On the morning of June 11, heavy localised rain hit a national forest in Arkansas in the US, causing flash flooding which killed at least 20 campers. This incident illustrates the high level of inherent risk caused by acts of nature, that owners and operators of campgrounds, parkland and outdoor …
read more »The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been described by US President Barack Obama as an “environmental September 11”. The April 20 oil rig explosion killed 11 workers, and resulted in millions of litres of oil flowing into the Gulf.
From a risk management perspective, Obama’s analogy is apt. September 11 …
read more »In two separate incidents in NSW, one man died and another man was seriously injured after falling off portable ladders while painting. Both men were working at a height of about five metres.
The Australian newspaper quoted CFMEU State Secretary, Andrew Ferguson, as saying there is a “lack of respect for …
read more »“Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it”, so the saying goes. Every month, #*IT Happens offers lessons from the misfortune of others with the hope that more examples of these accidents can be prevented.This month, however, we provide a useful model which explains why accidents happen, in order …
read more »On the 21st of June, the MCG and the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust venues were in lockdown for about two hours, following reports that an armed gunman was on the loose in the precinct.
The incident reinforces the importance of having a well-documented emergency response plan, with procedures that prescribe …
read more »Last month, *#IT Happens reported on the cancellation of Justin Bieber’s Sydney concert due to fears of crowd crush. This month, we go deeper into the issue, and present a model which is useful in understanding crowd behaviour and the causes of excessive crowd density and crush. It was developed …
read more »On June 11, the eyes of the world will be eagerly trained on South Africa and the spectacle of the FIFA Soccer World Cup. The game of soccer has however attracted its fair share of unsavoury crowd incidents in the past at tournaments throughout Europe and even in Australia.
Crowd …
read more »An AFL umpire has been banned for the rest of the 2010 season after being found to have placed bets on the 2009 Grand Final.
The four bets amounted to $60, and the umpire did not officiate in the match, however the league has strict gambling codes, and all players, coaches, …
read more »As was recently reported by Australasian Leisure Management’s e-news, over the past five years 29 people have died and at least 540 have been seriously injured from participating in adventure sports in New Zealand. Although the industry is governed by various compliance requirements, the very nature of adventure sports carries …
read more »Three people were injured after scaffolding collapsed in the middle of Sydney’s CBD in May. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the accident occurred when temporary fencing fell five metres to the street below.
This incident illustrates the importance of careful delineation between construction activities and pedestrian access areas and the …
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