Chris Tuck posted on September 07, 2010 09:25
In this edition Tony Marino talks about the changing attitude towards health and safety in the construction industry. Tony has worked in the industry for almost 40 years, including working in OHS management for the last 21 years. Tony is on various industry committees and is Chair of the Victorian Construction Safety Alliance.
As OHS professionals we must always be prepared to take on the challenge and strive for safer outcomes. This can’t be done in isolation, requiring the involvement, dedication and support of all parties from senior management to operatives.
Having a good management system does not always translate to good working practices unless practices are physically implemented, hazards and risks are controlled and the results are measured and acted on.
The OHS catchcry, ‘Is it safe?’ is applied broadly and can mean:
• Has it been engineered?
• Is it environmentally sound?
• Has it been quality controlled?
• Has it been scientifically tested?
OHS is in a constant state of transformation, a progression to safer outcomes. If considered in evolutionary terms, the industry has gone from:
Acceptance: incidents are bound to happen – to Reactive: the incident has happened so let’s fix it – to Calculative: systems and procedures are needed to oversee activities – to Proactive: let’s prevent incidents through training and improving practices – to Disciplinary: ongoing learning and correction.
It’s important to consider all opinions to foster a safer working environment. My personal ideology has always been, ‘We can reach a safe compromise but we can never compromise safety.’
There is still a long way to go and the journey should be one of consultation and sharing learning/outcomes for the benefit of all.
What's your opinion of OHS in workplaces today?
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