APRIL - MAY 2024 AND WHY ARE THERE CALLS TO BAN ENGINEERED STONE?
No better investment than chemical safety training
Now is the time to schedule your customised Responsible Care NZ Competent Chemical Handler course, conveniently delivered on your own site
Changes to our Global Harmonisation System (GHS) chemical regime applying from 30 April 2021 require accurate and timely advice - non-compliance could prove costly.
Competent staff avoid expensive and sometimes confusing compliance advice, while enabling an effective response to chemical incidents, often without requiring emergency services.
Inspectors and certifiers with years of expertise warn of a declining national workplace chemical safety performance.
A crucial factor is the continuing loss of onsite chemical safety advice, primarily due to replacing flawed but effective mandatory Approved Handlers with whatever employers now deem sufficient.
A second major chemical incident in the same public facility is a timely reminder that safe chemical management is not receiving the attention it deserves. Competent staff are essential.
Onsite Responsible Care NZ (RCNZ) Competent Chemical Handler Certification courses are tailored to reflect your chemical inventory and enable compliance.
Upskill the last of your HSNO Approved Handlers, update Certified
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For struggling, noncompliant business operators who are attracting attention from enforcement agencies, practical onsite advice from Competent Chemical Handlers helps lessen the load on a diminishing number of Compliance Certifiers. It helps to ensure site chemical safety measures remain effective.
RCNZ Competent Chemical Handlers (CCH) are increasingly in demand, resulting from our popular ‘Walk and Talk’ site visit to assess actual chemical management performance, identifying the need for specialist training, throughout the product life cycle.
Chemical incidents now guarantee media attention, often sensationalising the incident by highlighting persons adversely affected by unwanted exposure to chemicals.
This can irretrievably damage reputations to both customers and suppliers, particularly if employers have not taken all practicable steps to safely manage their chemical inventory throughout their operations.
When chemicals do cause problems, employees, customers, WorkSafe
Essential compliance tools
Ensuring staff are competent to safely manage the harmful chemicals essential to your business includes your effective response to a chemical incident.
To enable a smooth, cost-effective transition to and beyond compliance, you need compliance tools: - the updated RCNZ industry Codes of Practice reflecting our revised GHS chemical management system
- your 24/7 CHEMCALL® emergency response subscription; and the all-important ‘how to’ advice arising from our popular site ‘walk and talk’ assessments - replacing your Approved Handler with our Competent Chemical Handler certification
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Talk to us today about compliance tools, which confirm you are a good employer, committed to safeguarding employees and our environment by safely managing your chemical inventory.
Responsible Care NZ 04 499 4311 www.responsiblecarenz.com
inspectors, local authorities, health protection officers and emergency response organisations all benefit from the expertise and product safety information available 24/7 from 0800 CHEMCALL®, our industry’s unique, subscription based chemical emergency advisory service.
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Pressure mounting to ban engineered stone
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ has added its voice to the calls for a ban on engineered stone to address growing concerns around cases of silicosis
In New Zealand, between 750 and 900 people die from work-related diseases each year. These are in addition to the 50006000 hospital admissions each year due to work-related ill-health.
Over the past few years, there has been increasing concern about the use of silica-containing artificial stone – which is used to make bench tops for kitchens and bathrooms.
When silica dust is in-
haled, it can cause permanent damage to the lungs and silicosis (a respiratory illness) can develop. Silicosis causes scarring of the lung tissue which makes it hard to breathe. It can severely reduce quality of life, and – in extreme cases – it can be fatal. There is no cure for silicosis.
There are multiple alternatives and, as trusted and independent leaders in the respiratory health sector,
the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ says it does not want to see workers’ lung health deemed of lower importance than consumers’ aesthetic preferences.
It can take up to 10 years after exposure for symptoms of silicosis to appear, meaning that people who work with silica-containing substances usually don’t realise that damage is being done to their lungs while they are working with it.
Banning engineered stone will not eliminate silicosis but it will protect those involved in very high-risk work from further exposure, the respiratory health organisation says.
“In December 2023, the Australian Government announced a ban on the material. We are calling for New Zealand to ban engineered stone to protect the respiratory health for workers.”
Graphic Designer Rachel Loo
: Setting barriers
During COVID, many businesses implemented measures to create distance and screens between workers and customers. Now that we have moved on from COVID, many of these have been removed which played a vital role in curbing the spread of viruses.
If banks can continue to have their workers behind a screen for safety measures and we can be accepting of that, there’s really no reason why we can’t continue to be careful in the workplace with how we bring people together in a confined area.
It is important that businesses continue to focus on the health and wellbeing of their people. New waves of COVID keep coming, along with other viruses. It is important that we don’t lose focus on the good behaviours we adopted during the pandemic to keep everyone safe and well.
2: Timely reminders
Another habit that has faded into nothingness is the cleaning schedules that were imposed during COVID. Places like supermarkets were regularly wiping down high-touch surfaces. While it added cost to business operations, it is a good practice that has waned somewhat.
It is highly beneficial to regularly disinfect surfaces that come into constant exposure to people.
Even if you work by yourself in front of a computer, it’s always a good idea to clean down surfaces for hygiene reasons. And with many businesses turning to hot desking, your desk today, could be someone else’s desk tomorrow. Hot desking works well with hybrid work models when some teams work
Have workplaces become Covid complacent?
