A patronising disposition of unaccountable power An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern Tony Benn 1 In November 2017, the former executive director of SafeWork South Australia, Marie Boland was appointed by Safe Work Australia to review the model work health and safety … [Read more...] about A patronising disposition of unaccountable power
Safety Legislation
Human Skills for Leadership and Learning in Risk
Human Skills for Leadership and Learning in Risk, Lessons from Building and Construction in Canberra By Dr Robert Long Background The most common approach to cultural transformation is through proclamation and manipulation. However, this rarely works. At the time it sounds straight forward. The … [Read more...] about Human Skills for Leadership and Learning in Risk
Safety only for the Rich and Powerful
Safety only for the Rich and Powerful We see today that safety is only for the strong, wealthy and powerful (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-25/victorian-junkyard-woman-sentenced-to-jail-over-death/10746110?pfmredir=sm). If you run a small business and can’t afford safety or lack competence in … [Read more...] about Safety only for the Rich and Powerful
The Prosecution Problem
The Prosecution Problem By Greg Smith. First published here: https://www.waylandlegal.com.au/blog/the-prosecution-problem There is concerning trajectory in the current conversation about regulating health and safety in Australia. The conversation is almost exclusively focused on the consequences … [Read more...] about The Prosecution Problem
The Impact of Curiosity vs. Compliance in Safety
The Impact of Curiosity vs. Compliance in Safety Insightful article by Jenny Krasny first published here but deserves a more discerning audience than the LinkedIn circle This post discusses the idea of progress in safety vs. a process of dehumanisation and, the changes we have seen over time. … [Read more...] about The Impact of Curiosity vs. Compliance in Safety
WHS Legislation is NOT about Safety it’s about Culture
WHS Legislation is NOT about Safety it’s about Culture. I asked a couple of managers the other day what they thought the WHS legislation was about. You see, my client had asked me to make sure that their managers knew of their legal compliance obligations – a fairly typical request often from … [Read more...] about WHS Legislation is NOT about Safety it’s about Culture
Too much Cash and no panache
Too much Cash and no panache by Bernard Corden Better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees Jean-Paul Sartre On 30th December 1969, following the Farmington mining disaster and threat of a nationwide strike the incumbent US president eventually capitulated. Although Richard Nixon … [Read more...] about Too much Cash and no panache
The Model WHS Legislation – What does not work and why
The Model WHS Legislation – What does not work and why by Bernard Corden A reasonable estimate of economic organization must allow for the fact that, unless industry is to be paralyzed by recurrent revolts on the part of outraged human nature, it must satisfy criteria, which are not purely … [Read more...] about The Model WHS Legislation – What does not work and why
Safety Legislation Is Our Biggest Accident?
Safety Legislation Is Our Biggest Accident? Ken Roberts www.1on1safety.com I mentioned in an earlier article I’d explore the Legislator’s role in contemporary workplace safety. Being one for strategy and vision-setting, I searched for an underlying principle that our current safety Legislation … [Read more...] about Safety Legislation Is Our Biggest Accident?
Neoliberalism and emasculation of safety
Neoliberalism and emasculation of safety by Bernard Corden Everybody knows that the boat is leaking, everybody knows that the captain lied Leonard Cohen 1 In June 2000, the Australian federal government announced its intention to transfer the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission … [Read more...] about Neoliberalism and emasculation of safety