Industrial Safety News: Election 2023

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ELECTION 2023 EDITION

WORKSAFE'S DOWNHILL DESCENT

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RESPONSIBLE CARE NZ, YOUR ONE-STOP WORKPLACE CHEMICAL SAFETY EXPERTS

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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 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.

Barry Dyer Chief Executive Responsible Care NZ

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oday, 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.

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 info@responsiblecarenz.com www.responsiblecarenz.com

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he discussion and debate of different views are a healthy part of democracy, so when some views are not represented in parliament, this can give rise to unrest and division. Last year’s month-long protest outside parliament may be a sign of things to come unless there is reform to our electoral system.

Of the 2,886,427 votes cast in the 2020 election, 225,190 of those went to parties which failed to meet the 5% threshold to get into parliament. That is more than the entire population of Wellington City without a party to represent them in the Beehive.

The Independent Electoral Review is set to put forward a package of recommendations to the Government in November. In its interim report, one of those recommendations is to lower the party vote threshold to 3.5% from the 5% threshold which was set when New Zealand’s population was much smaller.

“Lowering the threshold will broaden representation by allowing more minor parties into parliament, while still allowing for the formation of stable parliaments and effective governments,” the review panel says.

However, a 3.5% threshold would not have made a material difference in the last election, so perhaps there is an argument to take this proposal further and lower it more substantially, or abolish the threshold altogether.

Either way, more people will vote for their favoured party if there is a higher chance of them getting into parliament, giving us greater representation and a more democratic parliament.

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Is our electoral system undemocratic In the last election, more than 200,000 New Zealanders’ votes did not count toward the final result – an independent review is expected to call for changes which will give more people a voice in parliament In conjunction with this, the review also recommends abolishing the one-electorate seat threshold.

“Currently, a party that wins an electorate is entitled to its share of list seats as well, even if it did not meet the party vote threshold. We have concluded that this gives voters in some electorates more say than voters in other electorates about which parties get represented in parliament,” the panel says.

It also speaks about overhang seats, where if a party wins more electorate seats than its share of the party vote would otherwise have entitled it to.

“When this happens, that

party keeps all the electorate seats it has won, but the number of list seats allocated to other parties is increased until the next election. This keeps parliament in proportion to the party vote. We recommend removing these extra seats for other parties. Instead, fewer list seats should be allocated. We only recommend this change in conjunction with removing the one-electorate seat threshold so as to limit the number of overhang seats.

“We [also]propose fixing the ratio of electorate and list seats at 60:40 with an additional proviso that the size of parliament should always be uneven to avoid hung parliaments. The ef-

fect of this recommendation would be that parliament would increase gradually in size over time in proportion to changes in our population.”

The review also makes recommendations around funding, including a cap of $30,000 on private donations and $500 on anonymous donations.

“We [also]recommend that only individuals on the electoral roll should be able to loan or donate to parties and candidates. All entities, whether trusts, companies, trade unions, iwi, hapū, or unincorporated societies should be prohibited from providing funding.”

Read the full report

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Contents 2

Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation

4 5

Is our electoral system undemocratic

6

Industry leader in soft fall protection on construction sites

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The great unlearning

9 12

How to attract, retain and support good staff

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The perfect combination of quality assurance, high stock levels and expertise

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Two jailed for health & safety cover-up

17 19

A drive-belt check could save your life

21 26 26

Workplace explosion no joke

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No better investment than chemical safety training

31 33

Are you maximising the benefits of your AEP?

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Concerns over complete removal of Covid-19 protections

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Physical threats & abuse widespread in construction

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Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

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How BIM Will Impact Your Future Infrastructure Projects

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Site Safe New Zealand launch VR training courses for New Zealand’s construction industry

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Safer, faster, multi-purpose telehandlers

NZ workplace fatality rate is double Australia’s

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New Registered Inspector Programme for MEWPs

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Ensuring adequate respiratory protection

Support for health & safety reps

Hard work gets results

Editor Michael Curreen +64 21 029 20234

Publisher Mike Bishara +64 27 564 7779

michael@infrastructurebuild.com

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Graphic Designer Rachel Loo

Administration Manager Anita Feria +64 27 444 1573

Your responsibilities as a PCBU Worksafe cuts could have dire consequences

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Was the Covid-19 wage subsidy successful?

