From the desk of the CEO

Did you know that as an SIA member, you may have the opportunity to participate in consultation forums and policy making processes through representing the SIA?

Representing the SIA in consultation and/or policy processes enables you to contribute to your profession or area of interest. There is often an opportunity to contribute to various levels of policy, and be part of the decision making process which has the potential to affect work health and safety outcomes in workplaces.

Representing the SIA also provides an opportunity for you to expand your networks and develop new skills. With networking identified as being a crucial aspect to a career in work health and safety, opportunities to work with other work health and safety professionals and practitioners who are also passionate about work health and safety outcomes is invaluable.

If you are a graded member of the SIA, you will be well aware that there are requirements for continuous professional development (CPD). Representation activities that you undertake for the SIA will of course be a source of CPD points. The amount of CPD points that can be claimed for representation activities varies depending on the circumstances.

Opportunities to be involved in consultation and policy development processes are not often available in many workplaces where work health and safety professionals work. It is one of the membership benefits for members who are interested in developing their skill base, and increasing their networks.

The SIA are currently conducting work which will improve opportunities for members to participate in representation activities, and provide guidance to improve outcomes. In that respect we are working with our strategic partners such as Standards Australia and work health and safety regulators to increase the number of opportunities for the SIA to ‘have a say’ and increase opportunities for members to represent the SIA.

The SIA are also currently working on guidance for those representing the SIA, to enable members to feel confident in seeking the views of other fellow members where appropriate, and putting forward those views in consultation forums.

As part of this work being done by the SIA national office, we ask members to complete the attached form and return to Amanda Day, SIA corporate relations manager (Amanda@sia.org.au ) if they are currently representing the SIA in forums.

This process is seeking to identify processes where your views are taken to be those of the SIA. Examples of representation activities we are asking for information on include (but are not limited to): Standards Australia review committees, education review forums, regulator supported consultation processes and Safe Work Australia consultation activities.

 We are seeking to identify what representation activities are currently occurring, to enable central co-ordination and overview. This will facilitate the national office being informed to enable effective prioritisation of resources, and to ensure that members representing the SIA receive the appropriate level of assistance, including financial reimbursement of costs where appropriate.