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OHS (OHS educational issues (Education practices (Mostly part time mature…
OHS
OHS educational issues
Multidisciplinary
Some highly trained specialisations
Not specific to OHS, adjacent to it
No educational or experience requirements
Legislation
Implied need for expertise
Industry changes
Changing jurisdictions
differing jurisdictions have differing education requirements
Legislation harmoniisation potentially reducing confusion
Increasing demand for OHS professionals
Advocation of WorkSafe Victoria for OHS certification and accreditation
Now heightened interest by Safe Work Australia
Only recently seen as important
External factors
Tends to be low profile in organisations
Workplace injuries lower importance in the community
Not visible to school leavers
Low level enrolment of school leavers
Variety of options for training
Cert III to bachelors/Master degree
Larger organisations seeing needs for qualifications
Small organisations not seeing the education need
Show confusion of needs between VET and Uni
Not linked to specific role requirements
Changing paradigms
difficulty setting the education standard
Education practices
15 universities offer
Mostly part time mature aged students
Emphasis on mixed mode or external study
not highly valued profession
Difficulty finding skilled educators in OHS education
Such changing environments reduce experience in specific areas
Master level degrees
Increasing trend for higher level professionals to obtain
Accreditation criteria
In development
Includes specific eligibility
implementation will lead to increase in education needs
Particularly smaller companies
International education
Differing criteria
Differences between streams and countries
Less transferable to Australia
OHS paradigm shift (ages of safety)
Possibly into 5th adaptive age
Requires acceptance by leaders
Seeing humans as an asset
Learn, adapt, interpret and detect
Each age transcends the other
Professionals can be anchored to ages
1900's
Medical dominated
1900-1930
Safety first movement
Making employees aware
Instigation of non-union safety committees
1930-1970
4 approaches
Technical/engineering
Machine guarding
Medical
Care of individuals
2 Industrial psychology
Accident proneness
Repetition and boredom
After WW11 technical approaches expanded
1970's
Research question medical approach
rise of probabilistic risk assessment
New types of accidents relating to technology
1980's
Advance in Australian OHS
Introduction of Robens style legislation
Placed obligations on employer/line manager
1990's
Move away from engineering paradigm
Focus on quality techniques
development OHS management system based on ISO standards
2000's
Moved status of major contributor to developing
Threatened research capacity
End of 2000's going towards an adaptive age
Transcended technical, human factors, management and culture
Australian legislative development
Jurisdictions
each state/territory has some differing legislation
Changing with the implementation of the National Model WHS Act
Not all jurisdictions have implemented
9 OHS jurisdictions
Seen as "red tape"
External impacts
Changes to labour representation
Part time, job share, casual, labour hire
Legislation change necessary to ensure inclusion of all types of labour
War
Strikes
Great depression
Robens style legislation introduced
1980"s
Tripartite model
Originally introduced into the UK in 1970's
Refined throughout 1990's
Government, employer, worker representation
Duty of care approach
introduction of harmonised legislation
2012
Not introduced to all jurisdictions
Some jurisdictions have maintained own legislation for specific industries (e.g coal mining)
Should reduce "red tape" and compliance costs
Evolution of risks
Changes in work practices
Eliminated major risks
Introduced new risks not currently in legislation
Introduction of computers
Pre Robens style
Factories acts implemented 1873.
Included inspectors powers
NSW coalfields 1854
Regulated worker conditions
1930-1970
World health organisation created
Increased health focus
Workers compensation
Seen as a major cost
Towards end 1980's and more in the 1990's
Non OHS legislation
Conciliation and arbitration act
Introduced 1904
Exercise Tariff act
Introduced 1906
Immigration restriction act
Introduced 1901
Industrial relations act
introduced 1988
Sexual discrimination Act
introduced 1984
Human rights and equal opportunity act
introduced 1986
Age discrimination act
introduced 2004
Introduction of Australian standards
1980's
OHS professional roles
Five groups of expertise including OHS professional
Ergonomists
Physicians
Occupational hygienists
Health nurses
General OHS professionals
Differing focuses
Multidisciplinary
Collective knowledge
Role not regulated
Not educational or experience requirements exist
No clear focus or scope of roles
Differing titles
Advisor
Coordinator
Manager
Consultant
Changes
Legislation
Changes OHS expectations
Set professional standards
Risks and hazards
Changes OHS expectations and needs
Workplaces
Role driven by business needs
Differs between industries
Differs between workplace sizes
Often not aligned with management practices
Limited to technical matters and advice
Most OHS professionals worked as internal advisors
Includes government regulators
42% sole practioners
Pay
Slight decline 2008-2009
Wages steadily increased since GFC
Role specifics compared to international roles
Broader range of hazards
Stress, well being
occupational disease
transport safety
Safety management systems
Safe design
History
Before 1900s
OHS roles not identifiable
Dominated by medical professionals
Risks seen as effects of mental work and ill health
Pre 1970's
Practical technical/ engineering focus
Still dominated by medical professionals
First asbestosis article written 1932
Noise surveys conducted 1957-58
Dust sample pumps began being used 1960's
1970's
higher demand for role
Usually trade background
Ambiguous roles
1980's
Most companies had OHS team
Seen as advisory roles
Disagreements about the role
1990's
Internal consultants role
create awareness
build OHS infrastructure
Provide support
Extensive conflicts
Management vs Safety
2000's
people focused
Human error and compliance
Perceptions of the OHS professional
Professional levels
Advisor/Officer
Advisory service to line management
Characterised by a low profile
Multidisciplinary
Occupational hygienist
Occupational or environmental physicians
Collective knowledge
Ergonomists
limited to technical expertise
Knowledgeable and flexible understanding
Legislated requirements
Implied in National WHS legislation
Not always agreed by workforce
not always seen as necessary
Community
Trivial role
"fun police"
OHS stops work being done
Overly bureaucratic
Job scope
No agreed clear scope
Significant variation in roles
Reference
Safety Institute of Australia 2012,
The Generalist OHS Professional
,viewed 22 April 2019
OCHS11026 Assessment 2 A Ludlow 12061579