Transcript Health & Safety Stakeholder Reference Group Meeting

Health & Safety
Stakeholder Reference Group
26 April 2012
2 - 4pm
Level 7, 222 Exhibition Street
Agenda
Marlo Baragwanath
Time
Agenda item
2.00
Welcome, Minutes, Action items
2.05
2017 strategy update
2.25
Prevention Strategy Update
2.55
LPIS update
3.05
Other Business
3.10
Close
Page 2
Apologies, Minutes, Actions
Apologies
Previous Minutes - SRG dated 29 March 2012
Action items from previous meeting
Page 3
WorkSafe 2017 Feedback
Key Themes
26 April 2012
Five discussion papers were sent to
stakeholders for comment in FebMarch
Health &
Safety
Program
Development
& Delivery
Mental
Wellbeing
Return to
Work
Medical &
Allied Health
Service
delivery
Claims
management
and premium
Page 5
Key themes from all stakeholder
feedback
Stakeholders who sent feedback
Key themes
Broad support for the strategy &
interest in ongoing engagement
Recognition of work done to date
on mental wellbeing ie.
acknowledging the past
How we evolve the role/ scope of
the OHS regulator in Mental
Wellbeing (no shared view) & in
prevention
Page 6
Your health & safety feedback
…concerned by the increasing focus on safety culture,
tailored health and safety systems and health and
wellbeing… we do not believe that these are the functions of
a regulator whose primary purpose is ensuring that workplaces
are compliant with the law
…In our view a focus on such 'business'
and 'culture' aspects must not detract,
confuse or marginalise Worksafe
regulatory functions
Terms such as 'safety culture' 'positive
safety culture' 'business systems' and
'quality business systems' must be clear
and unambiguous. These terms mean
different things to different people…
…concerned about the focus on 'safety cultures'
and 'business systems'… grateful that there are
strong indications this part of the strategy is
underpinned by consultation and engagement but
words need to be included: “in particular with social
partners (i.e. unions and employer associations)”
…build upon provisions in the Act
in strategically supporting
Health and Safety
Representatives in workplaces to
build effective local issue
resolution processes and
procedures
Page 7
Your health & safety feedback
The OHS strategy appears devoid of actual
injury reduction targets… strategy should
include specific measureable outcomes
specified by injury type
… concern that the OHS focus
outlined in the strategy
appears uncertain and without
specific measureable
outcomes which lead to fewer
injuries and deaths
Need to acknowledge the
constraints of [claims] as a
measurement tool for health
and safety performance
The use of broader measures than workers
compensation data for measuring OHS performance
must be included in the Strategy including the legitimate
role for feedback and intelligence from social partners
into the Strategic Prevention activities.
Discussion paper lacking in
relation to activities to
address known hazards and
targeted industries.
There needs to be a link to the National
OHS Strategy as we consider that Victoria
should continue to be a key player in its
implementation…
Page 8
Your mental wellbeing feedback
Mental wellbeing is not defined and there is a lack of
acknowledgement of the work undertaken by Worksafe as
the OHS regulator over a number of years …
…[we] have for many years been engaged with
WorkSafe and other stakeholders in the
development of strategies to identify, assess and
control stress related hazards…the ‘Mental
wellbeing’ document doesn’t acknowledge
this significant work and the learning from its
limited implementation…
…numerous 'standards' reflected in
Worksafe publications which adopt
Worksafe regulatory approach to focus
on the 'control' of risks.
The management of the risks
to psychological health are
not new in OHS and are not
limited to bullying…
…we emphasise the need for WorkSafe to
acknowledge and build upon the
considerable body of excellent work
and guidance material
The issue should be broken into 3 components:
OHS - referred to as risks to psychological health;
Claims management; & RTW as each will have a
different approach
Page 9
Your mental wellbeing feedback
…concerns about where the role of the workplace,
and that of WorkSafe, should start and finish …include
reference to “work” in the topic title…
…not convinced that it is the role of a workplace
health and safety regulator to be involved in
researching and sharing knowledge about
investment in wellbeing programs
WorkSafe should limit its activities to addressing
work related mental health problems such as work
related stress, bullying and fatigue…… concerns that
involvement in areas of personal health blur the lines
between WorkSafe’s role as OHS regulator and
workers compensation provider
…the task remains for WorkSafe to
develop effective compliance tools
and measures and we urge the focus
remain on the regulator’s role
…the strategy needs to provide
clear guidance on what
compliance is…
…consider the proposed measure
of success is problematic
Page 10
Our strategic themes have evolved
Covers Health &
Safety Program
Development
& Delivery (i.e.
