8 minute read
Identified shortcomings adversely impact safe chemical management
"A rule of government is never look into anything you don't have to, never start an enquiry unless you know what its findings will be" Sir Humphrey Appleby
The latest independent review into WorkSafe NZ’s ability to carry out its regulatory responsibilities for an increasingly diverse range of workplace health and safety issues finds a growing gap between public expectations and WorkSafe outcomes.
Responding to WorkSafe NZ seeking additional funding to carry out its role, the just released 2021 WorkSafe Strategic Baseline Review commissioned by MBIE concluded the organisation will never have the resources to effectively undertake the everwidening range of duties relating to ensuring safe and healthy workplaces.
The report commended WorkSafe for progress achieved since its inception following the Pike River Mine tragedy but found problems in the organisation’s ability to undertake its regulatory role, beginning with not having a clear strategy for achieving it.
The report found the organisation cannot clearly describe what it does, nor assess the effectiveness of its many interventions. There is no clear promulgation of WorkSafe’s core responsibilities to secure buy-in from key stakeholders.
Of particular interest to the chemical industry was the recommendation that WorkSafe would be more effective by involving industry sector stakeholders.
WorkSafe diverts already scarce resources to meet ever-changing Ministerial priorities and increasingly diverse ‘wellbeing’
demands.
Engaging with proactive industry associations to help develop and implement effective workplace health and safety strategies and practices, reducing demand for WorkSafe involvement, would allow limited capability and funding to be better applied.
A timely example highlighted in the review is the finding that WorkSafe is struggling with the regulatory responsibility to develop and maintain codes of practice and guidance material.
The former NZ Chemical Industry Council (now Responsible Care NZ) was one of three ‘midwives’ at the birth of the much-loved Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) legislation.
A key industry contribution was the suite of enforceable Approved HSNO Codes of Practice (ACoPs) which comprehensively answered the “Just tell me what to do and how to do it” requirements of chemical suppliers, their customers, the regulators and the enforcement agencies.
Chemical industry RCNZ ACoPs, developed with the rigour required of international Standards, provide the industry best practice performance standards required for training, compliance and enforcement.
Our HSNO Code Committees included representation from every user group, particularly the relevant regulatory bodies, validated by extensive consultation with stakeholders.
WorkSafe NZ publications intended to provide ‘good practice’ compliance solutions include ‘Quick
Guides’, technical guidelines, good practice guides and even the allimportant ‘approved codes’.
While reflecting the best practice intentions and even the content of our HSNO ACoPs, none of the present WorkSafe chemical-related
guidance material has been developed in collaboration with Responsible Care NZ.
Routinely declining RCNZ offers to help improve national chemical safety by contributing our collective and increasingly unique expertise, frustrates our members who are grappling with complex and often controversial compliance requirements. These range from clarifying compliance options to obtaining authoritative advice from risk-averse officials.
Responsible Care NZ continues to seek a mutually beneficial partnership with each of the nine government agencies
involved in safe chemical management, most of which continue to work in isolation from an industry sector they serve.
Returning to proven, international best practice, whereby industry sectors produce and maintain user-
friendly, performance-based codes of practice developed in conjunction with, and accepted by, the authorities, enables PCBUs, their workers, contractors and customers to successfully achieve their conflicting compliance obligations.
Importantly, endorsement and acceptance of industry codes of practice enables the training of industry certifiers and enforcement agencies, delivering common understanding and interpretation. Acknowledging the benefit of this proven yet abandoned approach, would relieve pressure on WorkSafe resources.
The government is proposing to implement an Infringement Offence scheme to incentivise compliance with increasingly confounding regulations.
It is always disappointing when threats and penalties are the government’s first response when attempting to improve workplace health and safety performance, especially when industry has solutions to offer.
Business operators’ needs for safely managing the chemicals present in every workplace are simple and bear repeating: “Just tell me what I have to do and how to do it and I will do it.”
Accepting user-friendly, performance-based codes, produced by industry for industry and accepted by the authorities, is a pragmatic solution to at least part of WorkSafe NZ’s woes. With apologies the the Bard “A code, an approved code – my kingdom for an industry approved code!”
“Never set up an enquiry unless you know in advance what the findings will be.” -Sir Humphrey Appleby.
“A code, an approved code – my kingdom for an industry approved code!” -With apologies to the Bard
Responsible Care New Zealand (RCNZ)
Barry Dyer is the Chief Executive of Responsible Care New Zealand (formerly the NZ Chemical Industry Council). One of 65 chemical associations worldwide implementing the UN endorsed Responsible Care® Safety, Health and Environmental Protection initiative, RCNZ provides a comprehensive range of unique products and services to encourage, enable and verify the safe management of hazardous substances and dangerous goods.
Email: info@responsiblecarenz.com Website: www.responsiblecarenz.com Phone: 04 499 4311
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Contents
2 Safer, faster, multi-purpose telehandlers 4 Identified shortcomings adversely impact safe chemical management 8 Review proposes significant changes to local councils 10 Mayors propose simpler Three Waters alternative 13 Three Waters debate drowning out the real issue 14 Skills shortage to worsen by 38% in just six years 16 How the cloud can help fill job shortages 17 What is ‘quiet quitting’ and how do employers navigate it? 18 Recruiting and retaining the skills we need 19 Immigration policy changes welcomed by infrastructure sector 20 Compromises with little benefit at COP27 22 Sustainability rating tool gains traction 28 Future of inter-regional train travel in New Zealand 30 Fuel tax cut a wasted opportunity 34 Keeping your worksite safe this flu season 36 Repeating past mistakes of RMA 38 How BIM Will Impact Your Future Infrastructure Projects 40 Higher mortgages create hesitant housing market 44 ‘One bright light’ amidst housing market downturn 45 Commercial property market snapshot Q4 2022
49 Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation 50 New building code requirements come into effect 52 Hard work gets results 54 Third of homeowners not confident they are adequately insured 56 Health and Safety pre-qualification – where to next 63 No better investment than chemical safety training 65 What employers need to know about Fair Pay Agreements 69 Pay cuts and redundancies – how a company lost $280k 70 Battery fire in underground storage 71 The explosive risks working with heat-pumps, aircons & fridges 77 Ensuring adequate respiratory protection
79 Business fined after modified machine kills worker
80 Another fine for unsafe machinery injury
81 Company prosecuted for subcontractor’s death
82 Sentencing sends a message to installers
84 Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation
85 Avoidable workplace death results in enforceable undertaking
87
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