Comments on: The stress of the wrongly accused https://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/09/20/the-stress-of-the-wrongly-accused/ Award winning news, commentary and opinion on workplace health and safety Tue, 21 Sep 2010 04:44:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 By: Kevin Jones https://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/09/20/the-stress-of-the-wrongly-accused/#comment-3765 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 04:44:24 +0000 http://safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com/?p=7615#comment-3765 I don\’t think it is WorkSafe\’s perspective but more an OHS duty-of-care issue. The new harmonised Work Health and Safety legislation has a more overt inclusion of volunteers.

I think WorkSafe would expect any organisation to follow their own grievance procedures or codes of conduct or the issue resolution obligations in the OHS regulations, and work from there.

If an organisation does not follow its own procedures and generates a hazard, physical or psychosocial, it could be argued that OHS laws have been broken. It would certainly be in a weak position if legal action were to be taken by the individual. Whenever any organisation sets its own policies and rules, it is a reasonable expectation that the makers of the rules will also comply.

]]> By: Sheryl https://safetyatworkblog.com/2010/09/20/the-stress-of-the-wrongly-accused/#comment-3764 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 04:25:36 +0000 http://safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com/?p=7615#comment-3764 Hi Kevin, you raise some good points. Isn\’t a volunteer, even of a not-for-profit organisation considered an employee from WorkSafe\’s perspective? So therefore if an organisation creates stress for a volunteer, they are also guilty under the OHS laws. What about innocent until proved guilty as well!
Sheryl Dell

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