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NZ workplace fatality rate is double Australia’s New Zealand is trailing seriously behind other countries in mitigating workrelated harm, a problem costing the country $4.4 billion a year, a new report reveals

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he State of a Thriving Nation report pulls together a range of economic and qualitative data to better understand this country’s health, safety and wellbeing performance.

It puts the total cost of lost lives, lost earnings and serious injury and health costs from work-related harm in New Zealand at $4.4 billion.

Produced by Sense Partners and Shamubeel Eaqub on behalf of the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum, the report shines a light on our current performance as well as looking at two issues facing businesses in 2023; an economic slowdown and a general election – and how they play into workplace health and safety in this country.

“The report makes confronting reading. While we’re making progress as a country, it is too slow,” says Forum CEO Francois 6

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Barton.

“If New Zealand could improve its performance to match that of Australia, we would reduce our costs to the country by nearly $1 billion per year,” he says.

“Fatality rates remain stubbornly high and are similar to those the United Kingdom experienced in the 1980s.”

When pulling together data and literature on how economic cycles affect health and safety outcomes, economist Shamubeel Eaqub says the causes of harm tend to be different at different stages of the economic cycle.

“When the economy is booming, there is too much busyness, which can crowd out good systems and processes, and culture. When the economy is weak, there can be a tendency towards cutting safety, training, and culture/wellbeing resourc-

es,” he says.

“We surveyed Forum members for a pulse check on the economy and business plans over the past year, and the year ahead. While the Forum membership is weighted towards larger firms, the results show that economic growth is expected to be moderate, but continue to grow, defying pessimism in many current surveys of business.”

“The survey also told us that businesses expect to continue making significant investments in capital, technology, and training, even more than in the last 12 months,” he says.

When considering the upcoming general election, the report calls for the new government to prioritize the importance of a level playing field through clear regulatory expectations on businesses and effective

follow-through and accountability.

“New Zealand’s health and safety performance is a nationally significant issue, and demands action from across government and business,” says Francois Barton.

“The Health and Safety at Work Strategy 2018-28 has not yet published a workplan – first planned for delivery in 2019, nor established any form of system oversight or governance.

This needs to be prioritized,” he says.

“We can, and must do better, as business leaders, government, and the regulators to change this economic and social toll to our people and our country.”

Read the full report

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Industry leader in soft fall protection on construction sites Massey University rigorously tested all elements of the Safety Nets NZ system

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ith the enactment of the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015) it became apparent that there was a need to assure customers that they comply the requirements of the Act in safety measures for fall arrest.

“We needed to have our system independently analysed, engineered and ultimately certified. This meant that not only did the individual components of the safety net fall arrest sys-

tem have to be tested, the performance of the safety fall arrest system as a whole also needed to be studied,” says General Manager Craig Daly.

A team at the School of Engineering and Technology at Massey University tested a variety of drop heights and weights, different bracket centres, various net sizes and points where the load strikes the net.

“It even tested nets of different ages and repaired

nets, with the results being collated and analysed to effectively confirm that our safety fall arrest system works,” says Daly.

“This enables PCBU’s to discharge their responsibilities in regard to the requirements of the in the use of a system that is without risk to the health and safety of it’s workforce.”

When the nets have been installed and inspected by a Safety Nets NZ team and a handover certificate

completed by our certified rigger, the client can then commence works above the safe area of the net.

“All of our safety documentation has been produced in such a format as to ensure that it complements the overall site safety policy and manual that the Principal Contractor is required to establish on all projects,” says Daly.

Click here to read inspection guidelines

Safety industry pioneer Safety Nets NZ has developed national standards in association with WorkSafe NZ, ensuring risk from falls is minimised for your construction workforce.

• New Zealand owned and operated • Nationwide network of local installers • Dedicated to building site safety North Island 0800 NETSNZ (638 769) South Island 0800 NETS4U (638 748)

www.safetynetsnz.co.nz

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The great unlearning

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Safety News and AsiaPacific Infrastucture publisher Mike Bishara accepts an invitation from Optimum Training to join a four-hour safety training session

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harboured a fervent hope that 25 years of development and refinement of Wayne Milicich’s injury prevention model might contain a few surprises.

