OHS The Unions Stranglehold on the Workplace

[silverfaun]

Occupational Health and Saftey,  although I believe in heath and safety at work OHS has strangled the workplace.

One only has to look at the overkill on a small set of steps, middle rail, painted lines/signs/side ramp and all this on a set of 12  steps when there is a ramp  at another entry.

My sis in law is a nurse  and she said the rules are crippling and dangerous because a nurse can't assist a patient without another 1 or 2 people assisting.

Roads and fences, it's everywhere you look, total overkill by councils and I won't even go into the rule book, a separate rules for every industry, and how long they are, infiltrating into every activity and even pastimes.

OHS was used by the unions to re enter the workplace, to regain their stranglehold in the workplace, when Howard broke the stranglehold of the unions.

Workers compensation was adequate historically and let's face it, their employees safety is uppermost in their priorities and a streamlined workplace is a productive workplace.

Reform and streamlining is desperately needed in the workplaces of Australia and it's needed now but will anybody take on the bully boy unions? will they get all emotive and accuse PM Abbott of trying to kill workers?? probably,  but I don't think anybody has the guts to reform OHS.

[the_hawk*]

clearlyt you have little concept of OH&S outside of an office where your biggest risk is falling off your chair while sleeping or a paper cut.

[lloydslights]

Unfortunately, the OHS is impacted by people who don't think about their own stupid actions creating reactions of a dangerous nature. No commonsense for some.

I agree there are some rules that seem over the top.  My daughter's place of employment has just brought in a new set of steps.  Guard rails, platform,  wider steps - more like a set of stairs. Has to go up as in ladder,  has to come down as in ladder. Not like stairs!!!!!. Imagine coming down the railway stairs backwards!!!!

DEB

[boris1gary]

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@the_hawk* wrote:

clearlyt you have little concept of OH&S outside of an office where your biggest risk is falling off your chair while sleeping or a paper cut.

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clearly no concept at all, there has already been 22 workplace deaths this year, that number does not include any worker with no dependants or who were self employed, so the number is probably higher. Maybe that number is to low for some?

[boris1gary]

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@lloydslights wrote:

Unfortunately, the OHS is impacted by people who don't think about their own stupid actions creating reactions of a dangerous nature. No commonsense for some.

I agree there are some rules that seem over the top.  My daughter's place of employment has just brought in a new set of steps.  Guard rails, platform,  wider steps - more like a set of stairs. Has to go up as in ladder,  has to come down as in ladder. Not like stairs!!!!!. Imagine coming down the railway stairs backwards!!!!

DEB

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The majority of workplace accidents and deaths are not, contrary to what some believe caused by people being stupid. Unsafe working conditions, time restraints, push for higher productivity the list goes on. It is not Unions that introduce OHS rules and regs at the workplace, it is the employer. It's generally union members and their delegates that try to ensure the OHS rules and regs are followed in an attempt to keep the workplace safe. It's Unions that campaign for a safer workplace and its Unions that campaign against employers who show little regard for their employees safety.

[the_hawk*]

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@lloydslights wrote:

Unfortunately, the OHS is impacted by people who don't think about their own stupid actions creating reactions of a dangerous nature. No commonsense for some.

I agree there are some rules that seem over the top.  My daughter's place of employment has just brought in a new set of steps.  Guard rails, platform,  wider steps - more like a set of stairs. Has to go up as in ladder,  has to come down as in ladder. Not like stairs!!!!!. Imagine coming down the railway stairs backwards!!!!

DEB

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Unfortunately its not always stupid actions by the workers, The company I worked for actively ignored safety and constantly harassed their workers to ignore safety and even company guidelines , the actions directly resulted in one work mates death when he was crushed while operating a crane without a dogman.

OH&S stated this was not permitted, company operational procedures stated it wasn't permitted yet the company forced him to do so on a daily basis, his widows death benefit was drastically reduced because he wasn't following procedures, while the investigation was happening the loading was done as per the procedures and as soon as it was over they went back to loading without a dogman.

A number of other workers ended up cripples again because the company harassed and intimidated people into blatantly breaching OH&S  

I was threatened with a written warning by a superviser because I threatened to write to Workcover about their breaches, the only stupid thing many workers that get injured or killed do is what they are being told to do by mongrel employers that dont care about their workers

[freakiness]

You forgot to blame the insurance companies in the anti OH&S rant.

They too push for OH&S standards to be improved so they don't have to fork out so much in compo payments.

[spotweldersfriend]

Aha!! Just as I thought.Workplace safety is a communist plot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyL5mAqFJds&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[lloydslights]

You are correct in me being naive about industrial OHS..  

I've worked in office based employment and owned a retail outlet that each had their own "dangers".  I've always been mindful of the health of employees.  They are so important to a business.  

What you have related is disgusting.

DEB

[silverfaun]

Spoken like a true member of the CFMEU. Bosses are dogs and out to rip off the workers and worse rant.

I have seen the tactics of this union, they are bullies, use thugs and crims to strongarm workers into striking, I saw whole club once defy the unions and work after they asked if they could be put on salary for the time these thugs flew into town until they left.

These crims were not even representing the misos but they tried it on anyway because they thought they could.