Seventy-two people died when Grenfell Tower, a 1970s high-rise apartment block in west London, was engulfed in flames in June 2017. Whole families perished, including a six-month-old baby found cradled in her mother’s arms. Another man burned to death staying behind with his two bull terriers. A 24-year-old artist whose work was being shown at …
Read this post
The death of 12 people at a Californian bar on Wednesday takes the number of mass shootings in America to 311 this year. As distasteful as it feels, people need to think about what their response plan would be, if it happened to them. When Kristina Anderson’s Professor of French told the class to call …
Read this post
The feedback for Roadies: The Secret History of Australian Rock ‘n’ Roll, since its release in late September, has been hugely positive from the industry it puts the spotlight on. It’s a book that looks at Australia’s greatest behind-the-scenes players of tours by the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, INXS and more. What it’s achieved is giving …
Read this post
There’s a new breed of corporate culture aimed at proactively keeping workplaces safe. It’s commonly known as “safety culture” and it’s revolutionizing how employers and employees engage with safety. 5,190 working people were killed on the job and more than 50,000 died from occupational diseases in the United States last year. In 2016, 991 construction …
Read this post
The safest workplaces don’t just have comprehensive rules and standards—they feature great leadership, too. “Health and safety improvements are best achieved when health and safety are supported by the organisation’s culture,” says a Safe Work Australia spokesperson. “Leaders in organisations have a vital role to play.” Here, Dr Dan Caprar, a psychologist and senior lecturer …
Read this post
You’re a responsible employee with ample experience. And, of course, you value safety. So, when you see something at work that sets off alarm bells, it’s important to inform your boss. But all too often, leaders brush aside employee safety concerns. Worse, raising these issues in the wrong way can create lasting tensions. “Workplace health …
Read this post
Game of Thrones is the television series that has it all—dragons, zombies and epic battle scenes. Its mix of dramatic power plays, graphic violence and beautiful scenery has made it hugely popular the world over. But between all the swinging swords and windswept clifftops, how does this juggernaut manage safety and risks on set? Strategic …
Read this post
In the wake of Hurricane Michael, which battered the Florida panhandle and moved through Georgia and the Carolinas bringing devastating destruction earlier this month, authorities are warning of increased hazards as the clean up gets going. The hurricane has claimed at least 30 lives, with more missing, and left hundreds of thousands of Americans without …
Read this post
At the start of every shift, Chad Francis drops into a pit between 240 and 365 metres below ground that is held up by a system of scaffolding, bolts, straps and glue. “That’s a lot of cover over the top of you,” says the 39-year-old West Virginian coalminer. “As time goes by, there’s a lot …
Read this post
With the nickname “Risky”, it’s hardly surprising that Paul Chivers has a passion for workplace risk and safety. But his most recent experience as a risk adviser with the reality-TV series I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! was on another level. “We had a cast and crew of 400-plus in the South African jungle, …
Read this post
