Scanned copy of
Typewritten submission	ACT 

Productivity_ Commission PO B 80.
BELCONNEN ACT 2616

National Workers' Compensation and Occupational Health & Safety Frameworks

I have the following comment to make on the Interim Report of October 2003 and will welcome the opportunity to attend the public hearing on 3 December 2003 at Saville Park Suites, 84 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra.
It would be useful under Occupational Health & Safety to distinguish between and to provide an assessment of extent of and outcomes - including awards under workers compensation - and action being taken to in relation to these risks.
•	Avoidable risks - specifically smoking in the workplace and the resultant injuries from environmental tobacco smoke, ETS, and other aspects of smoking. Smoking is, or should be illegal in the workplace. It has resulted in well publicised cases of workers compensation. In the ACT, despite a general ban on smoking in enclosed public buildings, exemptions are granted, on payment of a fee, to permit smoking restaurants and in licensed premises; smoking is permitted on stage during a performance.
There may be other avoidable risks which need attention - slippery floors, broken stairs, insecure hand rails.
•	External risks - such as occur to outdoor workers which are not a direct result of their own procedures. Such risks are reduced by protective and brightly coloured clothing, signs `danger men at work'.. `slow workers ahead', fences, barriers .....From observation considerable progress is being made to protect outdoor workers.
•	Operational risks - inherent in the activity - these can be reduced b