemented?
• Have those involved in the work received all the instruction and training required to perform the work safely?

Want to know more or need help? Why not contact Safety Concepts and speak with one of our Safety Consultants

My passion for safety began when I was a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic and an industrial accident left me partially paralysed for six months. Since then I have been a passionate advocate for the safety of installers, service personnel and end users. In my experience a lot of safety problems are caused because people don’t think about installation, maintenance or end-use. I have seen 100kg air conditioning compressors installed on laser light roofing which is not load rated to hold this weight. No thought went into the long-term durability of the unit, safety of the end-user or safety of maintenance personnel. Installers use cranes, hoists, lifters and other equipment to safely lift condensing units/compressors into position. However, installers need to think about future maintenance requirements because improperly positioned units can place servicing personnel at risk.

Under the 2008 Plumbing Regulations, equipment must be accessible for service and maintenance. If the Plumbing Industry Commission’s investigators consider maintenance access is unsafe, the investigators will issue rectification notices, and the person who signed the certificate of compliance will have to pay to fix the issues. It’s always more expensive to rectify than to do it safely in the first place. One recent Plumbing Industry Commission investigation of an air conditioning unit installed on a house resulted in a principal contractor being held responsible for rectification costing more than $100,000.

Tips for safe installation of air conditioning units are:

1. Put yourself in the shoes of the maintenance person. Position the unit so it’s easy to access for installation and future maintenance.

2. Think about what you are installing it on – make sure the surface is secure and can safely hold your weight and the weight of the equipment.

3. Think about how to get the equipment to the height you need including servicing equipment.

4. Think about how to securely fasten the unit to the base structure and be prepared for bad weather conditions. 5. Be safety conscious. Ensure you walk away from each job and so do future service personnel.

Please feel free to share any comments or experiences.

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.

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Please Note: If you would like to invest in these training videos for your company or organisation there are generous special discount offers available for Safety Concepts Subscribers.

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

Sometimes it is a challenge – in particular if staff have ingrained attitudes after years at their jobs and believe the whole ‘safety issue’ is a waste of time. It’s difficult for Health and Safety Officers when staff view them as ‘trouble makers’ or ‘drama queens’. In some cases workers think important workplace safety systems are a joke, eg. safety induction training, evacuation procedures, and hazard containment strategies.
The problem lies with workers believing their job description only covers what they physically or mentally need to do to carry out a work activity. They view Health and Safety as an ‘extra’ job – a burden full of paperwork and technical jargon that only takes time away from getting their ‘real job’ done. Most workers lack the mind-set that ‘safety’ is part of their ‘real job’.

Day to day procedures need to have safety strategies built into them, even if it means re-writing the Procedures Manual or Job Steps.

Here are some simple strategies to get staff involved in safety issues and hopefully ‘keen’ in the process:

Safety Meetings
Ok, let’s admit it – how many staff meetings have you groaned about having to attend? I know I’ve been guilty of this myself. I’ve even lamented, “Oh great! Now we have to listen to someone drone on about something as petty as not replacing the toilet paper in the bathroom…” And I was right! (Obviously this took place at my previous employment!!!).

The trick to making Safety meetings enjoyable and therefore not as ‘begrudged’ are:

• Don’t run the meetings during people’s ‘free time’, eg. before work hours, or worse – after work hours, during lunch times, etc.
• Keep the meetings short. People’s attention spans are varied, especially when their mind is on some pressing matter at work that needs clearing up. Sure, have more meetings – just make them shorter. You don’t want people sitting there wishing the person speaking would just shut up so they can all get out of there and back to work.
• Get the workers involved by asking them to prepare a short talk or demonstration about safety in relation to their particular work task. There’s no stress about them needing to conduct copious amounts of research – because they know their job. Give them a time frame for the talk and allow them to be as imaginative and ‘out there’ as they want to be. It’s during these times you’ll hear ‘pearls’. The amount of workers who have brilliant ideas on improving safety, but haven’t spoken up, or who have acquired ‘unconscious competence’ over the years and thought that particular safety tip they were using was “known by everyone else already” will suprise you.
• Make it fun. Even serious subjects can be delivered in a fun and entertaining fashion. ‘Boring’ is definitely an ingredient for turning off your listeners. A particular school in Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) has a safety meeting twice a month, where they hand out the “Smarty-pants Safety Award” – which happens to be a blackboard duster to which someone has glued a pair of doll’s frilly undies. The person who received the award had come up with a credible safety issue within the two weeks prior to the meeting. Everyone listens to why the person received the award, comments on it, enjoys the process and applauds it, and gobbles down the yummy snacks that the school supplied for the meeting. It’s informal, yes - but every single attendee can tell you what the safety strategy was and how it was applied.

