National Commission Meeting A Success
The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) Chairman, Professor Dennis Else, said the recent National Commission meeting was "very successful and productive, with members working both effectively and as a team on the new NOHSC directions."
Major outcomes of the meeting, held on July 25, 1997, included decisions on:
- 1997-98 Work Program and the streamlined committees system
- Prevention projects for 1997-98
- Comparative Performance Monitoring
- National standards and codes of practice
- Hazardous substances regulatory package.
1997-98 Work Program
The four main programs will be:
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Identifying significant current and emerging problems - issues, gaps and trends.
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Identifying solutions, including by assessing current initiatives and developing robust solutions and a diagnostic framework.
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Facilitating prevention improvement through:
- regulation related strategies
- national information exchange
- small business.
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Measuring Performance - comparing performance in jurisdictions and at the industry sub-group level.
Prevention Projects
Professor Else said: "A critical focus for NOHSC is identifying solutions and making prevention happen in the workplace."
As part of this focus, the NOHSC Executive will select several initiatives for assessment by the NOHSC Office, with a view to adopting them nationally. Projects under consideration include:
- TruckSafe - Vic
- ThinkSafe - WA
- On the spot fines - NSW/NT
- Education and training through the internet - WA
- OHS management assessment tools - Vic/SA/WA/NT, for example, Safety Map
- Meat Industry performance - NSW
- Construction Industry deemed to comply materials - QLD.
If these projects are assessed positively, then they will be reworked into generic products that will be available to be picked up nationally.
Comparative Performance Monitoring (CPM)
Professor Dennis Else has been included in the Departments of Labour Standing Committee (DOLAC) working group, which is responsible for developing a system of CPM for OHS and workers’ compensation in all jurisdictions. The group’s first meeting is scheduled for the week commencing August 4, 1997.
Committee Structure
In considering the appropriate committee structure for implementing its new work program, NOHSC has reduced its committees from 23 to seven.
National standards and codes of practice
In line with the new procedure of obtaining Labour Minister Council (LMC) endorsement before proceeding with work on a standard, the National Commission has agreed to prepare a submission to LMC asking it to endorse NOHSC proceeding to the declaration of a National Standard and Code of Practice on Dangerous Goods.
The October 1997 NOHSC meeting will consider other potential draft standards and codes of practice that might be put forward to LMC for consideration under the new system.
"One of the positives of the early involvement of responsible ministers is that, the National Commission’s resources deployed on standards work will have a stronger likelihood of influencing jurisdictions’ ultimate decisions on adoption," said Professor Else.
Hazardous substances regulatory package: 1997-98 work program
The new Hazardous Substances sub-Committee will develop a program of work to maintain the hazardous substances regulatory package which will include advising the National Commission on the:
- current review of the chrysotile (white asbestos) exposure standard
- need to review the synthetic mineral fibres and crystalline silica exposure standards
- proposed revision of the Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances and the List of Designated Hazardous Substances
- proposed scheduling of PCBs under Schedule 2 of the hazardous substances regulations
- other exposure standards and health surveillance projects currently in train
- need to review of the National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheet and National Code of Practice for the Labelling of Workplace Substances.
The National Commission also noted the role for continued involvement in the international program to harmonise chemical classification and labelling systems.
National Asbestos Diseases Research Foundation
The National Commission decided not to proceed with further direct financial support for establishment of a Foundation, but to continue to encourage and support efforts to fund research into asbestos-related diseases through other means including a submission to NHMRC, supporting funding of research on asbestos-related diseases.
The next National Commission meeting will take place in Canberra in late October 1997.
Media contacts:
Nick Miller (02) 9577 9424 [w]
Sylvie Marimon (02) 9577 9249 [w]
31 July 1997
Page last updated: 15/07/2008