Category Archives: occupational health

A proposal for busting unhealthy workplaces

February 16, 2012 – 4:20 pm

While the previous post makes a suggestion for how the Federal Government could ensure healthier, fairer food policy, in the article below health policy consultant Margo Saunders suggests workplaces (including government departments) could be doing more to promote good health. She suggests that we need a bit of online activism, in the vein of The [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in chronic diseases, Food, obesity, public health | Tagged , | Comments (2)

Is Victoria the pace-setter in health promotion?

December 16, 2011 – 11:45 am

It’s just over three years since COAG announced The National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health (NPAPH), which is providing $872.1 million over six years from 2009-10, and is billed as the “largest investment ever made by an Australian Government in health promotion for healthy eating and physical activity”. These recent job advertisements, for health promotion [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in chronic diseases, evidence-based issues, Food, health reform, National Preventive Health Agency, obesity, prevention, public health, social determinants of health | Comments (0)

Uranium sales to India: a public health disaster?

December 5, 2011 – 12:29 pm

Dr Margaret Beavis, a Melbourne GP and Vice President of the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, writes: A world with a nuclear weapons “free for all”  would inevitably lead to death and injury on an appalling scale.  Conflict, terrorism, human error, greed and natural disasters all  occur – and the more weapons there  are, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in global health, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

A nurse was murdered. Questions are being asked about health service management.

November 25, 2011 – 6:19 pm

A longer version of this article was first published by New Matilda. Jenny Haines, Former General Secretary of the NSW Nurses Association, writes: Walter Marsh has been convicted of the murder of Sydney nurse Michelle Beets. But there are still many questions in my mind about this case and they go to the heart of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in nurses and nursing | Comments (0)

Time to Act – How many quad bike deaths will manufacturers allow?

September 14, 2011 – 8:10 am

Tony Lower, Director of the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety within the Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, writes…. Its been just on seven months since my first blog regarding quad bikes and the perils of their design. Since that posting there have been a further 11 quad bike deaths in Australia, taking [...]

By Jennifer Doggett | Also posted in evidence-based issues, legal issues, prevention, rural and remote health, trauma | Comments (1)

Quad bike manufacturers under pressure to address safety concerns

March 9, 2011 – 10:20 am

In the last ten days, another three people have died after quad bike accidents. Two of the deaths were in Victoria and one was in Tasmania, according to Associate Professor Tony Lower, Director of the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health & Safety. The Centre has today released a new policy calling for quad bikes to [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in public health, rural and remote health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Some good news about farm safety – and a call for your stories about quad bike mishaps

February 21, 2011 – 7:24 pm

This is a good news, bad news sort of story. On one hand, there has been a significant drop in the number of people dying from injuries and accidents on farms. On the other hand, quad bikes are a growing cause for concern. The Australian Centre for Agricultural Health & Safety is keen to hear [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in rural and remote health | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Call for action on health risks facing uranium miners

December 16, 2010 – 2:36 pm

Uranium mining is a public health issue – especially for those working in the industry, who are exposed to the potentially harmful effects of low-level radiation exposure. It’s time that the industry, governments and the medical profession took some concerted action on behalf of miners’ health, says nuclear radiologist, Dr Peter Karamoskos, who is a [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in cancer, environmental health | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Manufacturers & regulators urged to get serious on quad bike safety

December 21, 2009 – 12:00 pm

A recent Croakey post raising concerns about the safety of quad bikes has been generating quite a bit of discussion around the traps. Its author, Dr Yossi Berger, the National OHS Co-ordinator for the Australian Workers Union, returns to the fray today, arguing that an effective regulatory mechanism is needed. He suggests we call it [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in health regulation, rural and remote health | Tagged , , | Comments (22)

Pissed and stoned at work? There are more important things to worry about…

December 15, 2009 – 9:23 am

The enthusiasm for drug and alcohol testing of workers is misplaced, argues Dr Yossi Berger, the National OHS Co-ordinator for the Australian Workers Union. He gives some chilling examples of other threats to workers’ health and safety that he would like to see receive far more attention.

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, illicit drugs | Tagged , , | Comments (1)