12 minute read
Workplace Health and Safety
WH&S Show 22 Personalised & interactive
Creating mentally healthy workplaces is a significant topic to be covered at the Workplace Health & Safety Show 2022.
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The anticipated return of the Workplace Health & Safety Show 2022, will see industry trailblazers and game-changing newcomers unite to present a series of live, interactive two-way learning experiences. These will cover all the latest trends, technologies and issues faced by Australian businesses today.
Taking place over two days 25-26 May at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, this year’s comprehensive seminars and forums cover topics including innovation, technology, major hazards, wellbeing, mental health, and injury prevention. Additionally, attendees will discover 90+ exhibitors showcasing the latest resources, services and products for the safety industry in the exhibition.
After a tumultuous two years, with the global pandemic taking a toll on mental health and leading to a restructuring of the modern workforce, Australia’s leading workplace health and safety event promises thought-provoking discussions and interactive forums on all the hot topics.
“We are excited to create a personalised and interactive space for professionals to hear from industry leaders on how best to foster healthy and safe work environments,” IEC Group Australia CEO, Marie Kinsella said.
The Free Education program will take place over two days with sessions held in the Knowledge Centre or on the Spotlight Stage.
The full Fee Education Program includes: DAY 1 WEDNESDAY 25 MAY
What does the future look like for Victorian business?
Presented by Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Paul Guerra - Chief Executive Officer; Amy Bell - General Manager Workplace Relations; Anton Zytnik - Acting Manager, Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Creating mentally healthy workplaces: Business case studies in primary prevention
Jennifer Fry, Director of WorkWell, WorkSafe Victoria
Minimising the challenges to embrace technology
David Miller Business Development Manager, Skytrust
Changes to height safety management; A new holistic approach
Scott Barber, CEO, WAHA
MSD Risk Analysis: A data-driven approach
David Bick - Director of Professional Services, Joint Action Solutions
The missing links in Wellbeing. A corporate Wellbeing checklist.
Carli Phillips BHSc, MBA, Wellbeing Keynote Speaker
Do you know your OHS Duties?
Cameron Hannebery Special Counsel, Lander & Rogers
Workplace health & safety management, Powered by Microsoft
Thai Phan - Head of Growth, Clade Solutions
Early Intervention: Why it’s critical to get it right
James Murray- Founder and Managing Director, Work Healthy Australia
Meet the Inspectors from WorkSafe Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria Inspectors
To register for your free ticket visit whsshow.com.au
DAY 2 WEDNESDAY 26 MAY
Brain Chemistry: Impact on health, safety, mental wellbeing and performance
Greg McLoughlin Managing Director, Health by Design
Creating mentally healthy workplaces: Business case studies in primary prevention (repeat session)
Jennifer Fry, Director of WorkWell, WorkSafe Victoria
Digitally transforming safety in the Workplace
Corey Burford - Managing Director, Skytrust
The psychological stresses of prosecutions and how to manage them
Alan Girle, Special Counsel, Macpherson Kelley
WorkSafe OHS essentials free consultancy program from Victorian small/ medium employers
Gloria Morosinotto, Director, Contract Safety Solutions
Using wearable technology to reduce injury risk and improve RTW
Scott Coleman - Managing Director, Preventure
Practical guide to preventing work-related back pain
Mark Alexander- BPhty (Hons) MPhty (Sports) MBA
The destruction of a person’s career and life expectations
Mark Heaysman - CEO, Longitude6 Pty Ltd
Meet the Inspectors from WorkSafe Victoria
WorkSafe Victoria Inspectors
Domestic Family Violence’ $1.9bn workplace impact
There is a critical need to talk about domestic and family violence in the manufacturing workplace.
Regrettably, Domestic Family Violence is one of the most serious and urgent challenges confronting our society. It is imperative that your workplace knows how to manage a situation should it arise.
Employees who experience family or domestic violence often rely on the workplace to be a safe place to escape the violence. Meanwhile, the workplace is also a vital source of economic support for those affected by DFV.
A KPMG survey reports that DFV costs the Australian economy $22 billion annually. Other studies have found that it has a $1.9 billion impact directly on Australian businesses in areas such as lost opportunity costs, poor service, stress, performance management, search & hiring costs, &retaining costs.
