In this episode David Caple, Director of David Caple & Associates Pty Ltd. joins us, along with last weeks guest Pam Pryor, to discuss health and safety in design and how it fits into the OHS Body of Knowledge.

Health and Safety in Design is one of the core elements of control and intervention to manage and mitigate risk. It maps out the process that you go through to get to that outcome by emphasising safe design, that is, thinking about a workplace, a machine, or a product that is safe to use. Its importance has seen this aspect included in the OHS Body of Knowledge.

Guest Bio:

David Caple (pictured left) has been a Director of David Caple & Associates Pty Ltd since 1984 and manages major Work Health and Safety (WHS) research and practice projects funded by Governments and industry groups in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. He has been an Adjunct Professor at Latrobe University, Australia since 2004 and a Past Senior Research Fellow at Federation University, Australia. David was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s birthday honours in 2018 for services to community health and safety including ergonomics.

Having completed his science studies in Australia and ergonomics at Loughborough University, UK, David has been a guest researcher in Sweden and USA. He is a Certified Practicing Ergonomist (CPE) in Australia, UK and USA.

David Caple was the 16th President of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) 20062009. He was the Chair of the IEA International Development Committee and Past President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA). He was also the Chair of the IEA 2009 Congress International Advisory Committee in Beijing, China. Since 2006, David has represented the IEA at conferences and meetings in 30 countries.

Published research papers have been in the areas of ergonomics and occupational health and safety relating to prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, and management of psychosocial risks across multiple industries. Since 2000 David has been involved in the development of the WHS Strategy for large government departments and private companies. In 2012 he was the facilitator for the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012 – 2022. Since 2014 he has hosted a range of online TV series on emerging WHS risks for Safe Work Australia. This included a program on “The future of Work in Australia”.

David was an independent member of the Victorian Government OHS Advisory Committee (OSHAC) for 15 years appointed by the Minister and a panel member for independent OHS advice to the Australian Government through Safe Work Australia.

LinkedIn Profile

In this episode, Mark & David discuss the following:

• How does Health & Safety in Design fit into the OHS Body of Knowledge (BOK)?
• Why was Health & Safety in Design added to the OHS BOK?
• What developed the Health & Safety in Design chapter?
• What is Health & Safety in Design?
• What does this chapter add to existing information?
• Can you expand on the process of design before getting to the final product or design?
• How would an OHS professional get involved in this process? Is it just a risk assessment at the end?
• How can Health & Safety in Design be factored into the purchasing process?
• How does and Health & Safety in design apply to software and other programs?
• What are the stakeholders that should be involved in the consultation process?
• How do safety professionals keep up with ever-evolving technologies?
• How can safety professionals apply the information in their daily activities?
• Where can listeners go to get more information on Health & Safety in Design?

The Health and Safety in Design chapter of the OHS Body of Knowledge is intended to encourage the role of health and safety professionals to be involved early in the design process and become part of a multidisciplinary team, bringing their knowledge and user expectations to the table. Including the role of the health and safety professional from the beginning ensures that the appropriate technical expertise is brought in when required, allowing informed methodologies based on current knowledge to challenge designer assumptions and validate risk assessments. Tune in as we explore this chapter and look at how it empowers OHS professionals to challenge each stage of the design process to benefit health and safety in the workplace.

Additional Resources:

• Podcast Transcript
• OHS Book of Knowledge
• Australian Institute of Health & Safety

Contact a 3M Safety Specialist at scienceofsafetyanz@mmm.com for more information.