AMCA’s National Safety Week campaign this year will focus on these injuries and how to reduce them.

Over the next 3 weeks please take the time to prepare for the National campaign that will commence on Monday 6 September. During this lead up period AMCA will provide access to information and tools that will help companies to take steps that can reduce these injuries.

Watch out for the lead up emails that will help you and for the tools that you can use.

In preparation for implementing your action plan you should undertake a risk assessment in your work area. Don’t think just in terms of construction sites. There are likely to be activities in your office environment and in service that can result in an employee suffering from a sprain or strain.

To find out more about how you can carry out a risk assessment click on the word 'risk'.

The latest quarterly national OHS statistics for the industry are available.

AMCA's data series now goes back for three and half years.

Graphs showing the trend in LTI's and MTI's can be downloaded.  A bar chart showing the incidence of first aid injuries for each of the past four quarters is available also.

It is pleasing that the downward trend continues for the LTI and MTI incident rates.

Sprains and strains is continuing to be a problem area in first aid treatment injuries.  These statistics provide a sound justification for sprains and strains being the target for the AMCA National Safety Week campaign to commence on 6 September.

More details about the safety week campaign will be released in the coming weeks.

The latest data is set out in the Occupational Health and Safety link.

Members of Parliament from both major political parties attended the function along with advisers and many senior officials.

National President, Mark Lowe, said air-conditioning is about more than trying to keep buildings cool on a 40° day. It is about making buildings comfortable for their occupants in all conditions, it is about providing an environment that enhances productivity and good health and most importantly, air conditioning provides the critical interface between smoke management systems and the fire services to ensure that assets and more importantly people are protected from the dangers of fire. It has a vital role in ensuring computer control rooms, hospital operating theatres and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are kept within the strict tolerances of temperature and humidity.

It is simply not possible to achieve these requirements without the ability to design, install and maintain complex systems including high-tech plant rooms that are monitored and controlled by sophisticated building management systems, Mark Lowe said.

The principal thrust of the AMCA agenda is to shift more focus on to the existing building stock.

 Mark Lowe said annually we add approximately 2% to the stock of commercial buildings. But if we look out to the year 2030, 70% of all buildings that will exist then are now in place. These are the ones that operate inefficiently.

HVAC plant is responsible for 9% of all electricity consumed and between 40 -- 60% of all energy used in non-residential buildings is consumed by HVAC systems.

Great progress has been made over the past decade on improving the new stock of buildings through the Green Building Council star rating system, Mark Lowe said. But now we must shift the focus onto the existing building stock if we are to achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

To give practical effect to its policy agenda, AMCA presented to the parliament a six point strategy plan.

Taking action in the six areas identified, Mark Lowe said has the potential to make a major contribution to reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings. He went on to say the initiatives can be introduced quickly and are not overly expensive.

We are also pleased to announce that Fantech, Holyoake  and Victaulic are also continuing their sponsorship of the National Conference.

Topics this week:

• Environmental Rating Tools
• National Licencing Scheme
• BCA
• Mandatory Disclosure
• Victorian Plumbing Regulations

Please forward all booking forms to Lisa at the AMCA office lisa@amca.com.au

A course confirmation letter will not be issued until 60 days prior to course commencement. Upon receipt of this confirmation letter, participants should then arrange flights, accommodation and payment.

www.amca.com.au/index.php

At the 2009 AMCA Australia Annual National Council meeting, outgoing National President, Andrew O'Connor presented the Foundation's CEO, Ross Lewis with a ceremonial cheque recognising the $50,000 AMCA has provided to the Foundation in the course of the past year.

A further $10,000 will be presented to the Foundation by AMCA Australia before the end of the year. 

Ross Lewis said the support of the Association meant more than the valuable money provided. He said it represented a real partnership in helping to change the lives of children who are afflicted with cancer.

The Oncology Children's Foundation is based in Sydney at the Westmead Children's Hospital.

AMCA States have taken on a range of activities during the past year to achieve this outstanding outcome.

AMCA intends to conduct information briefing sessions in all states over the coming months.  In the meantime a summary of the key provisions and the changes that will come into effect is available through the Fact Sheets that may be downloaded.

Those parts of the commercial sector that rely on private sector funding are forecast to decline over the next two years. Office and retail sectors expect to fall by 25% and 33% respectively. Schools and hospitals which have much greater funding from governments will continue to grow. Visit the CFC website to review the latest forecast data. www.cfc.acif.com.au You can download the power point slides that were used at the industry presentation at the half yearly forecast update by clicking on the image to the left of screen.

To read the guidance note click here.