Site Office Philosopher

News and Reviews
Events and Training
Site Office Philosopher

News and Reviews

OHS Performance Measurement in the Construction Industry: Development of Positive Performance Indicators.
More info..

Work Deaths Rising
Article in the Sunday Telegraph 13 Feb 05. Article called for an increase in pressure on WorkCover due to cutting back on the number of prosecutions and penalties against construction companies. The added pressure was mounting due to two men being killed in separate incidents on the same day.

Article quotes "Figures show the number of successful prosecutions dropped from 443 in 2002/03 to 399 in 2003/04"
Recent job fatalities have included:-
February 8: Building contractor decapitated by falling slab of concrete in Sydney; two others seriously injured.
February 8: Subcontractor crushed to death by front end loader near Wagga Wagga.
January 22: Sydney Water worker electrocuted while fixing a broken pipe.
January 15: Concreter killed by a falling crane on the north coast.
Article authored by Joe Hildebrand

Events and Training

Safety in Action Exhibition
Visit the Safety in Action/Materials and Manual Handling Exhibition at Melbourne Exhibition Centre 21- 23 March 2005. Free online registration. Click here to check out more than 300 exhibitors on display.

17th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work
United States National Safety Council to host International Gathering of Safety and Health Experts. The 17th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, an international gathering of safety and health experts, is being held Sept. 18-22 in Orlando, Florida. This is the first time the triennial event is being held in the United States. More Info..

Site Office Philosopher

Three most dangerous words in the world

I Know It!!! These are the three most dangerous words in the world. So often we hear workers shrug off Safety guidelines by saying I know, I know yet never take action to minimize the risk. People who say I know it, simply do not know it. If they knew it, they would live it.

Adopt this philosophy with your staff, they do not actually know it until they live it consistently. Reinforce with numerous examples. Eg They understand and know that if they don't have their roof harness on when working on the roof they will fall and break their legs. That not wearing the correct eye protection could stop them seeing their children.