David Trembearth, Safety Business Partner, People and Product Safety, Coles.
Details coming soon.
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 12 April 2021. When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the April Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Hospital safety during the pandemic
When the Covid-19 crisis exploded just over a year ago, the demand for special safety measures in our hospitals was massive, sudden and urgent. Christina Rennick, General Manager Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Amsterdam’s St Vincent’s Hospital, will do a presentation via Zoom at 11 am on 9 March about how her workplace responded.
The hospital has a big and complex structure, a workforce of 7,000, and a large number of patients and visitors to protect. Beyond implementing large-scale basic requirements for Covid protection, the safety team had to develop new rules and systems, learn from experience and adapt. This has been ongoing as knowledge of the coronavirus unfolds and the situation in the community changes.
Christina will talk not only about physical safety measures, but also the need to monitor and manage the wellbeing of people in the hospital system during this time. Read more
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 8 February 2021. When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the March Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Central Safety Group's AGM on the 9th February 2021 was action-packed! (Well, as much as an AGM can be, that is.)
A motion to commence the process of becoming an Incorporated Association was passed, and a sub-committee has been formed to facilitate this. It's expected to take about 6 months to complete the process. The main advantages of this move are to establish a clear structure for the group as well as to protect individual members from legal liability.
Our long-serving President Alan Matthews formally resigned from the position (see the separate blog entry about this), and Vice-President Nan Austin was duly elected as his replacement. Congratulations Nan!
Due to the move to becoming an Incorporated Association, it was decided not to fill the role of Vice-President at the moment, nor to alter the rest of the make-up of the committee. The review of our group and roles within it means that the scope of the Executive roles in particular could change and we want to clarify those before asking anyone to put up their hands to join the committee.
Finally, two new Life Members were appointed at the AGM. Our Secretary Jane Loudon was the first of these. In 2014 when our then secretary John Knowles left the group suddenly due to ill health, Jane became our saviour by stepping into the role immediately without a second thought. She has since established herself as an invaluable member of the committee, particularly in her work securing a high calibre of speakers for our monthly meetings.
The other new Life Member is Marina Milankovic, who has been a committee member since 2006, served as Treasurer from 2008-2015 and, since 2016, has been Membeship Secretary. During the challenges of 2020 she played an important part behind the scenes to ensure that CSG could adapt to the changing situation.
To view the full list (and smiling faces) of our committee and Life Members, go to the About Us section of the website here.
To view the AGM minutes, President's report and Treasurer's report, go here (login required).
ISO 45003:2021: Introducing the first global standard for managing psychosocial risks
CSG members may be interested in ISO 45003: Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work — managing psychosocial risks. It was published in June 2021 and is the first globally agreed standard for psychological injury prevention. The ISO framework has been applied so this standard aligns with the structure of ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management systems. However, the new standard offers more specific psychosocial risk guidance to address the many areas that can impact a worker’s psychological health, including ineffective communication, excessive pressure, leadership, and negative or toxic organisational culture.
The ISO resource includes a course that takes you through the standard structure to demonstrate the requirements in each section. You can read the entire standard online, but payment is required if you want a hard copy. I am currently doing the course and find it very systems-focused. I love an integrated systems approach so have found the demonstrated overlay onto ISO45001 a sensible approach.
As Worksafe Victoria is currently considering the addition of psychological hazards into the OHS Regulations 2017, this is your opportunity to address the three psychological hazards identified in the standard now. These hazards are: how work is organised, social factors at work and the work environment (equipment and tasks). The ISO resources offers a further online course offering practical guidance on how to conduct a psychosocial risk assessment.
Go to www.45003.org to access:
(1) free ISO 45003 Foundations Course that provides a comprehensive overview to get you across the standard quickly for incorporation within your occupational health and safety management system
(2) free live panel discussion on 4 August 2021 where they will discuss current psychosocial risk assessment practice, hosted by the Psych Health and Safety Podcast
(3) free course to teach you how to meet your legal obligations where they exist and how to address important requirements of ISO 45003:2021
We welcome your thoughts on this emerging workplace issue as Victorian employers will have a wide range of capacities to manage this workplace hazard.
CSG AGM
Central Safety Group Annual General Meeting. Members welcome to attend.
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 8 February 2021. When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the February Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
What Covid-19 means for workplace safety
2020 – what a year! Central Safety Group is wrapping it up with the subject that has had such an impact on our lives and work these past eight months.
Join Professor David Caple when he discusses Covid-19 and workplace safety via zoom on Tuesday 8 December at midday. David has been working on Covid-related projects with the healthcare and government sectors during the crisis..... Read More
Note: RSVP by close of business Monday 7 December. When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the December Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Web safety – are you taking risks?
Cyber crime is at an all-time high with so many people working from home and shopping online. Most of us could do a lot to improve our cyber security.
You can receive top advice on this and have your questions answered by Michel Connory of CyberCertified, one of Australia’s leading voices in cyber security, in a midday zoom presentation on Tuesday 17 November.
Michael’s session will be interactive and viewers will receive plenty of tips they can utilise.
This is part of a series of zoom presentations by Central Safety Group while in-person meetings are suspended.... Read More
Note: Financial members do not need to RSVP. Others are required to RSVP and pay by close of business Monday 16 November. When booking for this Event, please ensure you select the November Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
Central Safety Group's inaugural zoom meeting Tuesday November 17, 2020
Yes, we have launched ourselves into the new reality and joined the world-wide trend of remote meetings. Indeed our first offering couldn't be more appropriate: Michael Connory of CyberCertified will be speaking to us about the prevalence of cyber crime that has arisen while so many people are working from home and shopping online. He will share some invaluable advice about how we can improve our web safety.
While we look forward to physical meetings again at some point next year, we're excited about trying out this new technology for delivering our presentations, especially as its convenience has the potential to add extra value to your membership.
All details of the meeting are on the website
Meeting details
At Central Safety Group's AGM in February 2020 there were a few changes made to the committee.
Phil Kamay stepped down as Vice-President. As a Life Member of the group, Phil has made a significant contribution over many years and in several capacities, including as Treasurer from 1994 to 2007, and as the organiser of many successful Christmas functions. Phil has made a "sea change" and we wish him all the best in his new life and endeavours.
Long-time member Nan Austin returned from New Zealand last year, rejoined CSG and put her hand up to join the committee this year. At the AGM she was duly elected as our new Vice-President. Thank you, Nan, for taking on this important role.
Ordinary committee member Greg Splatt has also stepped down and we thank him for his past contributions. Meanwhile, we have a new committee member, Adrian Glaubert. He comes with experience as an office bearer and in marketing and fundraising for other committees. Welcome aboard, Adrian!
To view the full list (and smiling faces) of our committee, go to the About Us section of the website here.
Customer Abuse: The Reject Shop’s Frontline Solutions
Venue: Venue: DXC Technology, Level 19 (Board Room 1), 360 Collins Street, Amsterdam
(between Queen & Elizabeth Streets).
Customer abuse is a growing problem in the retail industry that can take a heavy toll on workers’ confidence and wellbeing. </ br> Of the Reject Shop’s 6,000 team members, a majority are part-time and 60% are under the age of 25. This means many are inexperienced and particularly vulnerable when faced with customer aggression.</ br> Kenn Rogers, Safety Team Leader of the Reject Shop, will give a lunchtime presentation on 10 March 2020... Read More
Note: When booking for the Event, please ensure you select the March Meeting from the dropdown list (shaded orange), to RSVP to this meeting.