includes the
strategic operating
framework)
Prevention
Return to
Work
Claims
Mgmt
Premium
Mental wellbeing
Medical & allied health
Common law
Service delivery
People
IT & systems
Performance analysis & research
Page 11
Next steps
SRG discuss key
themes & response
to feedback
Apr 2012
Update on 2012/13
corporate plan
(Jun 28 SRG)
May 2012
WorkSafe 2017
further discussed at
Board meeting
Draft Corporate Plan
reviewed
1:1 meetings with
general manager
operations
(30 Apr- 11 May)
Jun 2012
Jul 2012
Commencement of
2012/13 initiatives
Public release of
WorkSafe 2012-2015
Corporate Plan
Page 12
Prevention Strategy Update
• 2017 at a high level
• Progress on 2012/13
13
2017- Prevention
Strategy snapshot
Awareness
raising
–Leverage our public communications to raise awareness of the benefits
business and workers can capture by investing in workplace safety
–Influence social aspirations for workplace health, safety and wellbeing in
Victoria
Dealing with
hazards
–Interventions to help people at work to comply with the law and prevent injuries
by dealing with hazards at their source
–Better utilise our regulatory activity to increase our understanding of priority
hazards and effective controls
–Improve our capacity to measure effectiveness of interventions and monitor
the sustainability of positive change in workplace safety
Evolving our
approach
–Better utilise our interventions to encourage or require employers to address
safety hazards as part of the system of work in place at their workplaces
they are responsible for under the law (OHS Act s.21(2)(a))
–Build on our existing base of employer focussed programs
–Encourage employers to promote a culture within their workplace that values
safety and OHS leadership
Ongoing
regulatory
functions
–Continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of WorkSafe's
discharge of its mandatory OHS
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Prevention
5 year road map
Road Map
Priority 1
Awareness
raising
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Review the
evidence
Leverage WorkSafe’s communications as a tool to encourage employers to comply and adopt a
more systematic approach to OHS
Priority 2
Improve targeting processes
Dealing with
hazards
Ensure alignment of risks/targets with SOF
Identify and prioritise hazards and their root cause
Priority 3
Evolving our
approach
Priority 4
Ongoing
regulatory
functions
Look at our own work
processes to better utilise our
employer focussed
interventions and other tools
Encourage employers to reflect and act
on the systems of work that have led to
a failure
Encourage employers to
manage their OHS in a
systematic way
Review of PSD regulatory
reform options
Ongoing reform of mandatory OHS regulatory functions
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Page 15
Strategy 2017- “Systems and OHS regulation”
Thinking we went out with
There isn't a shared view
about what ‘a systematic
approach’ is or what it
means for us in our work
‘Systems’ don’t
guarantee good OHS
Some of us ‘do it now’
Feedback:
•Stakeholders
•Group Leaders
•WorkSafe staff
•Operations Leadership Team
•PSD Leadership Team
It can’t and it shouldn’t
displace our C&E role …
ever
It’s all part of our
evolution as a regulator16
What ‘evolving our approach’
means
WorkSafe needs to keep looking for the next set of ideas to throw into the mix
with our traditional compliance and enforcement approach, and emerging
employer focussed tools to gain ground in the fight against injuries.
So:
In the near term we will look at OUR OWN WORK PROCESSES to better utilise
our employer focussed interventions where our visits and notices aren't leading to
sustained change, and for cohorts of employers where it makes sense.
Over the medium term we need to get more uniform in how we use our workplace
interventions to encourage employers to reflect and act on the SYSTEMS OF
WORK (as per the OHS Act 2004 s.21(2) (a)) that have led to a failure, rather than
applying a band-aid solution to go back next month to put another one on.
