Page 20 - The Outdoor Showman JAN-MAR 2020

Thank you for the opportunity to write to the Victorian Showmen’s Guild Members.
Firstly, as an introduction, many of your members have met me over the last
9 years or so conducting amusement inspections at events around Melbourne and more recently in the Victoria’s regional areas as ‘Technical Inspector’ supporting the local inspectors for the last four years.
I continue in the role looking forward to all the challenges and continuous improvements we see across the industry every year.
I have two topics to raise with the Victoria Guild Members:
Tier Two Operators
For many years we have been conducting audits/inspections in accordance with the National Audit Tool from everyone at all events attended and had many discussions with many operators raising this point. This year 2020 we are planning a strategy to visit operators who operate in the tier two event space and who reside in Victoria.
As information tier one events are similar to the Royal Melbourne show, Royal Geelong Show, Main regional centre agricultural society shows, Moomba, St Kilda festival etc.
Tier two events can consist of smaller shows, festivals, fetes and school fairs etc.
Our purpose is to meet with individual operators and provide them information on identifying hazards and controlling risks associated with amusement structures.
The visit will be conducted with an amusement inspector who will provide a document explaining the requirements with examples.
It will cover topics such as the following:
• Maintenance and repair
• Inspections and documentation
• Annual inspections (Australian Standard AS 3533.3 – 2003)
• Record keeping
• Design Registration
• Legal Duties
• Exposure to risk to Health and Safety
• Hazard Identification
• Risk Control measures
• Monitoring and supervision
• Information, training, instruction and supervision of employees
• Employee Duties
• Emergency plan
• Review of risk controls
This will be an ongoing activity across Victoria during the season and will continue into the 2020/21 season as required.
FREE OHS Essentials
Program
Free safety advice that comes to you
WorkSafe Victoria’s OHS Essentials is a free workplace safety consultation service, delivered by independent occupational health and safety (OHS) experts.
An OHS Essentials consultant will visit your workplace to help you identify
hazards and provide a practical safety action plan. The consultant can even check-in with you again, to gauge how you’re tracking with the plan.
The service is a great way to receive free, independent and tailored advice to manage safety at your workplace.
OHS Essentials is available to small and medium employers, registered for WorkCover insurance. Sole traders with contractors may also be eligible, but must be registered for WorkCover insurance.
If your workplace is not registered
for WorkCover insurance, you may
be ineligible for this service. An OHS Essentials administrator will contact you to discuss.
The service includes an initial site visit to help you identify hazards and provide you with a practical action plan. The consultant will visit you again twice within 12 months to see how you are tracking with your action plan, and see if you need additional advice or support.
To apply for the OHS essentials program please complete the online application form available on the WorkSafe website www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
For further information email enquiries to ohsessentials@worksafe.vic.gov.au or telephone the WorkSafe Advisory Service on 1800 136089
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/ ohs-essentials-program
Should anyone have any further questions or any issues I encourage Victorian Showmen’s Guild Members to raise this with Justine Sinclair, Executive Officer.
Eugene Richards
18 THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN