HPOTS 30th Anniversary

Happy new year to everyone,

I hope that 2012 will bring health, happiness & prosperity to all.

2012 is shaping up to be a big year for us, first of all we have started 2012 in much the same way that we finished 2011, very busy! Our dogging courses are filling quickly along with all of our courses so if you need some information on availability please ring the office (02 4990 2588) and one of our helpful staff will point you in the right direction.

The big news as far as we are concerned is that HPOTS turns 30 this year, this is a milestone in the modern business world and as such we are planning some celebrations throughout the year, so keep an eye on our website and in the papers for details regarding the celebration of HPOTS Training.

Have a great year

Paul Meddows.

Work Safety Out of Control ?

Achieving workable OHS practices in the workplace is desirable from any viewpoint. One aspect, from an employer’s point of view, is the legal safeguard to prevent prosecution for things obviously out of their control.

Australia’s OHS laws ( similar to International ones ) in general state that everyone in the workplace is responsible for safety, based on what they can “reasonably and practicably control”.  This is a good definition, as there’s a long track record of what is considered to be under a person’s control.

There’s a good article worth reading that came out in September this year - Work safety spins out of control – that gives a good overview of what’s been occurring in Australia recently.

Elevating Work Platforms (EWP)

Just a quick post regarding EWPs, particularly scissor lifts.  It is a requirement for all persons in the basket to wear a correctly adjusted harness with a lanyard attached to an approved anchor point for boom type EWP.  This is not required for a scissor lift.

A risk assessement should be conducted having regard to the characteristics of the machine, the site and the work to be performed to determine whether a harness and lanyard may be required for persons in the basket of a scissor lift.  If the risk posed by some identified hazard is reduced or eliminated by using a harness and lanyard then these should be required.

Some organisations are implementing ‘blanket’ requirements for the use of harnesses and lanyards without proper identification of hazards and assessment of the risks involved in the use of scissor lifts.  There are circumstances where it is safer not to be tethered to the basket of these machines.  Using such blanket requirements under these circumstances may place operators at greater risk.

As always the risk assessment determines and documents the safest means of completing the task.