Flexible work helps
The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) has been amended to provide the right for workers to request flexible work arrangements if they are experiencing DFV. For staff at risk of injury, threats or harm from a current or ex-partner who may be stalking, threatening or harassing; flexible work may be a simple life saving step.
An effective workplace DFV policy can help workplaces be prepared and responsive to incidences of DFV. A policy should distribute up to date information and resources and train staff in how to recognise, respond and refer to the correct support services.
This means the workplace can appropriately support the affected employee to help potentially change their circumstances whilst remaining employed.
Employers need to understand how to manage the range of workplace issues that DFV presents. How would you respond if the following occurred in your workplace; • An aggressive ex-partner of one of your employees gained entry to your workplace • One of your employees requests a flexible working arrangement so they can manage a range of DFV associated activities (e.g., attending counselling, court hearings, custody issues etc.) • An underperforming employee raises DFV as a mitigating factor in the context of a disciplinary process.
Consider the following to improve the way you respond to DFV
1. Train your managers
Training your managers will ensure that they know how to spot the early warning signs of DFV and intervene appropriately, and that they understand the complex legal issues that come into play
2. Treat DFV as a workplace safety issue
Your most important obligation as an employer to your staff is to provide a safe workplace for your employees and contractors.
Treat DFV as a traditional workplace hazard and manage it in the same way as any other by using risk-management principles.
3. Develop a DFV strategy
As a business, you have an important role to play in reducing the stigma associated with DFV. Your workplace can build and maintain a workplace culture where DFV is not normalised and barriers to disclosure are removed.
There are programs and educational sessions available for employers to assist them in dealing with DFV in the workplace.
Anton Zytnik, Manager Health Safety and Wellbeing at Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will deliver a session in the Free program at the Workplace Health & Safety Show Melbourne, 25 -26 May 2022 being held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Topics covered include having a supportive DFV conversation, DFV and the law, your obligations under workplace relations, safety, workers’ compensation, equal opportunity and privacy legislation.
The Workplace Health & Safety Show Melbourne will also deliver a range of Wellbeing, Mental Health and other contemporary sessions (all free to attend) including sessions from WorkSafe Victoria on ‘’Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces’’.
International Exhibition and Conference CEO Marie Kinsella cites a KPMG survey report that DFV costs the Australian economy $22 billion annually.
TRANSFORM YOUR INDUSTRIAL WORKSPACE WITH THE AEROSMART INDUSTRIAL
ELECTRONIC SIT-STAND WORKSTATION
AUSTRALIAN
MADE & OWNED
Doctors, no fans of sedentary lifestyles, rarely encourage anyone,especially those with back pain,to spend all day sitting. A standing desk can help avert aching muscles if you use it correctly, get off your feet and move at regular intervals.
Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh researcher April Chambers, said women could benefit greatly from a standing desk. But she added that in order to achieve positive outcomes with sit-stand desks, we need a better understanding of how to properly use them. “Like any other tool, you have to use it correctly to get the full benefits out of it.”
Finding an solution
For Integra Systems, creating the ideal sitstand desk came from finding a solution for the chronic pain and illness suffered by one of the company’s directors. No product on the market met their required standards, so they decided to design and manufacture their own workstation options, which became the foundation of a range of WorkSMART solutions assigned to the proprietary division of the business, Integra TransForm.
Such research into hybrid workstations and consultation with ergonomics experts saw the workforce at Integra develop a wealth of knowledge about sit-stand working. They share some tips with us to bear in mind when standing up for your health.
1. Not just sitting, standing too
The word is: sitting is the new smoking. So the answer must be to stand up at your computer across the course of the day, right? Wrong. Just as you can harm yourself by drinking too much water, long hours of standing won’t do you much good either.
Micro movements of standing up and sitting down at regular intervals during the
Integra Systems
integra transform.com.au
day can improve your health and burn calories. That’s why finding a desk that transitions easily (and quietly – so not to annoy your co-workers) is one of the most important features you need to look for in a sit-stand desk.
