 |
Acknowledgement: The
model for this Website and its JavaScript have been adapted from "Searching for China," posted at http://www.kn.sbc.com/wired/China/ChinaQuest.html and copyright SBC Knowledge Ventures, L.P. The authors of the current site have sought and gained permission to adapt the above model and JavaScript to develop a site for an undergraduate level subject at the Central Queensland University. |
At present in Queensland we have separate Acts, Regulations and regulatory authorities for the management of OHS. There are two mining industry specific Acts, they cover Coal and Metalliferous / Quarrying , the rest of Queensland industry is covered by the Workplace Health & Safety Act . Each of these Acts has supporting Regulations.
The mining specific legislation has recently become more aligned with the general industry legislation ( Roben's style regulation ), that is, it has changed from prescriptive requirements to a self regulated risk management approach. Given these changes is it possible to still argue that 'the mining industry is a special case with regard to exposure to specific hazards and risks; therefore the mining industry requires a separate Act and Regulations to ensure the health and safety of workers' . Is it still the most appropriate way to regulate OHS in the mining industry here in Queensland or indeed Australia ?
The regulatory options that have been on the table to date are:
Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation
It is important to understand the current status of the regulation of OHS in Australia from a national perspective. Then this must be considered in light of the recently released findings and report (24/06/04) of the National Workers' Compensation and Occupational Health and Safety Frameworks Inquiry to gain an understanding of the wide reaching implications for the management of OHS and compensation across all industry types into the future.
The inquiry covered all matters relevant to the provision of Workers' Compensation and Occupational Health and Safety in Australia, including:
- definitions of employer, employee, workplace and work-related injury/illness and fatalities;
- implications of retaining, limiting or removing access to common law damages;
- effective mechanisms to manage and resolve workers' compensation disputes;
- the regulatory framework which would allow suitably qualified employers to obtain national self-insurance coverage that is recognised by all schemes; and
- the infrastructure necessary at the National and State and Territory level to support suitable models for any national frameworks for Workers' Compensation and Occupational Health and Safety.
The Queesland Government's position to date has been to legislate for the regulation of OHS in the mining industry separately from other industry types. Stephen Robertson, Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy in Queensland, would like to be sure of his arguments for this position. He would like your team of stakeholders to review the arguments / make new arguments for the pros and cons of this position in light of the new findings. The Minister is the Key Note speaker at a mine safety conference in six weeks and does not want to be caught without the current facts and knowledge of contentious issues. He would like to know the position of each stakeholder and the conclusions of the whole team so that he can be prepared for any questions that come from the floor.
| Specifically,
your Quest(ion) is:
Should the mining industry be viewed as a special case with regard to exposure to specific hazards and risks; and therefore the mining industry requires a separate Act and Regulations to ensure the health and safety of workers? Your team will develop a Group Report that contains a Three Point Action Plan taking into account the following implications: legal, occupational hygiene, ergonomics, safety and ethical. |
By completing the WebQuest you should achieve the following goals in the context of the regulatory framework for OHS in the Queensland mining industry:
- identify the unique and generic hazards which are common in the mining industry;
- learn about the ethical dilemmas that influence OHS practice and regulation;
- work with your teammates to develop a possible solution to the Quest proposed;
- develop and defend an argument from one of four stakeholder perspectives; and
- accept that complex issues can have a number of stakeholder perspectives.
Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation
Background
The management of OHS in the mining industry is a significant issue. The Australian Black Coal Industry Inquiry Report (1999, p. 244) states
...underground mining is hazardous ...sector's fatality rate is about six times the Australian industry average. However, the low injury record of some mines indicates that accidents are preventable if hazards are managed effectively ... rate of fatal injury in the open cut coal mining sector is slightly higher than the Australian average ...average fatality rate of metalliferous mining was higher than for coal mining, both in open cut and underground coal sectors ...
