SafeWork SA

20/08/2008 1:21:49 PM

When VOID was formed in May 2006, the first department to make contact with the group was the newly formed SafeWork SA (formerly known as Work Place Services).

We met at Parliament House with the then IND MP Nick Xenophon and some of the department's delegates about a week after the media activity on the groups formation to discuss the issues VOID group members were having to cope with.

The immediate problem appeared to be a lack of feedback from the department as to what these families could expect from the system and investigation.  It seemed some people had inspectors that made some effort to keep the family updated and others were not so fortunate.  Sometimes family members were persistent and sometimes they just couldn't find the strength to keep following up on this kind of things.  

The department had concerns of its own - the intrusion into someone's personal grief is not an easy decision to make.  The other questions surrounding just 'when' is the right time to make contact were also raised.

The department had a keen desire to correct the issues but dealing with a grieving family was never going to slot in with the one-shoe-fits-all approach.  It requires a more personal approach. 

At times the best point of contact may not be the next of kin...it may well be a sibling or parent of the deceased worker who is best kept informed - and who can then pass on information to the rest of the family.

We discussed at some length different ways this could be addressed.  

One of the first ideas presented by SafeWork SA was to develop an information booklet for families affected by a workplace death.  Earlier in 2007 VOID was sent a draft copy of the planned booklet and it looked quite comprehensive and very helpful.  

There are now two publications aimed at raising the level of procedure awareness available to families, co workers and employers.  SafeWork SA has kindly allowed VOID to include them on this website.  

Another thing VOID thought would be of great assistance was a Liaison officer specifically for the purpose of updating and answering questions and advising families with regard to where their case is and how it is progressing through the channels.  This person would obviously need to be someone with a good understanding of the system and legal protocols, but perhaps more importantly, the character would need to be quite approachable with a real understanding of how something like this affects the people they are dealing with.

Our understanding is / was that the department requested funding for such a person but some 2 years later this has not yet eventuated.  It quite likely will not.

In the interim, we found ourselves being able to liaise with Brad McLoud - the department's legal coordinator.  It is with great disappointment that in 2008 Brad McLoud will be leaving the department to pursue his passion at the prosecuting end of the system.  However, having had the privilege to witnessing the commitment this gentleman has to workplace safety laws, we are quite certain his talent will not go to waste in the Crown Solicitor's Office and we wish him the best of luck.

His departure will leave a hole in our liaison and we await news of who will take his place.  In the mean time, people can contact VOID for any updates on any concerns they may have in understanding this process and we'll endeavour to point you in the direction of someone within the department who can help.