As members would be aware, on 20 August 2008, the PSA organised a successful lunchtime meeting to discuss a number of OHS&W issues associated with the the Supreme Court Building.

PSA's Chief Industrial Officer, Peter Christopher reported to the meeting on the circumstances that gave rise to the meeting of members. This provided those in attendance with a useful introduction to the discussion about the problems.

At the close of the meeting, copies of a survey were distributed. These invited Supreme  Court employees to report on the problems that they considered to be serious.

The Association has now received a number of replies to the survey and they list the
following as the major issues:

The Supreme Court Building is dilapidated, badly cracked and dirty

Cramped working conditions
      - staff often have to interview clients in corridors
      - poor wheelchair access

Poor air conditioning
      - most of the air conditioners are very old and they have caused illnesses              amongst staff

 Poor building layout
      - causing much wasting of time

Lack of natural light

Manual handling of files
      - difficulties with the large number of steps and stairs & the shortage of lifts

Stairs
      - some staff find using the stairs to be hazardous

Ladders
      - members of staff and the public using ladders to retrieve materials from the         library
     - this is often very hazardous especially as there are no instructions about their
                        use

Lifts - are too small and often cease to work
      - a number of people have been trapped

Poor security
      - because of easy public access

Plumbing 
      - prone to malfunction
    - 4th floor staff toilets are very dated
    - there are no client toilets on that floor 

Poor ergonomics at some counters

Bird droppings
      - many pigeons nest in the building and they leave copious amounts of             droppings, thus presenting a biological hazard

The PSA will write to the Attorney General about these problems once all members have been given sufficient time to respond. If you have not sent your survey questionnaire to the Association, please do so ASAP, but in any event, before 30 September 2008.