Future Directions For OHS

ACTU OHS expert Peter Moyland says many issues raised at the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission conference on the future of OHS regulation need to be taken further.

He says the ACTU will prepare documentation for unions on major issues raised at the event that NOHSC needs to act upon, including:

• recommendations that lessons for OHS regs be learnt from experiences in other areas, such as Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Tax Office. "In pursuing people outside the legislation, the ATO and ACCC are very up front about the fact the regulatory agency will pursue those outside the law," he says.
• the importance of OHS legislation, representatives, and the role of unions. Moyland says that European speakers particularly emphasised the importance of "roving OHS reps". "These points are consistent with ACTU policy and we will pass to congress points raised about workplace organisation and the role of OHS reps," he says.
• major issues regarding psycho-societal problems such as bullying and violence, particularly as raised by International speakers.
• confirmation of the importance of work organisation keeping up with labour market changes. "The growth of temporary, casual, part-time, and labour hire work all impact on health and safety in the workplace," Moyland says.
• the heightened risk of occupational diseases in certain industries. "For example, bar workers have increased risk of cancer and lung disease," he says. "Occupational diseases are also tied in with psycho-societal risks and exposure to chemicals and hazardous substances such as asbestos."

Meanwhile NOHSC Chairman Jerry Ellis has used the conference to challenge Australia "to quickly become the world's best OHS performer".

He says that in 2001-2002, an estimated 2,200 deaths in Australia were linked to the workplace. With 1750 people killed on Australian roads.

"The workplace is more dangerous than the road," Ellis says, adding, "the cost of our poor performance in Australia is enormous; estimated to be about $30 billion."

He says mutual trust and leadership from all parties involved in OHS are keys to improving OHS performance in Australia and making Australia the best performing country in the world.

To download presentations from the conference visit the NOHSC web site at: http://www.nohsc.gov.au/newsandwhatsnew/UpComingConferences/AustralianOHSRegulation.asp

To comment on this or any other item appearing on the UnionSafe website, please visit our discussion forum at http://unionsafe.labor.net.au/shoptalk

© 2002 UNIONSAFE
This site is sponsored by the Workcover Authority of NSW for Labor Council of NSW

Site designed and engineered by Social Change Online [credits]
This page: http://unionsafe.net.au/news/10603079144326.html
Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:35 EST