Comments on: Peanut allergy fatality saga to continue

By: Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:19:58 +0000

Robyn
Government departments rarely \”play well with each other\” on OHS issues. The problem was highlighted in an OHS review in Victoria by Chris Maxwell QC who believed that government authorities and OHS regulators should be \”exemplars\” in safety management.
Every time WorkSafe Victoria prosecutes a school there is an outcry from the schools because their general OHS obligations (outside of those to the Education Department)have not been emphasized or their role not clarified.
This situation is doubly difficult when a psychosocial hazard is identified in schools. WorkSafe\’s focus on workplace bullying caused enormous challenges for some in the education sector when bullying allegedly occurred between a teacher and a principal. Action was taken against the the department itself. One short article on the issue is at http://tinyurl.com.au/x.php?1vc9
I am going to make a naive suggestion here – perhaps the education departments can instigate policies for student welfare and safety and the OHS regulators look after employee/employer safety issues? Both would need to be cognizant of the other but the reporting lines and enforcement lines would be clearer.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:08:17 +0000

New Zealand\’s educational sector has a similarly cavalier attitude to workplace safety. Not one of the five secondary schools my husband worked at had a H&S committe or any kind of worker representation, and the equipment and conditions staff worked with were shocking. A similar situation exists in early childhood education (don\’t know so much about the primary sector). There is a belief that, because these groups report to the Ministry of Education (NZ) they are exempt from requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act (NZ), which is simply not the case.

By: Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:19:58 +0000

A colleague has reminded me of a prosecution in December 2007 over a student injury in a high school. A student suffered a serious injury from a power tool that required micro-surgery.

This case indicates the disjunction between workplace safety and safety in schools – same victims, same safety management concepts but different safety cultures.

WorkSafe\’s prosecution note is available at http://tinyurl.com.au/x.php?1van