Issue 10 - 8 July 1998

EB agreement certified

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission has certified the
Monash University Enterprise Bargaining Agree-ment for academic and general staff.

Deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and Planning) Professor Alan Lindsay said he would like to
thank all staff for their patience during the longer-than-anticipated approval process.

"This means that all staff covered by this agreement can now receive
their well-earned salary increases," Professor Lindsay said.

It is expected that the 6% increase and the 4% increase will appear in the 16 July 1998 pay,
with the backpay and super-annuation adjustments to occur in the following pay of 30 July 1998.

A series of articles on the major provisions of the agreement, such as management
of annual leave, will appear in future editions of Monash Memo.

Academic promotions

Deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and Planning) Professor Alan Lindsay has announced the 1998 round of academic promotions.

The date for applications to be submitted to heads of administrative units is Friday, 14 August 1998.

The Guidelines on Criteria for Academic Promotion are the same as for 1997 and can be accessed through Personnel Services at http://www.monash.edu.au/personnel/acadprom/

Dates for information sessions for interested staff will be advised. For further information, contact Mr John Noonan, personnel manager (Senior Appointments), Personnel Services, extn 55904, email john.noonan@adm.monash.edu.au

MUARC wins funding to improve workplace safety

The Monash University Accident Research Centre has been allocated $900,000 for a major research program targeting workplace injuries and deaths.

WorkCover has earmarked $300,000 a year for the next three years to MUARC to investigate ways injuries can be reduced in the workplace.

WorkCover chief executive Mr Andrew Lindberg said the program was the most important injury prevention and safety initiative ever undertaken in Victoria. "This program aims at an actual reduction in workplace injuries, rather than academic or theoretical solutions," he said.

The MUARC group was chosen from 11 applicants because it was the only group able to positively identify actual injury reductions resulting from previous projects, he said.

The occupational health and safety research group at MUARC will draw on world best practice in safety management to introduce proven expertise and systems into Australian workplaces.

The construction industry, with its high workplace injury and fatality rate, has already been targeted as the first priority area to be investigated. Other major industry groups will also be looked at throughout the three-year period.

"The significance of this program is borne out by the fact that the whole industry, including both union and employer groups, have thrown their support behind it," Mr Lindberg said.

MUARC researchers will begin by studying WorkCover claims to determine the circumstances leading to injury and the most common types of injury.

WorkCover

Recent changes in state government legislation have altered the responsibilities of Monash staff members who are injured or suffer a serious illness while at work.

Under an amendment to the Workers Compensation Act (WorkCover) which came into operation on 29 June this year, a staff member who suffers a work-related injury or illness must give notice to the university within 30 days of becoming aware of the situation. The employer must acknowledge in writing the giving of notice of the injury or illness.

Under the amended act, a Workers Claim for Compensation form is no longer considered to be a notice of injury. The giving of notice is considered a pre-condition to being entitled to weekly compensation unless the university's insurer is satisfied that it was not reasonably practical to give notice, that the failure to do so did not unfairly prejudice the employer, or that the giving of such notice would result in a serious injustice to the worker.

Personnel Services and Occupational Health, Safety and Environment have developed procedures which must be followed to ensure the university complies with the amended act.

The following notification procedures must be followed by the staff member who sustains a work-related injury and by his or her supervisor or manager:

• The staff member must complete a Hazard and Incident Report form, which is the university's official form for giving notice of work-related injury or illness.
• The staff member must give the Hazard and Incident Report form to his or her supervisor or the safety officer.
• The supervisor must complete the relevant section of the Hazard and Incident Report form and forward it to the Head of Budgetary Unit for signature.
• The supervisor must also immediately notify the safety officer, who will act in accordance with the university's policy on Incident Reporting, Investigation and Recording. If a safety officer is not available, the supervisor must notify a health and safety representative.
• The Head of Budgetary Unit is responsible for ensuring that the white copy of the Hazard and Incident Report form is sent to Occupational Health, Safety and Environment.
• On receipt of the Hazard and Incident Report form, Occupational Health, Safety and Environment will acknowledge, in writing, the receipt of the Hazard and Incident Report form. This acknowledgment will be sent to the staff member and his or her supervisor.

For further information, contact Ms Halina Oswald, Manager WorkCover, on extn 56854, or Dr Cherilyn Tillman, Manager Occupational Health, Safety and Environment, on extn 54049.

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