Chief executive of @WORKSPACES, Brett McAllen puts forward six tips to remain vigilant and safeguard against new strains of Covid-19 entering the workplace and making everyone sick
from home on certain days while other workers use the office desk space. But hot desking does require increased vigilance when it
comes to office hygiene, so it’s important to recognise the risks and remember to sanitise communal work spaces diligently and regularly.
3: Considering the safety about others During COVID, we were all
really good about looking at the bigger picture and understanding that basic personal hygiene isn’t just about protecting one’s self, but it’s also about keeping everyone around you safe. By being mindful of the risks that we might be creating for others, we are also making sure that we keep other people safe. Remember that not everybody has the privilege of enjoying good health,and that in your workplace, you might well have a colleague or two with compromised immunity. With just a bit more consideration, we can look after them too.
In other countries, if you’re feeling unwell, it’s considered part of basic etiquette and a courtesy to wear a mask if you can’t stay home. This is a practice that we should be adopting.
It makes sense that if you are unwell, that you should be keeping your germs to yourself instead of going around spreading them.
Surely the stigma of wearing a mask has worn off by now.
4: The dangers of caution fatigue
Many people understandably responded to the pandemic with anxiety. When we are anxious, the human body’s response is incredible at making us hyper vigilant. This is our fight or flight response, and it helps us immediately deal with whatever is threatening us in the moment. However as the pandemic dragged on, people experienced caution fatigue, meaning that they felt less motivated and less inclined to follow the advice and guidelines that had
been laid out for them. Letting your guard down is dangerous when you’re facing viruses that are microscopic and cannot be seen by the naked eye. You just never know which viruses you’re coming into contact with. See the risks as they really are and don’t minimise them.
5: Promote vaccinations at work
One of the great achievements of COVID was normalising vaccinations. Workplaces should continue to encourage workers to stay up to date with their vaccinations and this starts by normalising this habit. I am not just referring to COVID vaccinations, but vaccinations in general. People are more likely to get vaccinated if they know someone else has
been vaccinated and also if they believe that refusing vaccinations is abnormal. Workplaces can go a step further by visually promoting vaccinations in high traffic areas.
6: Prioritising our health and safety
As we continue as a society to make progress in our post-COVID world, we must not forget the lessons of the past while we surge forward. We spend so much of our time on weekdays at the office that it makes sense to prioritise our health. Ultimately, we all stand to benefit from it so making the effort to do simple things like wearing a mask to work if we’re sick, or wiping down surfaces can go a long way in keeping us all in the peak of health.
The Expos will showcase the most comprehensive range of innovative products, services, solutions and the entire supply chain under one roof by local and international participants to trade visitors, potential buyers, policy makers, government officials, C-Level executives, business leaders, leading industry experts, top-tier public visitors and key decision makers from the region and beyond, making it a definitive power packed networking platform, where new projects and partnerships are initiated and visionary objectives are implemented.
Architecture and Urban Planning Expo - Oman’s first and only dedicated event focusing on Architecture and urban planning will showcase the latest technologies, products and services.
Architecture Section is an exclusive event where architects, designers, specifiers and property developers from the Sultanate of Oman and the Middle East region explore carefully selected innovative and inspiring products, materials and services for their projects. Some of the most revolutionary solutions will be presented in the Expo which will generate high interest among the architects and designers’ community.
The Urban Planning section will provide an unmatched platform for the urban and landscape design industry to secure new business in the Sultanate of Oman and the region. Key decision makers will meet local and international suppliers to explore business opportunities, and to source the latest
Attend the Home and Building Expo in Oman this October
Exhibitors and visitors are invited to participate in the Home and Building Expo, co-located with the Architecture and Urban Planning Expo, which is the Sultanate of Oman’s premier bespoke B2B and B2C event to be held from 07 - 09 October 2024 at the Oman
Convention and Exhibition Centre, Muscat.
landscaping, infrastructure & urban development solutions and technological advancements.
There are diverse and cost-effective ackages to
ensure participation with assured ROI and exhibition booths to create a strong impact and presence at the event.
The event organiser also offers customised packages best suited to your organisation’s requirements and budget.
Event website: http://omanhome-building.com/ For more information, please contact: Ms. Ulrika Varela
Email: ulrika@muscat-expo.com Mobile: +968 9396 1624
Everything you need to know about silicosis
Silicosis is an incurable and debilitating lung disease primarily caused by occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica – early symptoms include breathing difficulties, wheezing and chest tightness, writes Michelle Llamas of ConsumerNotice.org
Silicosis may take years to manifest but can be fatal. The occupational lung disease occurs after inhaling crystalline silica particles. Silicosis symptoms include coughing, inflammation and fibrosis. Though symptoms may not manifest for years, some people begin experiencing them within weeks of high exposure levels. The disease is incurable and debilitating and often leads to death.
The defining characteristic of silicosis is the presence of fibrous, rounded nodules that tend to form on the upper lobes of the lungs. The fibrous nodules may also appear in the lymph
nodes, either in the presence of pulmonary nodules or in isolation.
Silicosis developing in the lungs
Inhaling silica dust can cause silicosis to develop in the lungs
Silica is a naturally occurring substance found in certain types of sand, clay and rock. However, many construction materials, ceramics and industrial sand contain crystalline silica particles, including mortar and concrete.
