Page 5899 - Week 18 - Wednesday, 11 December 1991
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It is true that some workers might be concerned about losing designated people from their particular work area, but the Government has made a decision which basically boils down to more efficient use of occupational health and safety officers. Of course, they will have access to higher quality databases and more centralised expertise which will in turn flow on to the workplace.
Since the centralisation of occupational health and safety functions within the ACT Government Service, the responsibility for the overall provision of these functions rests with the Chief Minister's Division, as Mr Moore has pointed out. However, the organisation of these services is provided by the work improvement department of the ACT Institute of TAFE.
The objective of that department with regard to OH and S is to provide a service which maintains and improves both working and teaching environment - including the conducting of health and safety audits, taking action to correct OH and S related problems as appropriate and carrying out routine and ad hoc inspections of all work areas - and to ensure the overall quality of the working and teaching environment within the institute with regard to its OH and S requirements. These services protect both institute staff and students.
OH and S service provision is carried out in accordance with the legislation and agreements which apply across the ACT Government Service. It really goes back to the quality of a legislation, which of course the Labor Party was proud to introduce, and adherence to that legislation. I feel confident that the level of OH and S attention required on the job and in the workplace for teachers and students will be of a quality which will satisfy both them and Mr Moore.
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