Safety Signs
Put up relevant Safety Signs and get staff involved:

• Make different Staff Members in charge of the different Safety Signs. Ask them to move the signs about, so they don’t “become part of the furniture” and are ignored. Obviously common sense prevails with some signs, eg. Fire Safety Equipment Signs need to stay with the equipment, as does First Aid, and it wouldn’t be wise to move the equipment as emergency facilities should be where specified.

Safety Audits
Hold regular Safety Audits, and once again get staff involved:

• Put together a roster for staff to walk around the workplace armed with a hazard checklist. Encourage them to talk to other workers for feedback on work conditions, etc.

Newsletters
Weekly newsletters/emails with updated rules or procedures on safety are a great reminder to staff about diligence in the workplace. Here’s how to make them effective:

• Make the articles entertaining and and easy to absorb – forget the ‘jargon’ that is so common in the OHS Industry.
• Add news about safety that is relevant to the industry.
• Ask staff for feedback or to share safety tips, and reward them for it, eg. publishing in next newsletter and a dinner voucher, etc.
• A large, international company sends weekly emails to staff (about 3500 of them) on safety covering everything from sitting correctly at a desk through to sun protection. The email is html and has funny pictures as well as a joke of the week. It has been well received by the majority of staff.

I hope these strategies for getting staff interested in Safety in the Wokrplace give you some ideas. And please, if you have any that you’d like to share, leave a comment.

“Health and Safety Training?”
“Training for what?”
“Training for whom?”
“Where do I get training?”

If you’re reading this type of site, the chances are you already have the first element required for safety. Regardless of the application you use, the knowledge without the primary element, all else you attempt will sound hollow and fall on deaf ears. Without PASSION all the training and knowledge under the sun will prove ineffective. Rarely can a person relay a convincing message or engaging information sessions without revealing the passion they hold for the subject.

So one would assume that for you as an individual to have entered this article you have a passion for safety on some level.

Congratulations, my friend!

One thing will be sure, aware of it or not, your passion for safety will provide another with the tolls or information to make a difference to the safety of another. Realistically that’s the bottom line for all safety persons. To attempt to make a difference and ensure the safety of at least ONE other. And if it is only ONE then it has been a worthwhile journey.

Health & Safety Training can range from expanding your general knowledge for personal gain, to a professional requirement, and all levels in between. Four areas of interest in this article are restricted to:

• General Interest
• The new Workplace Rep.
• Mandatory Training
• The Newbie to the Profession

From these areas the “Professional Safety Individual” officially “titled a range of things” (depending upon the industry training) can take a number of roads. This area can be varying in depth and complexity and will be examined at a later date.

General Interest in H&S Training

Why the interest? Who cares? You do – and that’s enough.

In this time of information revolution gaining access to information is a relatively simple task. Safety information can be obtained from almost any street corner or newsagent at least. But is it reliable and concise? One would hope so in this environment of litigation. Safety information can be obtained from the common press, magazines, product advertising, local libraries, internet, private business and government offices, just to name a few. Are these people being”trained” in safety?

When an individual is given the opportunity to expand the level of knowledge through providing information regardless of the subject matter, isn’t that “training” the mind?

A general interest in training should cover the basics of Risk Assessment and Hazard Identification.

The new Workplace Rep.

Congratulations on the selection of your new WH&S Representative.

As a new WH&S Representative you have a number of tasks you can perform for your group. However as a volunteer you are under no obligation to perform these if you choose not to.

I recommend reading information available on the following sites;

1. Workplace Health and Safety Qld
2. OHS Reps at Work

But be warned. There is a vast amount of information available from your local library or electronically. This can be disconcerting to the new comer. At first remain focused on what is important to your work situation and relevant to your circumstances. This will reduce the confusion until you have a better understanding of what is important to you. Then once comfortable with the material and subject matter, branch out and explore what’s happening in other areas of safety. This can often impact on your work place as well.

