The recent failure of an electrical company in Queensland has once again highlighted the potential consequences that can result from a product safety issue. The company supplied DC power isolators to solar panels installed on residential houses. The equipment has been linked to 70 electrical fires in Queensland and NSW.
A recent ruling in the Supreme Court of NSW has enforced the Civil Liability Act 2002 and declared that the risk of a cyclist’s wheel getting caught in the wooden planks of a bridge as an “obvious risk”. Details of the case can be read here. Interestingly, the court also admitted that the Council could rely upon their ignorance of the risk as the primary means of defence. The ruling was made in accordance with the legislation enacted by parliament, but at the same time Judges questioned the appropriateness of the legislation.
In Boardrooms across the globe it is easy to see how leaders become disconnected from those at the coalface. In such busy times, Leaders get less chance to see the operations and engage with their people. A recent article by Robert Sutton in the HBR (http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/11/) demonstrated the importance of leaders actions in achieving cultural change.
In a joint press release today, the Attorney General and the Minister for the Environment, have announced a Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Scheme, which tragically led to the loss of four lives. Whilst the terms of reference for the Commissioner have not yet been finalised, the Attorney General has suggested that the review will include: “the identification of risks arising from the programme and the assessment and management of those risks”. Read the press release here
