After serving in the Royal Australian Navy, and qualifying as a Master Mariner, Graeme Peterson has gained over twenty five years experience in Occupational Health and Safety, Security, Environmental Management and Training. He has held several senior positions in, and consulted to, large organisations in the defence, ship building, industrial gases, offshore petroleum and maritime industries.

As Fleet Safety Manager, he was responsible for overseeing the transition of the safety management systems of the BHP shipping fleet into a joint venture with Teekay Shipping and the integration of safety philosophies of one of the worlds oldest shipping companies with one of the worlds largest.

Graeme has been involved in addressing height safety and confined space issues in the maritime industry and the development of his own, patented rescue devices to overcome suspension trauma syndrome. He has developed several solutions to major OH&S risks won several safety awards including the Victorian Workcover “Excellence in Safety” Award in 1997, a further Workcover award in 1998 and the inaugural, federal government Seacare Award for “Best Solution to a Major OH&S Risk” in 2003. Graeme has trained over 3000 people in various safety related training programmes ranging from industrial and medical gas safety through government accredited maritime OH&S (of which he was co-author) to investigation and auditors training. He has written and presented papers to various professional bodies including the Society of Marine Engineers, the Society of Chemical Engineers and the Australian Resuscitation Council.

He has on several occasions, delivered live presentations of findings of his incident investigations to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. He has been actively involved with research into the causes of lifeboat fatalities both here and overseas and has made written submissions to address these problems, which have subsequently been adopted by the International Maritime Organisation. He is a convenor of the first Maritime Safety Group in Australia for which he has been recognised by the federal Seacare Authority.

Graeme is a Justice of the Peace and Bail Justice for the Justice Department of Victoria of some sixteen years standing and is frequently called upon to convene after hours court for the determination of bail and remand hearings and child protection matters. Apart from tertiary studies in OH&S and Environmental Management, he has gained qualifications and experience in all facets of safety and risk assessment and auditing, and training in emergency response, fire fighting and all levels of advanced first aid and defibrillation.

His areas of expertise and experience cover:

• Principles and application of organisational behaviour and safety
• Conduct of comprehensive audits and assessments
• Investigation of incidents and accidents
• Development of detailed, accurate and clear procedures and standards
• “Motivational” and “Behaviour Based” Safety Training
• Training in fire and emergency response
• Confined space entry and rescue, and working at height training
• All levels of advanced first aid training including defibrillation