Workers in the construction, mining, steelworking and extraction industries are among those most at risk. Whether a
worker develops silicosis depends on several factors, including the concentration of crystalline silica in the inhaled material, particle size and exposure duration.
Types of Silicosis
There are three types of silicosis, differentiated by exposure level and latency period. Silicosis symptoms can also vary. The three types are:
• Chronic: This is the most common form of the disease, occurring after more than 10 years of exposure and leading to decreased lung function and lung and lymph node inflammation.
• Accelerated: This form of silicosis occurs with more intense exposure levels over a shorter period of time — generally three to 10 years — and causes symptoms similar to chronic silicosis.
• Acute: The rarest type of this disease, acute silicosis, results after short-term exposure to high concentrations of crystalline silica and leads to more severe symptoms.
Though severity can vary between individuals, all three types tend to lead to severe disease and debilitating symptoms.
All forms of silicosis are progressive, leading to worsening conditions.
What Causes Silicosis?
The primary causes of silicosis are inhaling crystalline silica in high concentrations over a short duration or in lower concentrations over a long period. The particles must be airborne and small enough for a person to breathe them into the lungs. Exposure to silica dust in the workplace is the most significant contributing factor.
Inhaled particles make their way into the lungs and become lodged in the tissues, which causes chronic inflammation and an overactive immune response. The damage leads to the formation of the fibrous nodules that characterize the disease. Though the cause of silicosis is not in doubt, millions of workers worldwide continue to be at risk. The Global Burden of Disease study identified 23,695 cases of silicosis globally in 2017. In 2019, the GBD study found that more than 12,900 people died from silicosis. The disease is preventable with the use of appropriate safety gear. However, every year new cases arise and more deaths occur.
Who Is at Risk of Developing Silicosis?
Those who work with materials that contain respirable crystalline silica without adequate protection are most at risk of developing silicosis. Furthermore, wearing and keeping dusty work clothes in the home increases
exposure and risk by as much as 10%, according to one U.S. Bureau of Mines report.
The following occupations have the highest risk of exposure to unsafe respirable crystalline silica:
• Building construction workers
• Civil engineers
• Dentists and dental technicians
• Farmers
• Foundry workers
• Hydraulic fracturing workers
• Masonry workers
• Manufacturers of glass, pottery, ceramics, bricks, concrete and quartz countertops
• Miners
• Oil and gas workers
• Quarry workers
• Road construction workers
• Rock drillers
• Sandblasters
• Stonecutters Anyone whose job involves participating in or being around the blasting, crushing, drilling, breaking, sanding, grinding or milling of materials containing respirable crystalline silica is at risk of silicosis. Silica dust is not always visible and workers cannot count on dust visibility as a risk indicator.
Silicosis Symptoms and Signs
The early stages of silicosis might not cause symptoms. However, as it progresses, those with the disease usually begin noticing signs such as shortness of breath, chest tightening, severe coughing
and wheezing. Other silicosis symptoms and signs include:
• Blue lips
• Breathing difficulty or breathlessness
• Chest pain
• Chronic, nagging cough
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Fluid in the lungs
• Low blood oxygen
• Lung scarring
• Night sweats
• Reduced lung capacity
• Shortness of breath with exercise
• Swelling in the lungs and chest lymph nodes
• Swollen legs
• Weakness and fatigue
• Weight loss
Not all people who have silicosis will experience every symptom. The type of silicosis and severity of the disease can lead to varying health impacts. However, symptoms often worsen over time as the disease progresses.
Diagnosing Silicosis
Diagnosis of silicosis is challenging, as most available tools cannot detect early signs of the disease. Furthermore, the potentially lengthy latency period and a physician’s inability to identify silicosis among multiple potential occupational lung diseases create further challenges in diagnosis. Currently, clinicians diagnose silicosis using a combination of:
• Chest X-rays
• Health and exposure questionnaires
• High-resolution computed tomography
• Pulmonary function tests
According to a 2023
study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, clinicians should avoid performing lung biopsies due to the potential for adverse impacts. However, when environmental exposure is lacking or discrepancies exist between chest X-rays and high-resolution imaging, a biopsy is the only way to diagnose the disease accurately.
Silicosis Treatment
Treatment for silicosis, which has no cure, primarily aims to manage symptoms and extend and improve quality of life. Experimental treatment methods include cleansing the lungs using a saline solution, drug treatment with pirfenidone and nintedanib, and traditional Chinese herbal medicines. Exercise can also improve lung capacity and function and enhance the quality of life for patients. Lung transplant is a possibility for those in late-stage silicosis. Research on silicosis treatment options is ongoing. There are promising new drugs, but no large, placebo-controlled clinical trials to determine drug efficacy, safety or side effects. Future treatment options may rely on advanced technologies and a multitargeted approach.
How Long Can You Live With Silicosis?
How long a person lives with silicosis depends on individual factors, such as age of onset, exposure duration, smoking habits and overall health. Disease factors also impact prognosis, including
the type of silicosis and the disease stage when detected.
The survival times of silicosis stage I, II and III, from the year of diagnosis to death, have been reported to be about 21.5, 15.8 and 6.8 years, respectively. Studies found a relationship between age of onset, years of exposure, disease progression speed and economic status, which all impacted the length of time a patient survived silicosis.
