From: "Raynard Looch" Subject: KLASS LOOCH ASSOCIATES : OHS CHAT & SKINNER Date: 17 June 2002 12:46 PM Hi folks. Thought you may want to hear from me again! For fear of being repetitive, if you suddenly find yourself being a recipient of this newsletter, it's because you attended one of my seminars and thus become automatically included. Now, I appreciate that some of you have no real interest in OHS matters and if you wish to unsubscribe just send a blank e-mail to me at raynard@klasslooch.com entitled "Unsubscribe". A word of caution though. Remember that you cannot divorce health & safety matters from your job description, so I advise you against this. Also for you newcomers, this newsletter has frivolous undertones, some controversial rhetoric and may offend sensitive readers. But I am dedicated to representing your OHS rights as employers and underneath it all am deadly serious! Where shall I start? Don't expect too much because I'm suffering from the post long weekend blues. See www.health24.co.za/Default.asp?action=article&ContentID=11197 entitled "Beating those back-to-work blues" Plus I dinged my brand new BMW Compact - even before it had formal registration plates! A person, with a nasty towbar, reversed into me while I was playing with all those gadgets on the steering wheel. (i.e. I didn't see the person coming)! Three guesses which of the three constitutionally recognised genders was the culprit! 1. Male? 2. female? 3. Combo? I did, however, behave a little too devilish over Easter and guess punishment needed to be metered out to me! Incriminating digital photos are available at a huge price! Am I being too Calvinistic? At least I didn't mistake someone's driveway for an extenuation of the road in the late hours of Sunday morning like one of my other friends who is now car hunting! When he recovers he wants to test drive my car. Believe me, he'll have to blow into a breathalyser first. He swears he was as sober as a sailor during this incident and naturally I believe him. My incident took place at 11h30 on Saturday afternoon in case you all wondered. Since we spoke last, Bob Mugabe won the election unfairly and unfreely yet legitimately in Zim. Another high-ranking Zim official was caught in an "uncompromising" position with the same gender in a nightclub - skande - and, like the previous President of Zim, Canaan Banana, will face Bob's homophobic wrath no doubt. (I wonder sometimes about Bob. I have read that homophobic people often have banana fantasies themselves)! Have bananas become forbidden fruit over there? Maybe he should ban them. He's banned everything else! See www.worldonline.co.za/news/news_center_020403.463174.html entitled "Zim TV boss quits before gay probe." But let's get serious. The amended Lead & Asbestos as well as the Hazardous Biological Agents Regulations have been promulgated into law with quite some fanfare. All our newspapers have announced this repeatedly at huge cost, I assume, to the taxpayer. But at least we know they are now law. Did you local Cape and KZN rags carry these announcements? The real OHS skinner of the year thus far is that Faiza Salie, (former) Chief Inspector, has "resigned"(?) without any fanfare or formal announcements! Moses Phudikabekwa - please can I call you Mr Moses? - is acting Chief Inspector and has, according to my impeccable source, at least genuine OHS qualifications! Just like the other (mere) 25 to 50 inspectors that remain to police OHS matters in this country. Does that augur well for OHS in this country? Sadly I doubt it. The problem is at the very top! Talking about the top, I never realised what an orator the Director-general of the Department of labour is! Adv. Ramashia did you write that speech yourself? See his address to the IRASA Congress on 6 March 2002 at www.labour.gov.za entitled "Employment Relations in a Changing World: The African Renaissance."I loved the part where he says..."When I look at Africa, my continent, my eyes are blinded with tears of sorrow". "I cherish hope, harbour a seed of optimism that soon and very soon the sun shall again rise and shine on the African continent and her sons and daughters shall arise and shine for all to see. That the clouds will again cover our skies. That the skies shall burst in tears of joy and break the drought....." I'm not mocking him but perhaps he will be better off writing poetry than...........! I have found a host of great OHS and related sites but, alas, you'll have to subscribe to one of my Cyber Subscription Products to access them although I feel so charitable I'll tease you with some. See www.klasslooch.com for these products. They are too good to refuse! Remember the site is still under construction but you can benefit already from it. We need your support. I mean I even had to downgrade to a BMW Compact! Interesting article at www.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/o4/27/workdeaths.reut/ revealing a sharp drop in work-related deaths in the USA - 28% - since 1980. Also at www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/06/02/pipeline.safety.fine/ entitled "Largest fine ever sought for fatal pipeline explosion." Read the part entitled "Officials: Company knew line was unsafe. The fine proposed in $3.05 which is how many Lira.......I mean rands? Another useful site is www.osha-slc.gov/dts/hib/index.html (USA Hazard Information Bulletins). Closer to home, I am very impressed with the ASOSH site at www.asosh.org Check it out folks, it contains loads of useful OHS information. Found another article entitled "Driven to distraction - Companies could be prosecuted if their employees cause accidents on the road." It's from the UK but equally applicable here if, indeed we had their superior OHS enforcement service. See www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=61156 Lastly check out www.sundaytimes.co.za/2000/09/01business/news.news02.htm entitled "WARNING: Working at a computer can damage your health"! And look what a risk I'm taking just for you folks! Frustration abounds regarding the Ellis Park Disaster Report. Almost sinister. It was supposed to have been released in February. Something to hide? See www.iol.co.za/ dated 4 April 2002 entitled "Still no sign of soccer carnage report". And really lastly. A brainteaser. Which esteemed blundering government official is reported to have said HIV doesn't exist. A Clue. He used to jump up and down shouting "One settler one bullet" in his youth. See www.iol.co.za dated 4 march 2001. I wish these guys would get real! If poverty causes Aids, then why have some of my rich friends died of it? Or is it that "Money is the key to good health." See www.news24.co.za/News24/Health/Health_News/0,1113,2-14-660_1163937,00html (phew)! Please bear with me as I list all your names on my Distribution List. It has a purpose, namely, to impress the powers that be that I do indeed speak (sometimes) on behalf of a large constituency. Once I have made that point, I will do away with it. Oops. Weren't we going to discuss Desk Rage as an occupational hazard? Next time. My thanks to all those who have expressed interest in our Cyber Subscription Products and those who have already committed. Also those who have booked for our forthcoming round of seminars. Nice article, AFROX, in the Financial Mail at www.financialmail.co.za/02/0329/invest/acomp.thm Remember we hitting the road soon with a brand new show. Our prayers for an ISDN line/dedicated fax line went unanswered I'm afraid, but we live in hope. You can, however, fax us at any time of the day at 0117267839. Until we chat again. The Devil's Advocate PS. Those who want all previous OHS Chat & Skinners, drop us a line! The above represents The Devil's Advocate's personal views and does not necessarily reflect those of Klass Looch Associates. _________________________________________________________________________________________ This communication may contain privileged and confidential information and is destined solely for the addressee(s). If it inadvertently reaches you, kindly forward to the addressee(s) or delete the mail. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for such an occurrence. KLASS LOOCH ASSOCIATES www.klasslooch.com