The question of how to improve safety and health in the mining sector through regulation is not a simple one. Some issues already outlined are more obvious but what about the underlying issues that may compete for stakeholder attention:
So that we can all have a shared understanding of the issues posed by this quest, the following activity will allow you and your teammates to develop a broad knowledge base of OHS regulatory issues:
The button below takes you to the introductory activity:
Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation
The question of OHS regulation in the mining sector will impact on stakeholders in sometimes similar and sometimes competing ways. The issues involved are complex and raise different priorities depending on the needs of the stakeholders, for example, consider the productivity implications of having a certified 'dogman' available every time a crane is moved. In the end you will need to negotiate the outcomes from your role's specific perspective and come up with a document that is representative of the group.
Remember, your report will be presented to the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.
| Role | Goal |
| Mines Inspector |
to ensure the safety and health of workers through compliance with regulatory requirements and best practice |
| Mine Manager |
to ensure the safety and health of workers through being mindful of mine viability, keeping a balanced triple bottom line, ie., financial, environmental and societal demands - keeping the company viable through good corporate citizenship and honouring contracts |
| Union Convenor |
to ensure the safety and health of workers through observation, consultation and negotiation as issues arise which may negatively impact on workers - keeping workers in jobs and making sure they get home again |
| OHS Manager | to ensure the safety and health of workers through good safety and health management advice - balancing the priorities of the other stakeholders on the side of 'safety' and 'health' |
If your team consists of four members then you should each take a role. If there are more than four members then some of you may need to share a role. If you have less than four members then some of you will need to adopt more than one role.
When you are investigating, make sure that you adopt the persona of that role and interact with your group members in that persona. This makes it more realistic and lots of fun. You can find out about the allocations for team and your role within the WebQuest discussion forum.
Below you will find a dossier containing more details about your role and some suggested links to investigate. The dossier also assists you to create an action plan that will be automatically formatted into your own special report (note: To have the report automatically generated your browser must be have Javascript enabled).
If you are ready, click on the role below, then complete the activities in your dossier.
Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation
Now that you have all researched your your role and become an expert from that perspective, you are ready to work towards your final group report.
While this may sound easy, it's not--you will need to represent your role faithfully and it is unlikely that your teammates will always agree with your position. Consensus is the key and a tolerance of differing points of view. Learn to listen--think about where your team members are coming from and attempt to reach agreement through mutual understanding and negotiation. The answers are not simple because the issues are real and complex.
Now that you are ready to begin the group report click on the group report button below and begin.
Submit your report to your lecturer via the File Exchange in your team area (ensure version is clearly marked!) and notify your lecturer via the WebQuest Forum before continuing to the next and final phase of your Quest.
Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation
Congratulations, you've completed the group report, but your Quest is not yet over. While you've taken the time to prepare this report, you'll want to seek feedback from some experts to evaluate the validity of your work. This feedback will allow you to test your ideas on 'real' people and not just a role-play situation. Look for professionals whose roles you have played and ask for some critical and constructive feedback. You may choose to search the Web for such a person, or you may know one personally, or you may want to ask your lecturers for some leads if you are have difficulty finding someone.
The following points contain some suggestions on how you might go about eliciting some feedback:
Your final task will be to present your modified individual and group reports (incorporating reviewer's comments as necessary) to a panel of experts/stakeholders during a preconference meeting with the Minister (last week of August).
Introduction | Quest(ion) | Background | Individual Roles | Group Process | Feedback | Conclusion | Evaluation
Congratulations, you quest is over and you will now have a greater depth of knowledge about OHS and its application to the mining industry. What you also have learned is the complex nature of real world problems and the levels of social interaction to effect change.
Actions, no matter how well intentioned have consequences, some of which we least expect. As awarenes of OHS issues increases so to do the risks faced by employers, employees and Government. Often a more complete solution lies beyond the obvious and requires careful negotiation between the stake holders.
|
By Yvonne Toft & Scot Aldred Central Queensland University Copyright © 2002 All Rights Reserved Last revised July 12, 2004 |
