Comments on: OHS Frustrations and Lobbying

By: Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:08:47 +0000

Cip
Your response was similar to mine as we both come from the OHS end of the health spectrum. However our responses indicate that the government has not prepared the necessary ground for the launch of something as different and threatening as WorkHealth.
For instance, I have never understood why Legionella investigations have sat within the Department of Health when the vast majority of outbreaks occur through workplace airconditioning systems. The risk of legionella to workers makes this an OHS matter and the maintenance of the cooling towers are usually within the purview of the OHS Manager or OHS committee. But the lead on this has always come from Department of Health.
I am receptive to a new emphasis on the health of workers. If I wasn’t open-minded I would be dismissing the importance of job stress. But the government has imposed this program without any process of education and as a result the OHS professionals are bristling with indignation and confusion whereas the health promotion and wellness advocates are rewriting their businss plans to incorporate the best commercial opportunity in years.

By: Cipriano Corva

Cipriano Corva — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:40:07 +0000

Great Blogs; Your 3 discussions on Health Promotion; OHS Frustrations & Lobbying; and Australian Level Crossings present interesting and challenging (often with frustrations) Social Issues.
It is interesting that, in Victoria, the WorkCover Authority has accumulated well over $3 Billion in 2005/06/07 from Worker’s Compensation premiums and investment revenue (particularly overseas investment; but watch out for the “Sub-Prime loans disaster in USA and the Shares fraud in UK).
This “Surplus” in the Government’s coffers is used to pay for future injury claims liabilities; the Authorities large staff payroll; and, to a lesser extent, funding programs for OHS prevention initiatives. The highest ROI could be achieved by focusing and allocating money towards the prevention/reduction of work related injuries/diseases.
Estimates for Australia (Industry Commission, 2004) is that Class I damage (to workers) accounts for 96.5% (Fatal 6.5% and Non-fatal 90%) and Class II 3.5% of the $82 Billion quantity of damage in 2000/01 when total exports were valued at $136 Billion.Work Safety is fundamentally a Class I major problem; and the majority cost of damage is to the damaged persons. It is clear from these figures that the priority for expenditure by responsible Governments must be in the area of Occupational Safety & Health and not other Social issues like obessity, drugs and alcohol; these are Public Health issues to be dealt with by Health revenue/funding.
Similar debates could be put forward on the issues of: OHS Frustrations and Level Crossings- these for another time.
Ciao, keep up the Blogs

By: Suzanne Langley

Suzanne Langley — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:01:00 +0000

I have called in on this location on many an instance now but this post is the 1st one that I have ever commented on.

Congratulations on such a first-rate critique and site. I have found it to be very helpful and educational – I only wish that there were more blogs online like this one.

I never disappear from this blog without learning anything, from time to time I may feel a tiny bit saddened that I may not agree with a blog article or comeback that has been made. But hey! that is existence and if every one decided to agree on the same thing what a boring old world we would exist in.

Please maintain your admirable work.

Having said all of this, and if I’m kindly allowed to continue with my entries I will come again to post on your blog site soon

Cheers, have a great day and thank you.

By: OHS Frustrations and Lobbying

OHS Frustrations and Lobbying — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:37:32 +0000

[…] Continue Reading […]

By: Allen Taylor

Allen Taylor — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:34:03 +0000

Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.

Allen Taylor

By: Health Professionals on The Finance World For News and Information Around The World On Finance » Blog Archive » OHS Frustrations and Lobbying

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:16:47 +0000

[…] OHS Frustrations and Lobbying There is a minor professional debate developing amongst Australian safety practitioners on whether occupational health and safety should sit under a government’s industrial relations portfolio or health. In Australia it is in industrial … […]