Is Silicosis Preventable?
Yes, silicosis is preventable. Employers are
responsible for providing employees with safe working conditions that follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Failure to ensure a safe working environment increases workers’ silicosis risk. Employees should adhere to safety guidelines and protocols to protect themselves from exposure.
Key preventative measures include:
• Implementing, maintaining and using dust control technologies and engineering controls
• Monitoring air quality conditions and mitigating poor quality
when necessary
• Substituting respirable crystalline silica materials with less hazardous ones
• Providing, maintaining and using approved particulate respirators when necessary
• Practicing good personal hygiene and changing clothing before leaving the worksite
Employers should also provide regular training on crystalline silica safety and silicosis and offer health screenings when exposure occurs. Preventative measures include environmental controls that eliminate airborne
particulates, training, personal safety gear and worksite behaviors.
The burden of establishing these measures rests with the employer. Those exposed to respirable crystalline silica and diagnosed with silicosis may be able to take legal action.
Originally posted at: Silicosis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention (consumernotice.org)
For more information: Silica Dust: Uses, Risks, & Regulations (consumernotice.org)
E v e r y p e r s o n , e v e r y c a n c e r
895,115 Kms driven to get people to appointments
46,600 Bed nights for people receiving treatment 5,742 People attending supportive care programmes
0 8 0 0 C A N C E R ( 2 2 6 2 3 7 )
OFSEC EVENT 2024 is designed to meet the needs of the local, regional and international markets by linking practitioners, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers from the fire, safety, HSE and security industry, with key decision makers from the government and private sectors, making it a definitive networking platform, where new projects and partnerships are initiated and visionary objectives are implemented. This event also aims to create synergy and strengthen the collaboration between the authorities and the industries.
The 2-day Exhibition & Summit will attract participation from a large number of exhibitors and representation from over 30 countries, with a slew of product and service launches, to the trade visitors and potential buyers from the region and beyond. The Summit will feature an expansive lineup of stellar speakers, case studies, panel discussions, unique presentations providing access to a wealth of industry leading knowledge, sharing best practices and experiences, spotlighting trends, information exchange,
8th edition
insights and outlooks with actionable takeaways. OFSEC has collaborated with government bodies, leading industry associations, research partners and specialists to establish the exhibition that caters to the entire fire, safety and security sectors, making it an imperative convergence point. The expo is aligned with the demand and supply of the 8th
Edition
– Oman’s only and most comprehensive summit & expo on fire, safety and security 08 – 09 October 2024
market across the board of industries to share best practices, tackle challenges, and explore breakthrough methods for the integration of safety and security technologies.
Event Website: https:// www.ofsecevent.com/
For more information on Sponsorship and Exhibiting Enquiries, please contact:
Navneeth K. | Project Director
Mobile: +968 9123 7892
Email: nk@muscat-expo. com
Muscat Expo LLC | P O Box 1406 PC 133 | Al Khuwair, Sultanate of Oman
WorkSafe has published a prohibition for the sale (including an offer to sell), and use (including installation) of the Serene Classic S2068 wall mounted bathroom heaters, pursuant to Regulation 87 of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.
Serene S2068 heaters manufactured in March 2021 have a manufacturing defect. There have been several fires and overheating events associated with these heaters.
There is a significant risk of people being seriously harmed and property being damaged from electricity going through these heaters.
The prohibited S2068 heater is described as:
• Wall mounted fan heater with step-down thermostat with pullcord on-off switch, for fixed-wired installation in bathrooms and similar locations
• Mirror polished stainless steel metal shell with die cast grille
• Dimensions: 300 mm wide, 210 mm high and 110 mm deep.
The prohibited S2068 heaters have a serial number in the following ranges:
• VH145173 – VH147003
• VK154294 – VK160567
• WF167045 –WF168874
We are actively engaging with known suppliers and known locations that have the heaters available or installed to stop selling or using the heaters.
We also want to inform consumers who may have this appliance in their home, and potential suppliers such as stores and tradespeople, of what they need to do.
Other Serene bathroom heaters
WorkSafe bans wall-mounted heater
WorkSafe has prohibited the sale and use of Serene Classic S2068 wall mounted bathroom heaters, which it describes as being unsafe
We are also aware of two other Serene bathroom heater models, the S2069 and S207T, that we recently had tested, and did not comply with required safety standards. We are actively considering what further action needs to be taken in respect of these products.
If you have a bathroom heater on your property
• Check if your heater is a Serene model S2068 with a serial number in the range listed above. You will find this information on the top side of the unit when mounted on the wall.
• If you have this heater, do not use it.
• If it is installed in your property, get an electrical worker to make it safe by isolating it from the electrical
supply, or contact your landlord to arrange this, and they can dispose of it safely.
Simon Gallagher, National Manager, Consumer Services at MBIE:
The Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) guarantees that products must be of acceptable quality, including safe to use. Where a product is unsafe — or doesn’t meet mandatory product safety requirements — you have the right to a refund, repair, or replacement. MBIE suggests consumers who have this heater return it to the supplier they purchased it from to discuss the most appropriate remedy under the CGA.
