Thread: Safety - Risk or Certainty?

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Yes. Go to the back issues for #252 to #257. Hopefully GMC have may eventually add these articles to their Woodworkers Institute site.

They ring a bell, I have been getting the digital version for about 2 years. Did not realise it was you who wrote them. For some reason I thought you were in Victoria somewhere. Nice work


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

I worked in petrol industry and they wanted zero accident to staff and customers! My argument was minimise yes eliminate all is not possible!
Hazard perceptions vary so much between each person, I know metal machinists that think I'm crazy being a Woodturner. I have had more than my share of work place accidents and the hospital didn't have Woodturner or woodturning on there list of work carried out!

Originally Posted by hughie

I suspect much has to do the turners work experience and his or her exposure to risk analysis, the hierarchy of control etc. I imagine if you work in relatively safe environment such as an office as opposed to something at the other end such as mining. Then the awareness difference would be enormous and play a major part in risk awareness.

Manufacturers etc in the above paragraph, responsibilities depends greatly on state legislation. In NSW there are clear distinctions of responsibility of all who are involved. We may well be looking at, in regard to this area, simply variations in state legislation.

Hughie you make very good points - I agree. The individual's life experiences & perceptions of a hazard or risk is was what drew me to Hogbin's quote. Even if we worked side by side in the same high risk environment under the same expectations we still may have quite different perceptions of risk. We may however share a "common knowledge" of the hazards and an expected minimum behaviour standard & compliance to safe operating proceedures.

The new "Australian Consumer Law" standardizes consumer legislation. As you correctly point out obligations and responsibilities for plant (machinery, tools & equipment) do vary between states but are being harmonized. Few realise that an importer of goods may be deemed the "manufacturer" in many instances, or that the Acts impose other obligation, e.g. in QLD

"imposes a specific duty on officers of corporations and unincorporated bodies, such as clubs and associations, to exercise due diligence to ensure that the corporation, club or association meets its work health and safety obligations. The duty requires officers to be proactive in ensuring that the corporation, club or association complies with its duty."