The team discuss the casualised work phenomenon introduced in a rampant way during the pandemic, causing the management of distributed work and the advent of remote video call meetings. Trajce discloses one of his secret nicknames, The Count von Count from Sesame Street, which is met by Alan and Sara’s appreciative laughter now that the … Read more
WARNING: This episode discusses workplace injury “Never smile at a crocodile,” chimes Alan. This episode speaks on working with critters; the first, a case of two soldiers attacked by a crocodile in Far North Queensland. Comcare charged the Australian Department of Defense for breaching federal work and safety laws for failing to maintain a safe system … Read more
WARNING: This episode discusses fatalities Alan reflects on the prosecutions and pending coronial inquest on the fatalities of the six Tasmanian children with three more children injured while playing in jumping castles during their school fair. “The judgement on the facts is pending,” Alan explained, “and there are no industrial manslaughter judgements in Tasmania.” The … Read more
WARNING: Suicide is discussed in this episode. Alan introduces a model of prosecution adopted by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator that provides guidance to industry and focuses on the most important prosecutorial issues. Alan and Trajce dream of dismantling ideological boundaries so that business and industry can return to the fundamental questions on, “What is … Read more
CAUTION: This episode speaks on near miss harm of a child. This episode speaks on the first pillar of work design, workplace protections, and the sociopolitical influences of worker empowerment. Thank you to subscriber, David Denoux, who shared his story on construction work and safety concerns. “If something goes wrong, terribly wrong, it will change your … Read more
Season 04 Episode 08: This episode covers two main topics. The first, thanks to our subscriber Andrew Nicholls, a design and technology teacher and researcher, who informed us of his work to advocate for the provision of personal protective equipment to technology and design staff, or any working party who needs it, by the schools. … Read more
Season 04 Episode 07: This episode stemmed from conversations with Dylan Matthews of the BHP FutureFit Academy on the seemingly innocent and instructive applications of the Hierarchy of Controls (HOC) in safety management: elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (ESIEAP – ‘Every Sunday I Eat A Pie’). Trajce is fired up … Read more
WARNING: A fatality and suicide are discussed in this episode. “We’re all human,” Alan explains, “even during our methane messaging” as he details the news story of U.S. Biden administration’s climate envoy, John Kerry, delivering a passionate speech on climate change in the most awkward exchange that was captured on film. The idea of ‘messaging’ … Read more
WARNING: Suicide is mentioned in this episode Trajce introduces the idea of psychosocial factors causing work-related mental health disorders and psychological injury claims in a case in Victoria that led to the regulator’s prosecution of the workplace. Alan reminds us that in this case the worker committed suicide, and even though this was not found … Read more
“It’s time to put the lid on dust,” Trajce advocates. Engineered stone, silica exposures, this has all been in the media of late. The trio, Alan, Trajce, and Sara, discuss who is vulnerable to these exposures and why, and what are the most pervasive causes. Trajce argues that the regulators must not demonise one hazard … Read more
Sara provokes thought on rites of passage by asking, “What are we holding on to in work and education simply because of a social construct established by a rite of passage?” and, “Are the rites of passage of old still useful now?” Sara challenges the notion of adhering to rites of passage versus embracing transformative, … Read more
Sara speaks about a WooFA (WFA) experience while walking her dog mid-work break when a bulldog muscled its way up a drive and launched into an attack on her dog. The boys, Alan and Trajce, discuss employer liabilities, and Sara reminds the boys that businesses like Joanna Clough’s, “The Dog Safe Workplace”, were established to … Read more
“I’m a GIF gal and you are emoji men,” says Sara. “Is it the eggplant emoji?” she teases. Trajce rolls his eyes and, in his exasperation, argues that it takes 3 seconds for the conversation to devolve among our trio. “I wouldn’t know,” he says, “it is just a nightshade fruit to me.”Trajce limits his … Read more