Mandatory Training

Mandatory training is often a requirement in a number of professions to maintain the competencies required for your profession. It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure the competencies are maintained. Depending upon your workplace, management may play a key role in ensuring this takes place. It is often a question asked of the WH&S Rep, so for all concerned knowledge of where to obtain the training in your area could be an advantage. This information can be obtained from your local “Recognised Training Providers” in your area. This could include your local TAFE, Registration Authority or Telephone Book.

The Newbie to the Profession

As a newbie to the world of SAFETY it can be a huge shock to the system. The amount of information required, sources available, reliability of information, relevance to your situation, and just plain language it is written in can be enough to make you quit before you start. Please don’t. There can be a lot of satisfaction from taking on this role as well. At least that’s what I have found. It can be thankless, prickly and not pleasing for everyone. A lot of what I do doesn’t get seen from the front line. But in the end, it’s nice to know I have done my bit to ensure my mates make it home in one piece to their families at night, and so do I.

So, what can you do as an employer to make sure your workers are safe? Here are a few ideas:

Have a Clean Workspace Policy:

Having tools, cords, boxes and other things out of place in an office or shop means there are many more chances that someone can kick something and hurt their foot, trip over, or have something fall on them leading to a serious injury. A good rule to implement is that every item of equipment should have a storage place that is easy and safe to access. Ensure the Clean Workspace Policy states that each item must be returned to its storage place when not in use.

While this may sound like you’re playing mum and telling your employees to ‘pick up their room’, you are actually training them to be responsible for their safety and that of others. A clean workplace is often a safer workplace.

Appropriate Safety Equipment:

Every career field has safety equipment that should be available and in use to keep your employees safer and healthier on the job.

In an office it may be ergonomically correct chairs and table items for those who are at a desk all day.

In a shop it could be protective face, eye, ear or even body gear to lessen the chance of serious injury on the job.

Ensure each worker has access to the proper equipment, and completes the mandatory training on how to use it correctly. You would be amazed at how many employees don’t know quite how to use the safety gear they have been issued.

Additionally, make it a policy that all workers use the gear provided. It’s also amazing the amount of workers who’ve had the training and have the equipment, but because of an “She’ll be right, mate” attitude fail to make use of it. During training, stress that it is company policy to use the safety equipment provided.

Proper Job Training:

Do your employees really know what they are supposed to be doing? Sure, they are nodding as you give instructions, but it is possible that they just don’t want to stand out as the one who doesn’t understand what is going on?

Make sure your instructions are clear. As different people learn in different ways it would be wise to supply workers with a variety of training methods.

Basically the human absorbs and processes information:

• visually (watching)
• auditorally (hearing)
• kinesthetically (doing)
• olfactorally (smelling)
• gustatorily (tasting)
• auditory digitally (talking to themselves or thinking)

Please excuse the geek speak! Obviously the ‘smelling’ or ‘tasting’ parts aren’t always a part of the industry you’re in… unless of course you’re in perhaps the floral or hospitality industries?

Have you ever had a trainee that you ‘told’ how to do the job – but they still didn’t get it? Basically, your instructions went in one ear and out the other? Or have you ever used equipment that you didn’t quite ‘get’ until you actually held the equipment and did a ‘dummy run’ before turning it on? It’s because the training you were provided with didn’t match the way your brain likes to take in information.

When supplying training cover the different styles of learning so you’re sure your worker has absorbed what you’re attempting to teach them.

• Show them how to do the job and offer them diagrams/charts showing the activity
• Tell them as you’re showing them
• Get them to hold the equipment and get the ‘feel’ of it
• Have them experience the smell of, or the taste of what they have to achieve (if applicable)
• Give them written instructions or ask them to explain the job back to you

If they are working with any sort of equipment, make sure they are completely trained on those pieces of equipment. You should also have regular refresher training sessions to make sure they know how everything works and are following the safe work practices they were originally taught. Many people create their own shortcuts over time, but these are not always the safest methods of working.

Making your workplace a safe one is not an impossible task. It simply takes common sense, an understanding of how to communicate with your workers, and a little action to back it up.