Completion of 12.1 Systems and systems thinking has been delayed and it is anticipated that the chapter will be ready for publication early 2022.
Work continues on 12.6 Investigations which is funded by an Enforceable Undertaking and is authored by Geoff Dell and his team (ex of CQU Accident Forensics programs).
A new chapter on the Design of Work is being authored by Lisette Kanse and Laura Fruhen of the University of Western Australia. A successful forum was held to review the draft and following post-forum amendments it has been sent for peer review.
The 2012 chapter on Chemical Hazards has been scheduled for review for some time. The plan is to replace this chapter with two chapters, 17.1 Managing chemical hazards and 17.2 Health impacts of chemical hazards which will include toxicology. These two new chapters on chemical hazards will be complemented by a new chapter 17.3 Fibres Dusts and Fumes which isbeing authored by the occupational hygiene team from University of Wollongong. The fourth chapter in the suite of chapters on chemical hazards is the 2019 chapter 17.4 Process Hazards (Chemical) which addresses highly reactive chemicals.
We are working on a new chapter on 29 Mobile Plant to replace the 2012 chapter. This is an exciting activity being a joint project led by Maureen Hassell of UQR!sk. The new chapter will bring together current academic and industry-based research and industry practice on mobile plant use in high hazard industries with a focus on high risk interactions. It will explore hazards that have long been associated with mobile plant as well as the impact of automation and artificial intelligence.
For those of you who follow the podcast Safety of Work, you will know that Drew Rae is passionate about OHS professionals being informed ‘consumers’ of research. We are working with Drew Rae and David Provan to update the 2012 chapter 39 The OHS professional as a critical consumer of research to broaden the scope of the chapter to provide guidance on evaluating the quality of research, searching and accessing research literature and using research to enhance practice.
For the remaining 2012 chapters, it is planned to replace the two chapters on basic psychology with three chapters 9.1 People as Individuals, 9.2 Individual Differences and Work and 9.3 People in Organisations.
Looking back, since July 2019 – 23 chapters have had routine reviews, 5 have had major reviews/rewrites, 6 have been replaced by new chapters and 8 chapters on new topics have been added. 33 chapters have been archived. There are currently 10 active projects.