Think: does the desk have onetouch operation? Does it adjust smoothly without me having to push and pull at its structure? Do I feel at ease changing this desk from a sitting to a standing position and then back again? Is the desk or conversion unit sturdy and safe? If you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions, it’s likely you won’t use your sit-stand desk properly and, therefore, you will not benefit from its sit-stand advantages.
2. Plenty of adjustability
What is good for one person is not good for another – in other words, we’re all cast from different moulds. Similarly, your body shape and height may change, as well as your standing/sitting habits, which means your sit-stand solution must be adjustable if you want longevity from your purchase.
Can your sit-stand workstation hold more than one computer monitor? Does it have a small footprint so it doesn’t clutter your workspace or obstruct your feet? Or does it overwhelm your desk?
In terms of adjustability and the office furniture already at your disposal, you might need an entire sit-stand desk or just an electronic converter that sits on existing furniture transforming it into a functional sit-stand workstation (the latter option might be more affordable and sensible).
3. Height memory and setting options
There are desks with hand-cranks for changing height but, by far, the more elegant and future-proof sit-stand workstations are powered electronically with an LED keypad for entering different heights, as well as different timeframes to alert you to change from a sitting to a standing position and so on.
You need to be confident your desk sit-stand memory is good – and the desk doesn’t slowly drop across the day! You also need to be confident that the electronic componentry incorporated into the workstation is both safe and reliable.
4. High-quality materials and good looks
Good furniture, whatever it may be, is defined by the quality of its materials and craftsmanship. By comparing different sit-stand solutions before making a purchase, you will be able to immediately discern whether a workstation is strong, sturdy and stable, or flimsy, inferior and a waste of money.
Don’t underestimate the importance of acquiring a sit-stand desk that is also attractive and fits effortlessly into your workspace. Given you will be using your workstation on a daily basis, a smart and elegant sit-stand solution is going to have a positive impact on both your mind and body – and the two are inextricably linked.
Just remember that skimping on quality is a false economy.
5. Supporting information & after-market care
So you’ve chosen an excellent sitstand option, but what do you do with it? As we’ve already discussed, it’s not sufficient to swap your sitting all day for standing all day so – if you don’t need to follow the advice of a doctor or you don’t have a physiotherapist to create your sit-stand schedule – the company that supplies your workstation should also have supporting materials and research to start you off in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to ask for these details.
Why Safety Knives?
The traditional ‘utility knife’ has been around for decades. Once upon a time, not too long ago, one could probably be found in just about every house and workplace in the country and it would be equally as common to find someone sporting a scar received while using one. Fortunately for us there is now a greater awareness of risk and a sharper focus on safety, particularly in workplaces. As a result, we can now find safer options for cutting than the traditional old utility knife kept in the bottom of a drawer somewhere.
Fortunately, through innovation and design, we now have award winning safety knives and cutters to help keep you, your staff, and your products safe!
Martor, a knife manufacturer based in Solingen Germany, the historical ‘city of blades’ turned their design and development focus to the task of making cutting safer. With the development of three key safety technologies and a range of more than 100 different products, Martor offers a safe cutting solution for a wide range of cutting tasks.
From concealed blade cutters that ensure the blade remains safely out of reach of fingers while also protecting valuable stock, to fully automatic blade retraction which all but removes human error from the equation to automatic blade retraction for improved safety, there is a safety level and knife design that provides you with the ideal mix of ‘safe and effective cutting’.
A heavy knife with a long blade isn’t necessary when opening a box and or the risk of damaging valuable stock with a sharp blade when removing external wrappings. But with over 100 products to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? The team at Martor Australia is here to provide you with all the product information and support you need to ensure you find the knife/cutter that is right for you.
Choosing and using the right Safety Knife will reduce risk, reduce damage, and ensure less of those scars now and for future generations.
Martor, with the development of three key safety technologies offers a range of more than 100 different products.
BE PART OF AUSTRALIA’S MODERN MANUFACTURING DNA.
Calling companies who offer:
Smart Manufacturing, Robotics, AI, Intralogistics, Warehouse Automation, Additive Manufacturing, Process Optimisation and Green & Sustainable Manufacturing solutions. Exhibit your brand and connect with manufacturing leaders at the Modern Manufacturing Expo.
