Monday Muses ~ a split second really is the difference between critical outcomes and love.

Today I caught up with a dear friend for coffee on what should have been his first day back at work after a long overdue break. It was impossible to not see that his eyes weren't sparkling as they normally are. After coffee arrived and we could talk about all the things that clearly were weighing on his mind. My friend showed me a series of holiday photos that were very different to what had been planned as covid impacted his family. Then came a photo that will form a part of his family's history. My friend lost his uncle in a split second doing something very ordinary. Although I had never met my friends uncle I do know what it is like to have a family member taken in split second doing what was very normal. Today I saw a photo of a loving family man taken just a few short seconds before his life took a deadly turn, on behalf of my friend I ask that each of you hold your loved ones a tad longer, tell your loved ones just how important they are to you. As my friend and I both know spilt seconds arrive without warning whilst life is being very normal.

Due to covid Informa has had to postpone the National Workers Compensation Summit until May 16th- 17th. This change in date has left me with the framework of what would have been the opening words for Day 2 of the Summit as well as researching the two topics I would be mediating. I know that come May the safe return to work in a covid era will be a very different conversation. Between now and May no one knows what covid will bring, right now we have no idea what the next variant will be like; it truly is a rolling feast. The only thing that (as yet) will not alter are the opening question; as the person who will Chair Day Two, I know how important it is to set the tone and set the focus and always always always put front and centre voices of the injured worker community. As I said over the weekend I love this clip (TED Talks Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion) As I wrote at the time "I love this clip, every time I see it it reminds me of just why I wrote?Craig's Table. (website ) I truly believe that we all need to look at the injured worker community it a holistic manner and understand that we are all one singular community. Just a children need champions to believe in them to stand for them stand by them and when required stand behind them and push them forward to become the best that they can be even when they feel there is no morrow for them so do the members of the injured worker community. People with a workplace injury are not cost centres or digital numbers on a computer file, they are people with names and dreams and a reason to get up every morning. People who have champions go further reach higher create in ways that was never believed possible. The saying "dare to dream" lives within the injured worker community." Hence the 5 opening questions are important, the injured worker community rely on the workers compensation providers (the professional strangers in their lives) (a professional stranger is a person who enters into the lives of the injured worker community simply because there has been a compensable workplace injury and the workers compensation process has accepted the claim) to guide them and provide answers in a timely manner without fear or favour or hesitation and in ways that can be worked with.

I also commented on STRATEGIC RISK AND THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: Managing towards high performance. (Institute of Strategic Risk Management (Australia & New Zealand)) I commented for no other reason than it is very frustrating to see such conference with the high level of important topics minus the impact of workers compensation on both the employer and the person/people who were injured. Although the iceberg image is now many years old and the hidden costs would be much higher than $5-8. I admit I would enjoy attending this event, it would be good to attend the Press Club because it is such an important event, but also I would want to ask just when workers compensation going to discussed at this level and just when the framework as set by Australian Human Rights will be taken into account. Also to ask when the current iteration of workers compensation will be questioned.

Lastly it is a true pleasure to announce that Craig's Table has joined the ACNC advisory committee.

IAIABC Forum is a unique opportunity for workers' compensation peers to gather as a community to share insights and information and generate ideas and strategies.

Conference ISRM MINI-CONFERENCE 2022 STRATEGIC RISK AND THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: Managing towards high performance?16th 17 February 2022

Podcast Average Amazing Sitting At the Adult Table with Ben Fordham Jim Haynes’ not-so-famous Aussie characters Lesbia Harford

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Before I go again I ask each of you to hold your loved ones a few seconds longer, tell them as oft as possible just how much you love them, split second events happen and there isn't any way to turn back the clock to prevent a tragic event from happening. My friend will forever have in his mind the last image of his uncle smiling and laughing and then the sheer terror of what was no more than 7 minutes of a futile effort to return a much loved man to his family.

Yours in service

Rosemary