Health. Safety. Wellbeing

The impact of musculoskeletal disorders on organisation’s and individual’s returning to the workplace.

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |19 Feb 13 | 0 comments

Muscular stress while lifting and/or handling objects resulted in 33% of all serious workers compensation claims lodged in Australia during 2008-2009. Musculoskeletal injuries can pose short term and long term implications to an individual. Sprains and strains may appear to be simple injuries at the time, however after time and repeated aggravation they can seriously reduce a person’s capacity for work.

What constitutes notification of an injury?

What constitutes notification of an injury?

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |17 Feb 13 | 0 comments

A recent case before the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Tribunal in Tasmania has provided some further clarity around the requirement for an employee to notify their employer ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’ following a workplace incident.

McDonalds cleaner suing after slipping in spilt liquid

McDonalds cleaner suing after slipping in spilt liquid

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |16 Feb 13 | 0 comments

A major fast food retailer has told a hearing in an Adelaide court that a cleaner who slipped and fell outside one of its shops is responsible for her own injuries.

Importance of indoor air quality

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |14 Feb 13 | 0 comments

Indoor air quality is often overlooked by businesses as a potential health issue, uncontrolled it can become a significant health and safety matter. There are 5 simple steps your organisation can take to ensure indoor air quality and the health of workers.

Elements necessary for an effective accident investigation and analysis process

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |12 Feb 13 | 0 comments

Are you looking to implement or improve an effective accident investigation and analysis process? Here are some of my thoughts on the necessary elements along with some explanations and recommendations.

Reasons Organisational Model of System Accidents

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |06 Feb 13 | 0 comments

Reason proposed that there are two types of accidents, those that happen to individuals and those that happen to organisations. Organisational accidents do not occur due to a single human error; they have multiple causes involving many people operating at different levels. James Reasons ‘Swiss Cheese Model’ of accident investigation helps to explain how to assess not only the unsafe act involved in an incident but also the layers behind the act.

The Domino Theory: An incident analysis tool

The Domino Theory: An incident analysis tool

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |05 Feb 13 | 0 comments

The Domino Sequence is an ‘event based’ or ‘sequential’ accident causation model, used to explain a chain of events that occur in a particular order which result in an injury. Whilst a simple model that considers a single chain of events it can be a useful tool in certain accident investigations.

Google Flu Trends

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |05 Feb 13 | 0 comments

Google has found a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms and has developed a real time map across the globe showing internet search trends. Due to many people not attending the doctor when they have the flu it makes health data difficult to capture the true picture, but when compared alongside search data it begins to give a clearer indication.

Decision to dismiss employee in the heat of the moment

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |01 Feb 13 | 0 comments

A decision to dismiss an employee should not be made in the heat of the moment, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has stressed, in upholding a workers’ safety-related unfair dismissal claim.

Contractor fails to control risks at height on supermarket roof

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |29 Jan 13 | 0 comments

A Contractor performing works on Portland SafeWay store roof plead guilty last week after failing to implement controls to reduce or eliminate the risk of injury or death to workers occurring from a fall from height.