More information on consumer rights on unsafe products | consumerprotection.govt.nz
If you are a supplier of heaters
The Serene model S2068 with a serial number in the range listed above cannot legally be sold.
We are working with MBIE to reach out to known suppliers.
Simon Gallagher, National Manager, Consumer Services at MBIE:
MBIE are aware of the issues found by WorkSafe with the Serene S2068 appliance and are working with WorkSafe and the retailers of the product to discuss what they can do to ensure the safety of their customers. As part of this work, MBIE are encouraging these retailers to undertake a voluntary recall.
Read the Gazette Notice
Gazette notice correction of the serial numbers
WorkSafe has accepted a binding commitment from the New Zealand Police to improve safety for Traffic Camera Operators (TCO), after one was critically injured in a high-speed collision on Auckland’s North Shore.
The operator was thrown from his parked van in August 2021, when it was struck by a car on the Upper Harbour Highway at Greenhithe. The car driver died, and the operator suffered life-changing injuries.
A WorkSafe investigation found that Police could have carried out a more effective risk assessment of locations where operators work from, and required them to park safely behind motorway barriers and/or use seatbelts.
In response to the incident, Police has now applied to WorkSafe with a comprehensive pledge to improve safety for its TCOs. WorkSafe has officially accepted the pledge, known as an enforceable undertaking, which includes:
• Reparations to the injured operator
• Delivery of an enhanced traffic camera operator induction and training package
• Implementing a framework for managing critical risks and ways to control them
• Creation of a dedicated critical risk team to embed the work programme
• Presentation of lessons learned to the transport sector
“These activities will enable something positive to arise from serious harm. The aim is to bring about enduring health and safety change in a way that a fine through the courts may not have,” says WorkSafe’s dep -
WorkSafe investigation finds Police at fault
After a New Zealand Police employee was critically injured in a high-speed collision, WorkSafe has accepted an enforceable undertaking which will see the organisation take steps to improve safety
uty chief executive operations, Kane Patena.
The commitment is endorsed by both the injured operator and the Police Association, and will see a significant investment from Police towards worker and job safety.
As a result of the agreement, WorkSafe charges against Police have been discontinued meaning a trial due to start next month will no longer take place.
“WorkSafe will regularly monitor progress on the activities which have been agreed, and can resume prosecution if the commitment is not upheld,” says Patena.
New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming says system-
atic change is required to ensure the safety of all 78 TCOs around the country.
“This Enforceable Undertaking is an opportunity for us to further improve safe roadside policing. More than a dozen changes to policy and processes are outlined in this binding agreement, from a health and safety review through to enhanced training for TCOs.
“Some changes have already been made, including the establishment of a dedicated Critical Risk Programme team to embed the programme of work.”
McSkimming says this is the first incident of this nature and was a deliberate act.
“New Zealand Police has
invested considerable internal resource and capability to undertake this rectification work and is committed to continuous safety improvement.”
In 2025, NZTA will begin operating speed cameras through a contracted third-party provider, using a different operating model to that of Police. Police will provide information on lessons learned and improvements made to NZTA to help inform its operation of mobile cameras.
Read the enforceable undertaking decision document
In the past five years, there has been increased awareness of stress and burnout in the construction industry and its relationship to health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace.
At Site Safe, we are not just about ensuring physical safety in the construction industry - we are committed to emotional and mental wellbeing in the workplace too. We have demonstrated this with research initiatives and partnerships in recent years along with our Mental Health First Aid in Construction course, which we run with St John.
When we researched stress in the construction industry with Massey University in 2021, we found that construction is a highrisk industry for work-related stress. Similar more recent studies confirm this remains a concern for the industry.
Work-related stress is known to be one of the root causes of unsafe behaviours in construction as well as other problems like high absenteeism, alcoholism, drug abuse and even suicide.
Everyone experiences stress at some point. Some stress can be beneficial – it is designed to keep us safe. However, chronic stress is what starts to cause physical and mental health problems: irritability, poor sleep, headaches, inability to concentrate, anxiety and depression.
Chronic stress, left unaddressed, eventually leads to a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion where you might feel drained, unable to cope with day-to-day decisions, cynical, detached, ineffective and unproductive. This is what we call burnout. It is crucial to prioritise wellbeing to prevent burn-
Igniting support for mental health and wellbeing in construction.
out. This involves managing stress effectively, balancing work and personal life, promoting self-care practices, fostering a sense of purpose, and creating a supportive environment. By investing in these areas, both individuals and organisations can work together to prevent burnout. We are very conscious that over 80 per cent of our members are small businesses that do not have ready access to effective tools and resources to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This is what attracted us to partner with Ignite Aotearoa, an organisation that aligns with ours in our
commitment to emotional and mental wellbeing in the workplace.
By partnering with Ignite, we can offer our members access to external support for their employees that they may not otherwise have. Site Safe members currently receive free access to the Ignite platform, which includes clinically validated resources, free online workshops designed to support wellbeing and access confidential support sessions for staff.
These one-on-one support sessions can be used to promote wellbeing or professional development. They may involve meeting with a counsellor, psycholo -
gist, or other mental health professional, a leadership or career coach, a financial advisor or mentor, a dietitian, or any of the diverse pool of over 100 Ignite providers. The construction industry has made progress in addressing stress and burnout. Together, by prioritising mental health and wellbeing and fostering supportive environments, we can cultivate a healthier, more productive workforce in the construction industry.
