VI E U Laboratory Technician Seminar

1. VIEULaboratory Technician Seminar Wednesday May 4 2011 Brian Martin Occupational Health and Safety Organiser bmartin@vieu.org.au

2. What’s got the potential to hurt you? ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

3. BODY MAPPING – telling where it hurts ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

4. What’s got the potential to hurt you? Substances? Vapours, mists, liquids, fumes, solvents, dusts Environments? Noise, vibration, radiation, dry, wet, cold, hot, indoor air quality Job design? Control, stress, bullying, discrimination, harassment, violence ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

5. What’s got the potential to hurt you? Work Patterns? Long hours, rest breaks, overtime, work overload Welfare? Toilets, staff facilities, workplace cleanliness Incidents? Slips, trips, falls, cuts, bruises, scalds, manual handling ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

6. Where does it hurt? • Eyes • Ears • Mouth & Jaw • Neck & Back • Chest & Lungs • Stomach • Arms, wrists & hands • Bladder • Bones & Joints • Feet & Ankles • Central Nervous System • Nose & Throat • Breasts • Blood & Heart • Liver • Skin • Muscles • Kidneys • Reproductive system • Peripheral Nervous System • Legs & Knees ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

7. How can we identify what is hurting you at work? ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

8. Talking to colleagues • Meetings • Inspection of Work Areas • Surveys • Research • Statistics • Mapping ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

9. Body Mapping is a way of identifying common patterns of health problems amongst workers, normally doing the same or similar job. ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

10. Body Mapping • Allows colleagues to gather information about their workplace collectively. • It documents the findings. • It prioritise the process of hazard control. • Is a process driven by the workers themselves. • It allows the HSR to consult with and involve the DWG in the identification of hazards. ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

11. Why use body mapping? • Draws on the knowledge and experience of workers performing similar work. • Encourages discussion about health & safety • Involves workers contributing to the identification and resolution of problems • Uses visual images to assist in identifying links between health and work hazards ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

12. BODY MAPPING • Uses a body map showing front & back view • Workers performing similar work pool information on health problems/symptoms • Using coloured stickers collegues mark on the map areas where it hurts • Patterns emerge by comparing symptoms • The more people reporting the same symptoms the more likely it is to be work related ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

13. Body Mapping Involves two body outlines - front and back Workers place dots on the Body map where they hurt Different colours to identify different problems Illnesses Aches and pains Other problems ie stress and bullying Cuts & bruises ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

14. Body Mapping Exercise • Individual then group • Place stickers on the map to indicate symptoms that began or were made worse in the current job or workplace • Stress, bullying, fatigue, sleeping problems can be placed in a breakout box over the head • Use as many dots/stickers as required • Write on the map what the stickers represent and what you think may have caused the problem ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

15. Body Mapping Exercise – How? • Apply dots for any health problems or injuries you are experiencing now or have experienced since you have been working. • Includes – aches and pains, chronic illnesses, injuries or symptoms you believe are caused or affected by work. • Psyco-social issues such as stress, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, fatigue, bullying in a circle over the head. ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

16. Body Mapping – an example ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

17. What the body maps show A variety of symptoms of ill health but not the causes Many colleagues experiencing similar problems Shoulder and back pain, cut, cracked and sore hands, stress and bullying are major problems ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

18. Advantages of Body Mapping: • provides an easy and effective way to encourage workers to speak out and report symptoms of ill health that they suffer • identifies common patterns of health problems amongst workers doing the same job • highlights areas for further investigation and action ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

19. What does your body map show? • Patterns and Causes: • As a group, use the data on the map to: • Identify any clusters and discuss what they mean • Discuss what you think the causes are • Record key points ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

20. Questions arising: • What patterns can you see? • What does it tell us? • What is it about the work that causes or aggravates this? • Why is it happening? (Workers should consider the specifics of their individual workplace) • What are the three most significant issues arising from the Body Map? ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

21. Questions arising: • What should we do about these issues? • What barriers have been encountered in the past when dealing with these issues? • What successes have been experienced in dealing with these issues? ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

22. Questions arising: • What was good about the body mapping exercise? • What was difficult? • How could you use it? • What are the three biggest issues for lab techs from the discussion: this might include symptoms, work causes or organisational issues. ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU

23. VIEU Your Union working for You ESS Seminar 040511 Brian Martin OHS Organiser VIEU