Now You See Me

New Zealand has a National day to acknowledge teachers, secretaries, nurses and hairdressers to name a few. We even have a national sausage day… All very deserving of the acknowledgment, even the sausage day but we currently have no day to acknowledge all the workers in New Zealand who on a daily basis put on a Hi Vis shirt of some kind and go out into a hazardous workplace.

New Zealand lost 43 workers in workplace accidents in 2018. That is one worker killed every 8.4 days in this country. So far in 2019, there have been 38 workplace deaths with 11 of those in the construction sector so, at the time of writing this, that makes one in every 4.8 days.

Not all of these deaths were in the areas where Hi Vis clothing is worn but many were – construction, agriculture and forestry industries leading the way. Those few industries mentioned are also at the top of the statics for suicidal death, with New Zealand’s small population there cannot be too many families in this country who have not been affected by a workplace death in some way.

Two individuals in Nelson – myself, Steve McIntyre a Carpentry tutor at NMIT with 36 years’ experience in the building industry; and Murray Leaning, Marketing Manager for Mitre 10 Mega Nelson – are taking it upon ourselves to raise public awareness of Hi Vis workers and get industry support in order to remember those who didn’t come home. The ultimate goal behind the campaign is to raise money for children left behind and affected by the loss of a parent in a workplace accident.

What we are proposing is a National Hi Vis Day for 1st May 2020 and ongoing years.

Why 1st May? 1st May is International Workers Day, it is also May Day and that is the call sign for immediate or imminent danger – a day where New Zealanders could wear a Hi Vis pin or Hi Vis armband and support the hundreds of thousands of us who put on a Hi Vis shirt and head out into a dangerous workplace.

We have written to New Zealand’s 30 biggest companies where Hi Vis clothing is a part of the safety of their business and staff for their support for the campaign. So far, the response has been very encouraging over a broad range of industries – from fishing, farming and roading to the ports.

Unfortunately, we are yet to secure a representative from the construction industry to join the campaign.

I feel that Hi Vis clothing has become invisible in this country over recent years, as it is now worn by people wanting to protect themselves from ordinary tasks such as biking or walking, because we see it on a daily basis we don’t associate Hi Vis with entering into a dangerous situation or to caution us to slow down at roadworks as we once would have. In effect, putting the lives of those wearing them at risk.

Our aim is to remind New Zealand that Hi Vis-wearing workers are an important part of what makes this country function, to pay respect to those who wear Hi Vis every day, and have a National tribute/remembrance to those that have lost their lives in a workplace accident. They should be acknowledged for the work they undertake and for those workers who have lost their lives in a workplace accident, for their families and friends, have a special day to remember them.

So, please – if during the month of April you see Hi Vis pins and ribbons being sold on the streets or from the various companies and industries supporting this campaign – dig into your pockets and make a donation. While we are not able to save all the lives that have been lost, we can make a huge difference to those left behind as a result of a workplace accident.

For more information or to get involved check out the link below or email murray.leaning@mitre10.co.nz

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/ national-hi-vis-day-mooted-offer-workers-in-highrisk-industries-more-support-v1