If you are a Site Safe member and would like to learn more about how we can support your workplace with access to Ignite Aotearoa, visit our website.
Access to exclusive guides & resources
Show your commitment to Health & Safety
Discounts on Site Safe products & services
Invitation to member only events
Discounts from well-known suppliers (Member App)
Hard work gets results
The success of Rapid Facility Services is driven by a team that combines experience, commitment and a professional skillset that covers every aspect of facilities management with personal service
The team was forged by three friends working in the industry who realised that the key thing stressed building managers, business owners and landlords needed was to make a single call and get a reliable and qualified support team that would cover any aspect of facilities management.
The Rapid trio set down a business philosophy that “we will do what others can’t or won’t do “ and set about assembling a highly trained, efficient and safety-conscious team of professionals who get the job done right, the first time.
Today that service stretches from food manufacturers’ audit cleaning, all aspects of industrial cleaning, painting, building and floor safety management to anti-microbial and moss
Having worked in the industry for many years, three friends, Paul Schoch, Robyn Schoch and Andrew Chan realised that by combining their skills, they could create a company unlike any other
and mould treatments to prevent surface damage to roofs, ceilings, walls, floors and specialised equipment.
Team members Darren, Brandon and Akeli
Your responsibilities as a PCBU
A
PCBU means a
Person Conducting
A PCBU must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain a work environment that is without health and safety risks. The work environment includes:
• the physical work environment, including lighting, ventilation, dust, heat and noise
• the psychological work environment, including overcrowding, deadlines, work arrangements (eg the effects of shift-work and overtime arrangements) and impairments that affect a person’s behaviour, such as work-related stress and fatigue, and drugs and alcohol.
PCBUs are responsible for providing and maintaining
a
Business or Undertaking.
Most New Zealand businesses, whether large corporates, sole traders, or self-employed, are classed as PCBUs.
safe plant and structures. This includes machinery, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment (including personal protective equipment), appliances, containers, implements, tools, buildings, masts, towers, frameworks, pipelines, quarries, bridges, underground works (including shafts and tunnels) and any component of one of these items or anything fitted or connected to one of these items. PCBUs must also ensure the safe use, handling and storage of plant, structures and substances.
Providing safe systems of work is also a PCBU’s responsibility, as is providing any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect
all persons from risks to their health and safety which may arise from the work of the business.
It is also a PCBU’s job to monitor the health of workers and the conditions of the workplace.
Another responsibility of a PCBU is to provide adequate facilities for the welfare of workers when doing work for the business, including ensuring access to those facilities. This also applies to providing healthy and safe worker accommodation when appropriate.
Click here for more information.
PCBUs that fail to meet their health and safety obligations are putting people at risk and can face prosecution. The following are recent examples of health and safety failures by PCBUs and the resulting consequences.
Customer loses leg after being hit by forklift
Fine: $350,000 | Reparation: $141,502.12 | Max Fine: $1.5m
Trade Depot has been ordered to pay out almost $500,000 after it was found no plan was in place to keep pedestrians and moving vehicles separate
The customer was waiting to collect whiteware from the customer collections area outside Trade Depot in Onehunga, when she was struck by a forklift in August 2022. The 68-year-old was rushed to hospital with injuries so severe her left leg had to be amputated below the knee.
WorkSafe charged Trade Depot after finding it had no effective traffic management plan to ensure moving vehicles and pedestrians were kept separate.
In addition, WorkSafe investigators found that the lights on the forklift were not functioning at the time of
incident.
“It is only by sheer luck that a serious injury or death was not caused before this incident. Forklifts were moving in and around pedestrians, delivering goods on a daily basis, but the site lacked any adequate systems to manage the risk of interaction between forklifts and pedestrians in the customer collections area,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul West.
“One-way systems, barriers, designated crossing points, and speed bumps or signage are among the measures that could have
avoided this unfortunate injury. All businesses whose work requires traffic management should take notice of this case to ensure they aren’t falling short.”
In response to this incident, WorkSafe immediately issued two improvement notices to ensure a barrier was put between the pedestrian pathway and vehicles at the Onehunga site, and to ensure procedures were in place for forklifts operating near pedestrians. Both notices were complied with.
“Forklifts are a known risk – many people have died or been injured by forklift
incidents, yet it’s clear the risks are not being appropriately managed in many workplaces. Risk assessment should consider anybody who could be harmed – which includes both workers and customers, and businesses must not lose sight of that,” says Paul West.
Read WorkSafe’s guidelines on managing work site traffic
Read about a 2016 WorkSafe prosecution of Trade Depot
Improvised method gets worker killed
Fine: $180,000 | Reparation: $110,000 | Max Fine: $1.5m
When there is no obvious safe way to work, it’s best to stop, reassess, and involve experts to develop a new approach – rather than attempting to adapt things on the fly, says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Danielle Henry
The death of a 21-year-old in the construction sector shows how easily stopgap measures can endanger workers.
Aidan Paszczuk was removing steel beams when one fell and killed him at a Newmarket construction site in October 2021.
A WorkSafe investigation found that workers devised an ad-hoc way to get the job done when their original method could no longer be used. Unfortunately, they did not have access to safetycritical information about the security of the 500-kilogram beam. When Mr Paszczuk stood on a stack of five
wooden forklift pallets to use an angle grinder, the beam fell on him.
