Do you wear PPE mowing the Lawn? If no….WHY?

During audit, site inspections and visits to workplaces, I see workers wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) as per signage and/or company enforced policies/procedures.  But then when they get home the same behaviour is not applied.  Recently I asked a group of workers I was providing induction training to if they wear any PPE while mowing […]

Travel for work?

Whether it’s for extended trips overseas or short conference trips interstate, it’s important to think about safety when travelling for business. In my working history to date, I have been lucky (or sometimes unlucky) enough to travel both domestically and internationally for work.  Although these trips have all been amazing, they have at times also […]

What are you prepared to walk past?

In life, not just in the workplace, what are you prepared to walk past?  Although this article is directed at the workplace (eventually), I would like to firstly start with the home. So at a young age we teach our kids right from wrong, and they are always pushing our boundaries.  If you see them […]

Management System Audits

We have a Management System that’s implemented and workers are trained……that’s all I need right?   WRONG!! Why this statement is wrong, is businesses think that once they have a ‘Management System’ then they are covered and nothing further is required.  They may meet their obligations and have documents in place however they need to ask themselves: […]

Aggravation of a pre-existing injury

Can an employer be liable for aggravation of a pre-existing injury? YES If a worker has a pre-existing injury (eg knee injury from weekend) and they then aggravate this further in the workplace the employer can be liable!! Regardless of where the injury was sustained, all workers are required to be FIT FOR WORK.  Fit […]

Injuries can spiral out of control

Do you think a splinter injury in the workplace could cost thousands of dollars and result in a permanent impairment to the worker? YES!! Injuries, no matter how small can sometimes result in a much larger injury if not managed well by both the worker and the employer. I have had extensive workplace rehabilitation experience […]

Have you been bullied?

HAVE YOU BEEN BULLIED? I have……..Warning this is a long post but please take the time to read and you may make a difference to someone’s life. These days most people are unable to say they they have not either witnesses bullying, been bullied or know someone that has been bullied.  Its pretty sad that […]

Tiffany Ward Story

What were you doing at 18? Tiffany was recovering from a severe workplace incident!! On 14 October 2008, 18-year-old Tiffany Ward sustained horrendous injuries to both of her arms when they were dragged into a rotating auger screw of a potato processing machine. Tiffany, a factory process worker, had been cleaning food scraps out of […]

Angle Grinders

As I have previously posted, on the 4th February a Queensland Worker received fatal injuries while operating a 230mm (9 inch) angle grinder.  The worker was killed when part of a broken disc struck the worker’s chest at high impact. Angle grinders are one of the most dangerous tools in any workplace.   The following is […]

Why I am passionate about Safety

WE ALL WANT OUR LOVED ONES TO COME HOME SAFE FROM WORK. For me, safety awareness began at a very young age. In 1985, thanks to a sheer miracle, my father didn’t die in a workplace incident. At the time he was working for a bitumen company in Mackay. He and his Manager were cutting […]