In this episode Pam Pryor, OHS Body of Knowledge Development Manager at the Safety Institute of Australia joins us to discuss the OHS Body of Knowledge, what it is and how it is used.

The OHS Body of Knowledge is an ever-evolving knowledge base that occupational health and safety professionals can reference. First published in 2012, the project funded by WorkSafe Victoria had three defined deliverables. It was to define what the body of knowledge was that OHS professionals should have, to set up an accreditation process for university courses based on that body of knowledge, and to set up certification for individual professionals.

Guest Bio:

Pam Pryor AO, BSc, BEd, GDOHM, MAppSc, ChOHSP, CFSIA (pictured left) is the OHS Body of Knowledge Development Manager at the Safety Institute of Australia.

With a background in OHS consulting and OHS education, Pam now specialises in activities around OHS capability and related aspects of OHS professionality. Her perspective on OHS capability includes OHS education and training, capability and competency frameworks, accreditation of OHS education and certification of OHS professionals.

Pam was the chair of the Technical Panel that developed the OHS Body of Knowledge and inaugural Registrar of the Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board. Her current role as Manager OHS Body of Knowledge Development focuses on the ongoing maintenance and further development of the OHS Body of Knowledge and associated resources. Pam is also involved in an international research network on OHS capability and was a key player in the development of the Global OHS Capability Framework.

Pam received an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 for her contribution to OHS through leadership and advisory roles, particularly in developing standards for education frameworks.

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In this episode, Mark & Pam discuss the following:

• How did the OHS Body of Knowledge (BOK) come about?
• Who and how was the OHS BOK developed?
• What is the OHS Body of Knowledge?
• How is the OHS BOK structured? Is it like a textbook with chapters?
• What are some of the chapters that are in the OHS BOK?
• What is the Australian Institute of Health & safety (AIHS) involvement in the OHS BOK?
• How would a safety professional use this information in the OHS BOK in the workplace?
• How often is the OHS BOK updated or changed to reflect current knowledge and approaches? Who updates it?
• Can only safety professionals access the OHS BOK? Does it cost anything to access?

In essence, the OHS Body of Knowledge is a conceptual framework, a set of guides outlining what OHS professionals should do, know and engage with. It is based on research, peer-reviewed literature, and informed reflective and critical thought to bring together the knowledge and the practice of what is happening in the profession. Tune in as we explore the OHS Body of knowledge, a valuable free resource available to individuals and OHS professionals for personal development, or for organisations that are wanting to improve their health and safety.

Additional Resources:

• Podcast Transcript
• OHS Book of Knowledge
• Australian Institute of Health & Safety (Formally the Safety Institute of Australia)

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