Over the longer term we've got to encourage employers to manage OHS at their
workplace in a SYSTEMATIC WAY (which in some cases may involve them
applying a certified auditable system from the market) while acknowledging that as
a regulator we will never walk away from enforcing the law in their workplaces.
17
Progress on 2012/13
Positive feedback
• Board
• Executive Leadership Team
• Operations
• VTHC/ VCEA
18
High level priorities for 2012/13
Hazards
•Lifting, lowering and shifting
boxes, crates, bags, people
Cohorts
•Construction
•Transport
•HSRs
•Agriculture
•Dangerous machines
Focus areas
•Transport
•Storage
•Warehousing
•Aged care
•Manufacturing
•Grocery
•Meat processing
•Construction
Health issues
•Asbestos
•Worker- psychological
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The big 5
The problem
1. Manual handling
2. Dangerous
machines
3. Asbestos
Our thinking on the method
Awareness and compliance
(July- onwards)
Awareness then compliance
and more (July- onwards)
A single source of
information
4. Health and
safety reps
Empowered through better
service offering
5. Construction
Keep going
20
Key ingredients for campaign design
• Field and enforcement ‘smell test’ for
relevance, applicability and targeting
• Key stakeholder groups engaged early and
involved in implementation (eg. manual
handling, dangerous machines)
21
Key things coming up for SRG
• Outline of manual handling and
dangerous machines campaign
• The Caple Report on HSR support
• Update on process for reviewing public
info materials for psychological hazards
22
Update on National
Health and Safety
Reform
Angela Jolic & Liz Bailey
Stakeholder Reference
Group
26 April 2012
National WHS Laws Update
• Victoria, WA and SA have delayed implementation of the
national WHS laws. Implementation will commence in
Tasmania on 1 January 2013 and has already commenced
in the remaining jurisdictions
• Summary of Supplementary Impact Assessment released:
• Assessed 20 key changes between current Victorian laws and the proposed
national laws
• Showed that only 3 of the 20 key changes were likely to have a positive impact on
Victorian businesses
• Found the total cost to Victoria of adopting national WHS laws to be $3.44 billion
over 5 years (net present value)
• This includes transition costs of $812 million and annualised ongoing costs to
business in the order of $587 million a year over the first 5 years
• Government is currently considering the implications of
this Assessment
• COAG met on 13 April and agreed the national WHS laws
will be reviewed by the end of 2014
Page 24
Report on national OHS forums
Strategic Issues Group – WHS 13 April meeting
• Agreed to consideration of Model Mines Regulations at 17-18 May meeting
• Agreed amended Implementation TAG Terms of Reference
• Agreed Draft Code of Practice Tree trimming and removal – crane access
method to Safe Work Australia Members Group for approval
• Agreed to tree trimming and removal guidance
Page 25
Report on national OHS forums
Next Safe Work Australia Members Group Meeting
on 27 April will consider:
• Process for managing urgent issues arising with the implementation of
WHS legislation
• Draft Safe Work Australia Strategic Plan 2012 -15
• Draft Safe Work Australia Operational Plan 2012 -15
• Mandatory inclusion of WHS reporting in annual reports – discussion
paper for public comment
Page 26
Heads of Workplace Safety
Authorities (HWSA)
Next HWSA meeting on 26 April will consider:
• Regulators Harmonisation Project – Status Update on all Phase 2 items,
proposed change to harmonised guidance workplan, and updated HWSA
Memorandum of Understanding for sign off
• Final reports on previous cross-jurisdictional projects (Safe Design,
Manufacture and Supply of Plant; and Worker Safety on or near Public
Roads)
• Cross-jurisdictional funding proposal on Quad Bikes Research
• Proposal to re-establish regular cross-jurisdictional inspectorate forum
• Proposed amendments to HWSA harmonised Guidance Policy
• Process for dealing with WHS Implementation Issues
• WHS Act exemption proposal to NSW from Habitat for Humanity
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Any Questions?
Page 28
Close
Marlo Baragwanath
Next SRG meeting - 31 May 2012, 2 - 4pm
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