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Generalist OHS Professional In Australia (OHS Educational Issues (Increase…
Generalist OHS Professional In Australia
Perceptions of the OHS Professional
In place to minimise and prevent injuries, fatality, disease, ill health or any other health related risks in the work place
Applies professional practice to influence the organisation to improve health and safety of people at work
Political, economical, industrial and legislative environments
Obtained through different roles to apply a multidisciplinary body of knowledge that leads to the management of OHS to prevent work-related injury
Provides collective knowledge in workforce
OHS in Australia is not regulated - no education or experience requirements
Do not practice in isolation - work within environment
Political, economic and industrial as well as legislative requirements
Dealing with physical hazards in high-risk industries in medium to large workplaces
low profile makers and regulators
lack of community awareness and understanding of OHS
OHS Educational Issues
Increase in demand for education
Options for education expands but the development is fragmented gaining little interest from OHS regulators
Education is inconsistent and vulnerable to resourcing issues
Education immerged on safety through The American Society of Safety in Engineers
Lack of education limited their ability to intervene in management decision making
Little attempt at planning to ensure balance in programs
Although the need to upgrade the skills of OHS inspectors had been identified, usually addressed via short courses
Education was only studied as a secondary discipline by mature age students on part time
OHS was not highly valued within universities – difficult obtaining qualified and experienced OHS educators
The demise of OHS degrees threatened the acceptance of OHS as a profession and future education
National endorsed competencies were developed for OHS – qualification delivered through TAFE bodies
Further changes set the minimum educational requirements as a bachelor degree or graduate diploma in OHS
Australian Legislation Development
Introduction of harmonised OHS legislation based on a national model Act and model regulations promulgated in each jurisdiction.
Always been a Colony (State) reserve power that remains a state-based system.
Similarity in OHS laws across the nine OHS jurisdictions
A multitude of laws relating to workplace health and safety
changes in legislation will create a short-term focus for all professionals.
Legislation was first developed in 1854 in NSW followed by legislation in Victoria in 1873
Four approaches to OHS emerged
legislation was formed from three major disasters in Europe which set the scene for major regulatory change in OHS
OHS Paradigm Shifts (Ages of Safety)
Ages of safety identified relevant to evolution of OHS
each age built upon its predecessor and posited a fourth integration age of safety – previous ages meld and become sources of reflection for developing perspectives.
Safety is achieved by establishing safe systems and ensuring that managers and workers work inside the boundaries of those systems
OHS has progressed into a 5th adaptive age challenging dominate paradigm by proposing a change in perspective from human variability as a liability and in need of control to a human variability as an asset and important to safety
Adaptive age requires acceptance by organisation leaders create their own shared meanings about what it is to work safely
Need for change – identified from limitations in effectives of safety management systems – greater need for adaptability
Ages of safety highlights the need for the generalist OHS professional to be aware of and reflect on current thinking about OHS – participate in discussion and consider the implications for practice
OHS Professional Roles :
roles connect and engage together for OHS outcomes in the workplace
different roles and different qualifications and experience requirements
5 groups - generalist OHS professionals, occupational hygienists, occupational ergonomists, occupational physicians and occupational health nurses
advised to become internal consultants
create awareness
Build OHS infrastructure
Provide information and support managers in the development of OHS skills and knowledge
OHS roles changed from technical experts to generalists with strong human relations and management skills
roles were affected by management style, economic pressure and level of union involvement
lack of community awareness causing a negative perception of the role of OHS