The employer Grouting Services Limited (GSL) should have carried out an effective risk assessment to protect workers, and has now been sentenced for its health and safety failures. Not stopping for a short amount of time to come up with an alternative safer method cost a family their loved one, and affected productivity on a major construction worksite for days and weeks afterwards. Getting workers home healthy and safe must always be the top priority,
especially on fast-moving and dynamic construction sites.
A separate WorkSafe prosecution against CLL Service and Solutions Limited involved a crane toppling at the same busy Newmarket construction site a year prior to the death of Aidan Paszczuk. Sadly, the crane incident was not heeded as the site safety warning that it could have been. The risk of serious harm and death in the construction sector is well known, and WorkSafe is committed to ensuring businesses uphold their responsibilities for worker
health and safety.
Read more from WorkSafe on construction safety
‘Not the place for childcare’: forklift hits five-year-old
Fine: $7,000 | Reparation: $25,000 | Max Fine: $1.5m
A workplace has been fined $7,000 after allowing an underage driver to get behind the wheel of an unsafe forklift whilst a young boy was left unsupervised
When childcare fell through, the boy was taken to the orchard in January 2022 by his grandparents who worked there. He was told to stay inside the packhouse on a couch. Unfortunately, he wandered from that spot and into the path of a reversing forklift being driven by a 14-year-old worker.
The victim survived but suffered significant complex fractures to his hip bones and was hospitalised for a month. The orchard owner has now been sentenced for health and safety failures. A WorkSafe investigation found the victim was under limited supervision as
the caregivers were busy working. The forklift was poorly maintained with no basic safety features like reversing lights, mirrors, flashing lights, or a horn.
The driver was underage, and the site had no written traffic management plan for forklift use.
“Naturally children want to explore, try new things, and push boundaries. As we head into the holiday season, this case is a reminder that children are always at risk on worksites and should not have been present,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul Budd. It was common for the
young driver to be behind the wheel, and the owner had not done enough to establish his age. Businesses must remember that workers under 15 are not allowed to drive vehicles on worksites.
Risk management by the business was verbal and informal because of language barriers.
“It’s not good enough to say that your risk management is verbal because employees cannot always read English. Translating your safety information for workers, if necessary, goes a long way to keeping them safe.”
“Better traffic management would also have made a
big difference to safety. This could have included exclusion zones to separate vehicles from people, the use of barriers when operating the forklift, clear signage, and separate entry and exit points for people and vehicles,” says Paul Budd.
Children are now prohibited from the orchard during operating hours, and the victim has made a full recovery.
Read more about young people in the workplace
Contractor and sub-contractor charged for death of apprentice
Fine: Inspire Building: $30k | Thorne Group: $210k
WorkSafe New Zealand is calling on the construction sector to “up its game” after a teenager was killed just four months into his apprenticeship
Ethan Perham-Turner was killed when timber framing weighing 350 kilograms fell on him at a residential building site in Ōmokoroa in March 2022. The 19-year-old was just four months into an apprenticeship with Inspire Building Limited at the time.
A WorkSafe investigation found the risk was heightened by the framing being manually installed around the site, and a temporary support brace being removed just prior to the fatal incident. When one frame knocked another, it fell on the teenage apprentice.
Inspire was providing building labour for the main contractor, Thorne Group. Both were charged for health and safety failures in relation to the death. The businesses should have consulted each other on the framing installation plan, and ensured a mechanical aid (such as a Hiab crane truck) was used.
“The death of a worker so young is an indictment on the construction sector. Ethan was new to the job, and new to the task of manoeuvring framing. He should have been provided with what he needed to be
safe,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul West.
“The safest way would have been to mechanically lift the framing into place, given its weight. This can come at little to no extra cost. In this case, the supplier delivering the framing had a Hiab and could have lifted it into place if asked.
“The high number of deaths and injuries tell us construction is a very dangerous industry.
WorkSafe has seen other similar incidents where workers handling large or heavy frames
have been paralysed or killed. It is unacceptable that companies are not identifying the risks and providing workers with a safe workplace. We can only hope the death of a very young apprentice might motivate the step change required to improve the sector’s health and safety performance,” says Paul West.
Read safety alert on installing frames
Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation
Expanding government-industry partnerships to help business operators should be a no brainer. Inviting enquirers to read the regulations falls well short of educational expectations
Barry Dyer Chief Executive
Responsible Care NZ
Today, chemical suppliers and their customers continue to adjust to the Covid operational environment.
They struggle with supply chain delays, the loss of experienced staff, frustration with unanswered queries to risk-averse authorities, inflexible and prescriptive regulations, rising compliance costs, diminishing resources and increasing public chemical safety expectations.
While 130,000 businesses are reportedly captured by the Hazardous Substances and Major Hazard Facilities regulations, the official mantra of “600-900 persons seriously harmed each year by unwanted exposure to chemicals in their workplace” presumably applies to all of the country’s 530,000 workplaces.
Increasing community concerns about vulnerability to unwanted chemical exposure and damage to our fragile environment places additional pressure on both suppliers and users of the chemicals.
We all need to sustain and improve our quality of life and these products must be safely managed throughout their life cycle.
