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Managing the risks of the Australian summer

Managing the risks of the Australian summer
Everyone appreciates the summer holiday break; it is a time for family and the Australian summer is generous with making late evening gatherings possible.

We do not confine our social activities to only the summer holidays, while the weather is good to us the social activities continue. This has a potentially negative impact on our work, which combined with hot days is a risk for all workplaces.

Social activities after work mean that we may be burning the candle at both ends; hot nights mean that we may not be sleeping well. In the Australian states where daylight savings is in place the longer hotter days have an impact on sleeping time even without social activities.

We all know that on hot days we need to drink lots of water, however during social activities this can be forgotten and water is often replaced with alcohol. [Read more…]

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Workplace New Year’s Resolutions

Workplace New Year’s Resolutions
Each year, we return from the summer holidays filled with plans to make changes and improvements to our workplaces.

Often, these plans are well intentioned and based on needs identified in the workplace at a previous time. Also, often, these plans are not realised because a step was missed in planning the execution of the changes and improvements.

Too many plans can result in a divided focus. To achieve lasting improvements and changes, it is wise to have fewer plans that can be broken down into smaller achievable parts.

Improving workplace housekeeping is a great starting place. Over 50 % of workplace hazards can be controlled if the workplace is kept clean, tidy and orderly. [Read more…]