Comments for SafetyAtWorkBlog

Comment on “show me the bodies” by Jason Wagstaffe

Jason Wagstaffe — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 22:48:46 +0000

Kevin, once again you have provided another thought provoking opinion on what is currently transpiring in our “industry” or “sector”. My background in mining and specifically underground coal mining, although I branched out over the years in industry. There is a common phrase that is widely used to describe the changes in mining legislation in both our country and the UK mining industry, which is where our legislation came from, and that is: Our legislation is written with blood. Whenever a fatality or major loss of life occurs in the mining industry, legislative change is introduced to fill a “hole” that existed, which allowed the incident that caused the fatality to occur. I can cite at least 10 examples over the past 50 years where significant legislative change has occurred after a loss of life on a mine site. We have slowed down those changes since the introduction of the model WHS legislation (which in NSW includes mining). In QLD is has completely stopped. When those changes occur, it has been on the back of consultation with the workers (union lead), Mine Management, Government and families of those lost. Outside of the NSW/QLD mining industry, no Australian jurisdiction has made immediate significant changes to its legislation after a loss of life. The NSW, and up until very recently QLD, has seen a significant reduction in the loss of life at mine sites, so much so that farming is now “more dangerous” than underground mining.

Comment on Kevin’s “Law of Common Sense” and the Right To Disconnect by Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 21:35:23 +0000

In reply to Jason Wagstaffe.

Jason, Rob Long’s first couple of books were very good but everything since has been of less use and interest as he becomes more esoteric. “Common Sense” has been a thread in this blog for nsome time (https://safetyatworkblog.com/?s=common+sense). I found Martin Lindstrom book on the issue more useful.
On the state of knowledge of the busienss advocates. There are no journalists that I know of who focus on OHS in Australian newspapers, only industrial relations. And on the business end, industrial relations considerations override OHS every time, regardless of what they say.

Comment on Kevin’s “Law of Common Sense” and the Right To Disconnect by Jason Wagstaffe

Jason Wagstaffe — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 21:13:39 +0000

In 2012, Dr Robert Long [1] published the first of his many risk and social psychology books, “Risk Makes Sense” [2]. In this book Long discusses the “myth” of “common sense”. To quote “In practical reality there is no common sense; there is no self-evident norm of knowledge which is somehow magically self-evident to everyone (p4)…Common sense is apparently a form of knowledge that someone somehow just knows, or is expected to know (p5)…Common understanding is not something that can be assumed, it has to be created and assessed as something that is actually held in common (p6)…”. Long’s opinion regarding “common sense” is something that I have used as a means to understanding why incidents occur, be it in the workplace or elsewhere.
The fact that Chris Lucas “relies” on the “common sense” approach for his workplace IR policies, means nothing more than, “its my way or the highway”. To follow with “…Silly legislation that is more ideological than practical doesn’t have a real role,’’ he said. ‘‘That sort of stuff will be reformed or expunged in a couple of years’ time once they work out it was a waste of time…’’ clearly indicates that he has not read the legislation and has only commented on what the journalist, who interviewed him, told him what was in the legislation. It is also my view that like many journalists, the individual who interviewed Lucas for the AFR had not read the legislation either and had probably went on information provided by the neighbour of his cousin. The unfortunate thing is, a lot of people (mostly business owners) will now have a view of the legislation that is not congruent with the actual meaning of the legislation.

[1] https://www.humandymensions.com/our-people/dr-robert-long-executive-director/
[2] Long, Dr. R., and Long, J., Risk Makes Sense: Human Judgement and Risk (2012, Scotoma Press, Kambah, ACT)

Comment on The first psychosocial hazards book by andrew.hopkins@anu.edu.au

andrew.hopkins@anu.edu.au — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 06:41:55 +0000

Yes, there is certainly a book for you to write here, Kevin
And there is also a global perspective on this. The expectations of employers in China are extremely hazardous

Comment on The two approaches to psychosocial hazards by Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:52:26 +0000

In reply to Michael Hagan.

Yep Mike, same outcome but very different baggage. I may be biased due to being an OHS perosn but the amount of obstacles, denial and fatalism from HR profesionals on this hazard is staggering. I try to also take the bigger picture to try and understand the ideological, political and economic pressures on employers but significant change is possible at the HR level.

Comment on The two approaches to psychosocial hazards by Michael Hagan

Michael Hagan — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:48:37 +0000

It’s an interesting one Kevin, as you know I spend a lot of time in that space between WHS and HR, sometimes it’s a crack, often it’s a chasm. There are no pre-determined heroes or villains in this play, just two players that generally want the same thing (healthy people, healthy business) but have different tool bags and a different language! What could possibly go wrong 😉

Comment on The first psychosocial hazards book by Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 21:42:43 +0000

In reply to pamoylan@bigpond.net.au.

I am not sure it’s irrelevant. A lot of work is needed to bring the HR discipline up to accepting that OHS has a role in managing and investigating psychosocial incidents.
Some OHS regulators are already enfrocing the OHS duty of psych risks but they are as under resourced now as they ever were.

Comment on The first psychosocial hazards book by pamoylan@bigpond.net.au

pamoylan@bigpond.net.au — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 21:07:20 +0000

Until OHS regulators enforce the right of workers to workplaces free of psyco-social hazards all this is irrelevan

Comment on Industrial Manslaughter laws are spreading in Australia but are inconsistent [Open Access] by Workplace Health and Safety Management: A Guide for Employers

Workplace Health and Safety Management: A Guide for Employers — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 05:44:40 +0000

[…] and local research both point to a higher incidence of injuries for contingent workers, than for employees. […]

Comment on Addressing Psychosocial Hazards at Work: New Incident Notification Reforms by Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 00:39:35 +0000

In reply to Michael Hagan.

Mike, I am glad your subscription provides some value. 🙂