Downgrading the flawed but effective HSNO Certified Handler requirement has inadvertently undermined an invaluable capability.
The action deprived businesses, particularly SMEs, of an immediate and recognisable source of workplace chemical safety and compliance advice -- a safe chemical handling capability and emergency response knowledge – critical when a chemical incident occurs.
PCBUs and SMEs must now devise their own solutions to ensure employees are competent to safely handle the chemicals with which they work.
Chemical industry leaders are moving away from relying on lagging indicators of safety performance in favour of identifying safer work practices and work-
places, by responding to workers’ suggestions about improvements.
Conscientious business operators can add value by sourcing accurate, cost-effective workplace chemical safety advice and compliance tools from their suppliers, industry partners and Responsible Care NZ.
A proven strategy is government agencies collaborating with proactive industry associations to best achieve workplace safety aspirations. The problem is that SMEs rarely join associations.
However, they all obtain their chemical requirements from suppliers and can benefit from product stewardship advice and cost-effective industry compliance initiatives.
Responsible Care NZ extols less regulation in favour of enabling business operators to be increasingly self-sufficient, using cost-effective products and services such as site compliance assessments and specialist training.
The focus is keeping people safe around the chemicals we encounter every day by adding value to businesses.
Responsible Care is a global voluntary chemical industry initiative developed autonomously by the chemical industry for the chemical industry.
Chemical suppliers continue to help customers achieve workplace chemical safety aspirations through product stewardship initiatives.
To help solve the in-house chemical compliance dilemma in New Zealand, Responsible Care NZ delivers specialist and cost-effective Certified Handler standard training, complete with a certificate.
Responsible Care NZ site compliance assessments are non-threatening, effectively capturing and assessing chemical safety performance in a variety of workplaces. +64 4 499 4311
New Zealand introduces its first Fluid Power Engineering Certification
For the first time, New Zealand has a dedicated certification for fluid power engineering, providing new training and career path options to those in the hydraulics and pneumatics industries
The Certificate in Fluid Power Engineering Fundamentals (Level 3) approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is the result of sustained effort by several key people in the industry and of a newly formed New Zealand Fluid Power Association.
Treasurer and former chairperson of this association, Natasja (Tasj) Paulson, says after more than 20 years in the industry, she found it was
difficult to attract the right staff because there was no formally recognised fluid power training.
Tasj and a number of like-minded people from the Fluid Power Industry worked alongside the Workplace Development Council to develop a certification that was “for the industry by the industry.”
By the end of 2022, NZQA had officially accepted the certification, and much of 2023 was spent developing
the technical elements of what the new course would look like.
Apprentice Training
New Zealand took the lead in running the new certification programme. By the end of 2023, everything came together, and the new certification programme was ready for 2024.
“It was an exciting time and the result of the hard work of so many individuals,” says Tasj, who had two of her employees immediately sign up for the programme.
The New Zealand Certificate in Fluid Power Engineering Fundamentals (Level 3) is now available and provides the fundamentals of fluid power and helps participants secure good jobs and build their careers.
“The next steps are to consider adding a Level 4 and possibly a Level 5 qualification to further upskill people that want to take their qualifications to the next level,” explains Tasj.
Gisborne Hydraulic Services – Mohammed Farook (Fluid Power Apprentice), Tasj Paulson (Owner Gisborne Hydraulic Services), Ben Julian (National Manager ATNZ)
A growing success in the Christchurch hotel market
Quest Apartment Hotels has opened its fourth Christchurch property as it continues to grow its portfolio in New Zealand and Fiji
Located at 93 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, Quest on Kilmore is opposite the Christchurch Town Hall. A quick walk to the restaurant strip of Oxford Terrace, Quest on Kilmore offers its guest’s a central location. As well as the 42 rooms, Quest on Kilmore has a meeting room that can easily cater to 20 people.
With Quest on Kilmore being its 43rd property in its New Zealand and Fiji portfolio, Quest Apartment Hotels (NZ) continues to defy economic challenges, Chief Operating Officer Adrian Turner says. This growth has been
planned for a while and there will be more to come, he says.
“The opening of Quest on Kilmore in Christchurch is the last of the four properties we have planned for Christchurch. It will support Quest Cathedral Junction, Quest on Manchester and Quest on Cambridge and provide much needed inventory for the Christchurch market especially since the opening of Te Pae, Christchurch’s new convention centre.
“We are already seeing many advance bookings from both our existing corporate clients as well
as our new clients to experience the Quest boutique apartment hotels.”
Operated by Aaron and Lucie Carpenter, Aaron was the Commercial Manager at Quest Corporate Office who had been with Quest for nearly 11 years and the couple are really looking forward to opening this new property.
“I have been with Quest since 2013. I was the Commercial Manager at Quest Corporate Office and when an opportunity came up of the possibility to take on a brand-new property, we knew we wanted to do that, and the rest is history,” says Aaron.
“I am trying to get my head around being on the other side of the business now and we have lots to learn but we are very excited for what is to come. We look forward to strengthening the Quest network in Christchurch and nationwide and working closely with the other Quest properties in Christchurch.
“We are currently in the process of getting set up and plan to provide a great stay with exceptional customer service to guests. We will be ready to welcome you very soon” says Aaron Carpenter.
