Workplace Health and Safety Board Report 2005-06
The Workplace Health and Safety Board is the peak advisory body to the Queensland Government and the Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations on workplace health and safety issues.
Membership
The board is comprised of 13 members representing employer and worker associations and experts. Members are selected by the Minister for their knowledge and experience in workplace health and safety.
Board members were appointed from 1 January 2005 for a term of three years. During the year, Ms Gina Meibusch from the Australian Industry Group (AiG) resigned and was replaced by Mr Brent Reeman also from AiG.
Membership is:
Chair
Mr Vince O'Rourke
Representing employers
Mr John Crittall
Director, Construction Division, Queensland Master Builders Association
Ms Susannah McAuliffe
Manager, Employment Law Division, National Retail Association
Ms Wendy Erhart
Owner, Withcott Seedlings
Mr Peter Garske
Executive Director, Queensland Trucking Association
Mr Brent Reeman
Manager - Queensland Operations
Australian Industry Group
Representing workers
Mr Glenn Goyen
Executive Officer, Safework Queensland
Mr Wallace Trohear
State Secretary, CFMEU Construction Workers Divisional Branch
Ms Grace Grace
General Secretary , Queensland Council of Unions
Ms Amanda Richards
Occupational Health and Safety Officer, Queensland Nurses Union
Mr Garry Ryan
Queensland Branch President and Southern District Secretary, Australian Workers' Union
Other members
Miss Kelli Stallard
Partner, Dibbs Barker Gosling
Mr Tony Hawkins
Chief Executive Officer, WorkCover Queensland
Activities
The board formally met four times during 2005-06.
WHS Board work plan
During the year the board consolidated the outcomes of a planning session which was held in April 2005 and completed its work plan.
The plan focuses on raising community awareness and expectations to strengthen workplace commitment and motivation for higher standards of workplace health and safety performance and targets a number of levels including whole-of-government, high-end industry, small business and the regulatory framework. These areas complement the existing Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Strategy 2004-2012 and associated industry action plans.
The plan is comprised of four major projects with supporting key action areas as follows:
Project 1 - Integration of workplace health and safety into the Smart State Initiative to increase workplace health and safety awareness
- The board considers that this project could lead to great benefits not only in publicity and raising the profile and awareness of workplace health and safety, but also in terms of optimising operational resources and increasing quality and quantity of WHS end products.
Project 2 - Workplace awareness: improved methods for increasing workplace health and safety awareness of obligation holders and broader community
- The board believes that raising community awareness and expectations is an important element in strengthening workplace commitment and motivation for higher standards of workplace health and safety performance.
One of the key actions from the work plan is for the board to host a number of industry events such as leadership forums. The first of these was a breakfast function which was held on 29 November 2005 at Royal on the Park. The breakfast was addressed by Mr Chris Munro, CEO of Linfox Pty Ltd and was well attended by CEOs and senior management.
The function was very successful in promoting workplace health and safety with senior managers both in industry and in the public sector and agreed to hold more of these types of events in the future.
Project 3 - Access to information resources to improve compliance
- The board has been involved in monitoring the compliance outcomes for the small business project via regular updates provided at each meeting.
- The WHSQ small business program aims to build small business capability to manage WHS through increasing knowledge and awareness, changing attitudes and providing practical advice.
Project 4 - Strategic evidence based WHS
- A series of papers on prosecutions activities has been prepared for the board's consideration.
Achievements
During the year, the board and the seven industry sector standing committees provided advice to the Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations and Sport and the department on a number of policy, legislative and compliance issues including:
- the development and implementation of the five industry action plans and two mechanisms of injury plans
- small business initiative
- building industry initiative
- psychosocial injury program
- managing asbestos in domestic premises
- the use of recycled water in workplaces
- enforceable undertakings
- inspectorate activity.
Industry sector standing committees
The board is supported by seven industry sector standing committees:
- Construction Industry Sector Standing Committee
- Health and Community Services Industry Sector Standing Committee
- Hospitality, Recreation and Other Services Industry Sector Standing Committee
- Manufacturing Industry Sector Standing Committee
- Retail and Wholesale Industry Sector Standing Committee
- Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee
- Transport and Storage Industry Sector Standing Committee.
These committees provide advice and make recommendations to the board about workplace health and safety in the industry sector for which the committee was established.
Last updated November 8, 2006
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