Here, SafetyQuip Australia gives you the low-down on the biggest news stories in the industry from the past month.
Back in 2014, research revealed that paramedics are twice as likely to get injured or killed on the job than police officers. In light of this alarming information, paramedics from St. Vincent’s and Epworth hospitals will be trialling new high-tech body cameras, which will be attached to their uniforms when responding to volatile medical emergencies.
This six-month trial will be progressively rolled out over the next month to 27 branches, with 550 paramedics having a chance to trial 150 cameras that will be in circulation over this period.
Premier Daniel Andrews has said: “We’re sending a strong message – violence and aggression towards paramedics is never OK!
“This trial is just one of the ways we are working to keep our dedicated paramedics safe while they are out on the job, saving lives.”
Paramedics are often exposed to dangerous situations, as they are usually the first ones to arrive on the scene of unpredictable medical emergencies. The cameras will be used to record any situations where a paramedic is in danger, but will not record all emergency cases that are attended by Ambulance Victoria staff. If a paramedic feels they are in danger, they will start recording.
The Victorian Government has made $500,000 of the Health Service Violence Prevention Fund available to finance the cameras, to see how effective they are in deterring violence.
The New South Wales Government is looking at enforcing stricter safety regulations around the use of combustible cladding, following the Grenfell Tower Fire in Londonthat has a death toll at 80 (at the time of writing, but is continuing to rise), with most of the tower’s 500 plus residents being marked as missing, presumed dead.
It’s been reported that cheap cladding used on the exterior of the London tower is responsible for the rapid spread, and uncontrollable nature of the fire. According to Premier Gladys Berejiklian, New South Wales’ building safety measures are going to be re-examined.
It’s believed that as many as 2,500 buildings in the state could be fitted with flammable cladding.
Ms. Berejiklian told the ABC, “We have been working hard behind the scenes since the tragedy in London. We are making sure there is no stone left unturned in NSW.”
Government agencies are currently working to set up a high-rise safety taskforce that will assess any buildings that are thought to be at risk.
Safety equipment in NSW and Victoria, and across the country is essential for ensuring workplaces and the general population are kept safe. To ensure your workplace environment is up-to-date with you state or territory’s safety regulations, talk to SafetyQuip Australia about our vast selection of personal protective equipment and workplace safety gear.
Safety Gear - Workwear - Footwear - Site Safety
Meeting your safety obligations to your workforce is a serious business. Standards evolve, and it can be tough to keep abreast of them. So it’s great to know you have a partner in SafetyQuip – a business that makes it its business to know your safety issues, and stocks all the safety workwear and PPE you will need to address them.
At SafetyQuip, we stock every kind of safety equipment and PPE, including respiratory protection, HI VIS safety workwear, height safety and skin protection. We stock safety equipment for materials handling, with ladders, platforms and elevated work spaces. And we’ve got you covered for personal protective equipment for the feet, with waterproof and steel capped work boots, plus a range of accessories.
Read More
