Defence Centre for Occupational Health

1
Defence Centre for Occupational Health
Presentation to Forum 4 April 2006

2
Establishment of the Defence Centre for
Occupational Health

• The Defence OHS Strategic Plan has eight priority
  areas for action
• Priority 2 of the Plan is to Improve the
  Prevention of Occupational Illness and Disease
• To assist in meeting this priority, the Defence
  OHS Committee approved the establishment of the
  Defence Centre for Occupational Health (DCOH) on
  7 Sep 05
• The DCOH has a Defence-wide charter and will work
  collaboratively with Services and Groups to
  address current gaps in OH provision and on
  building sustainable future capability

3
Role of the DCOH

• To assist Defence to promote health and improve
  prevention of occupational illness and disease
  through identification of, and effective control
  of hazards

4
Functions
Environmental scanning / issues identification
OH issues identified by DCOH or Stakeholders
Develop and communicate policy, education and
training, assist Stakeholders in any corporate
action, project manage corporate action where
required
Research and evaluation
Development and communication of Policy /or
Procedure
DCOH
Research identified issues, evaluate findings
Initiate corporate action, provide advice to
Stakeholders
Stakeholder collaboration
Corporate action / advices
Discuss research findings, seek input from
Stakeholders
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Tasks

• Addressing identified high-risk issues
• Ongoing advice and information to Services and
  Groups
• Assisting Services and Groups to undertake risk
  assessments to identify and address the needs of
  high risk workplaces and at risk people
• Responding and liaising externally on OH matters
  - eg. respond to Parliamentary inquiries, public
  concerns
• As required, coordinating the investigation of
  exposures to OH hazards
• Undertake research, analysis and reporting on
  current and emerging issues and develop and
  implement health-related interventions

6
COH Linkages
External
Internal
Directorates in OHSC and DHS branches
Defence Occ. Med. Cons. Group
Comcare, NOHSC/ASCC
OHS Training Advisory Group
Shared expertise and communication
Contact through DSMA. Communication and poss.
joint projects
Consultation Info exchange
DCOH
CMVH, other unis and prof. bodies
Links to be developed, and poss. joint projects
OH Project Board
Project management
Links with orgs, poss. site visits and info
exchange
Tasking/Progress reporting
Industry
DOHSC
Strategic and operational discussions,
agreements, communication
Links with o/seas forces/organisations eg
AUSCANUKUS
International
Communication/education
Links to be maintained, and poss. joint projects
OHS officers (HSRs, USCs, HSSRs etc)
DVA/RMA
OHS Working Group
7
Modus Operandi

• Enquiry handling responding to phone, email or
  written requests from within Defence or
  externally
• Managing Issues pro-actively undertaking or
  commissioning work on various OH matters
• Leadership participating in or leading projects
  to address particular issues
• Assistance providing assistance to Services and
  Groups through resources allocated by DOHSC for
  high priority tasks

8
Enquiry Handling
Navy Army RAAF CJOPS CSIG DMO DSMA DSTO C
FO Other Groups External eg DVA, RMA

Defence Members
Ministers CDF/Secretary Chiefs of
Services and Heads of Groups
DCOH
SAFETYMAN
OHS Reps
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Pro-actively managing issues
Discuss findings with Stakeholders and make
recommendations
Environmental scanning/issues identification
Undertake / commission research
Evaluate research findings
Corporate action required?
Lead development of corporate action
Promulgate new policies, training, communications
Assessment and review
Yes
No
Group/Service action required?
Advise as required
Yes
No
No further action
10
Project leadership and participation
Project identified by COH or Stakeholder
Corporate project?
No
Yes
COH collaborates with Stakeholder to determine
COH role in project
COH participates by providing advice to
Stakeholder
COH to lead project?
No
Yes
COH leads project with participation by
Stakeholders
11
Provide assistance
Receive request for assistance
COH considers request in light of DOHSC
priorities and advises how it can assist
Corporate requirement?
No
Yes
COH provides direct assistance and/or develops a
corporate approach
12
COH Structure
Head DHS
DGOHSC
Senior Occ. Medicine Consultant
Initial Positions to be filled
OH/OM Technical Advice and Leadership
Director/ Project Manager
Toxicologist
Occupational Medicine Consultant
Environmental Engineer
Senior Occupational Hygienists
Policy Analysts
Ergonomist
Epidemiologist
Data analyst
Occupational Hygienists
Policy andCoordination
OH Subject Matter Experts including Reserves
Occ Hygiene Teams
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Ongoing Tasks

• On DOHSC direction the DCOH is working on the
  following urgent and high risk issues
• Heat stress
• Lead
• Noise
• Fuels and Lubricants
• Continuing work on high priority tasks, eg
• Asbestos
• Beryllium
• Responding to requests from within Defence
• Undertaking additional tasks as directed by the
  DOHSC

14
Future Work

• Engaging SMEs to staff the organisational
  structure
• Establishing internal and external linkages
• Establishing KPIs and reporting requirements and
  collection of baseline data
• Occupational health assessments of high risk
  workplaces in Defence

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Engagement of Subject Matter Experts

• Request for Tender
• Issue date 4 April 06
• Closing date 10 May 06
• Evaluation by late June 06
• Finalisation by August 06
• Points of contact
• ohsc.coh_at_defence.gov.au