Health. Safety. Wellbeing

2007 Tesco Fire investigation reveals 5 breaches

2007 Tesco Fire investigation reveals 5 breaches

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |27 Oct 13 | 0 comments

Following a fire in 2007 Tesco in London was found to have breached 5 different legislative obligations in relation to fire safety, including keeping exits clear and ensuring fire doors remained closed. The breaches cost the retailer over £100,000 in costs / fines.

UK retailer John Lewis fined for asbestos exposure during refurb works

UK retailer John Lewis fined for asbestos exposure during refurb works

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |08 Oct 13 | 0 comments

UK Department Store John Lewis was fined £20,000 in 2010 after failing to follow appropriate safety procedures concerning asbestos checks, resulting in the possible exposure of the dangerous substance to 15 construction workers.

Primark Safety Considerations

Primark Safety Considerations

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |30 Sep 13 | 0 comments

One of the things that first hits you when shopping on Oxford Street in England is the volume of shoppers. Turnover on Oxford Street, with more than 300 shops on its 1.5 mile length was up 6.2% in the first half of the year and is expected to break 5 billion by the New Years sales. Putting this in a safety focus, that’s a lot of consumers and team members to keep safe, how do they do it?

Efficient Safety Structuring: Holiday Post

Efficient Safety Structuring: Holiday Post

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |13 Sep 13 | 0 comments

In my last post I introduced the multinational retailer Primark, who operates 198 stores in UK/Ireland and a further 58 through Europe. From a safety perspective the size and speed of Primark’s operation intrigues me and whilst in the UK I will be visiting a range of Primark stores to better understand how they keep their team members and customers safe. One of the aspects I wanted to explore within Primark is how they resource safety.

Retailing in the UK: Holiday Post

Retailing in the UK: Holiday Post

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |10 Sep 13 | 0 comments

Over the next few weeks I am hoping to explore the UK shopping environment in detail and better understand how these dynamic fast paced retailers keep their team members and customers safe. Health and Safety legislation between the UK and Australia is not all that different, with Australia’s first OHS Legislation based off the Roben’s model of legislation adopted in the UK. It will be interesting to see how safety standards / implementation compare.

A dip, a slip and a hospital trip

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |20 Aug 13 | 0 comments

In an unexpected turn the New South Wales Court of Appeal has dismissed a case put to the District Court involving a customer who fell in the cold section of the Coles Neutral Bay Supermarket in 2010. The case which was finalised in August last year resulted in Coles Supermarkets being sued for nearly $120,000 in damages, in the appeal the damages were set aside.

Rituals and their importance in the workplace

Rituals and their importance in the workplace

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |09 Aug 13 | 0 comments

Effective rituals connect our team members to each other, to their leaders, and to our compelling cause. Rituals can be as simple as bringing in doughnuts to celebrate employee birthdays. Rituals have the ability to increase an individuals happiness and can boost productivity.

McDonalds latest to provide domestic violence leave to workers

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |01 Aug 13 | 0 comments

McDonald’s Australia’s updated enterprise agreement was certified by the Fair Work Commission this week. The new agreement supports employees who are dealing with domestic violence, allowing employees to access ‘unpaid domestic violence leave’ and flexible working arrangements.

Director insured against financial penalty for negligence

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |28 Jul 13 | 0 comments

The highest OHS fine in South Australian history was handed down last month following the death of a worker at the Adelaide Desalination plant in 2010. The employer and the director were both fined, however the directors fine will be paid by his insurance company. The judge in the case has warned that officers could similarly dodge penalties under the model WHS Act.

Worker contributorily negligent in stock trolley injury, but employer still responsible

Posted by Andrew McGiffert |20 Jul 13 | 0 comments

A Queensland IGA worker was injured by a 240kg loaded trolley which ran into the back of her heel during a store fit out. The worker claimed to not have been trained in use of the trolley or OHS procedures but was found to have been contributorily negligent in failing to take reasonable care for her own safety. The worker was awarded $62,000 in damages.