The prospect of four hours in what I suspected could be a moralising lecture about how to lift a box was not enthralling. I could see, as we shuffled into the training centre, that the rest of the class felt the same, with a range of resigned, bored and cynical faces.

We were wrong. Boy, were we wrong. Participants soon learned “it was all about them” and their individual quality of life. And how 30 seconds after the training would break the harmful muscle memory that had taken over the way we did things.

“The programme is about unlearning what we learned between the ages of about eight to 13 years old and restoring all the movement patterns that we learned naturally during the first five to eight years of our life,” says Milicich.

For example, children all demonstrate best balance, unlike most adults. About 80 percent of the adult population “half breathe” from the apical area of the lungs as opposed to the diaphragm and lower lobes of the lungs, according to Milicich. “Children all naturally breathe from their belly, diaphragm, unless they are stressed.”

The most hardened cynics in our group quickly became engaged in the programme through a series of 8

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Optimum Training manager Dwane Stewart with an eager team of learners practical truths, illustrated by a range of interactions, sometimes with a workmate.

We emerged half a working day later wondering who to sue for the preventable harm I have inflicted by following instructions. Life quality did not require lifetime dedication, just a reordering of basic instincts and tossing out a few myths.

For our group, the quality of life had become anchored forever around balance and the 70/30 weight split between heels and toes.

We were converts to breathing out like weightlifters, sticking out our butts and letting tummies and abdominals do their thing - we discarded posture misinformation and stress and replaced it with comfort, a safe and secure back and no pain.

Optimum’s programme is of suggested solutions, not imperatives. “When we do this training, it is to benefit the individual. The company

clips the ticket and gets a benefit only when the individual benefits.”

“You cannot stand on a platform and tell people they are wrong. When a person’s belief is challenged, they will do anything to defend that truth as it is what they believe and know and have lived by. The only way to expose the false belief is to lead someone to find the truth for themselves.

In most cases following instilled poor habits is akin to

tapping yourself lightly on the head with a hammer for years. Do it enough times and you will end up permanently damaged.

You cannot separate work safety and whanau safety – they are two sides of the same coin, according to Milicich. Health and safety at home and work are just a component of our life quality. Not something that is separated out with its own rules to be applied at specific times and locations.

To a person, we emerged

70/30 balance is at the core of a quality of life

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ready to retrain our misguided muscle memory with the 30-secondsa-day-worth of drills to reprogramme our muscle memory that had taken us just four hours to master.

“The training empowers people to work out the truth for themselves and trust themselves. You are the only person who can determine what works best for you. Trust yourself to make a good call,” says Milicich.

With no pen, paper or tables in the room, this programme is “pure adult facilitation of kinesthetic learning followed by cognitive understanding. It is simple to restore what was once in the muscle memory when we were five to eight years old. The original neural pathways just open up again,” he says. We learned and now retain what we learned.

“Stress is recognized as a major cause of MSD and auto-immune disease. We help people understand how their body manifests stress and equip them with the understanding and tools to manage themselves during stressful times,” says Milicich.

Optimum’s facilitation process has four specific steps.

When applied correctly to the session, most often the learner has no idea of what

has happened, but they do recognise that their life has changed for the better.

Our session began with participation exercises which showed the overriding importance of balance.

The 70/30 rationale was enough to consign to the bin, along with a flurry of other medical myths, the long-held and totally wrong “bend your knees and keep your back straight” doctrine.

It soon became apparent why Optimum’s quality of life programme is used by many of the country’s most astute corporations in an age where time “off the floor” is critical to the bottom line and many companies look only to tick the boxes of compliance.

The benefits are equally cost effective, available and absorbed by SMEs. My class had only nine other participants so having a cast of thousands is not essential – or even recommended.

“Move Smart Think Smart is about addressing the underlying causes of muscle and joint pain that occur as we interact with inert objects both at work and at home. Home injuries affect the workplace. Workplace injuries affect the home and family,” says Milicich.

“Either way the quality

of life of a person is compromised. The traditional medical model calls the problem ‘nonspecific back pain and occupational overuse’. In fact, the pain is about inadvertent personal misuse of the body -- it is very specific.”

The bio-medical model reckons back pain is normal. “No, it is not normal,” says Milicich. “It is common, and the medical model is unwittingly part of the problem.

“Good posture” is nothing more than an old wives’ tale based on the military model of control and it is still believed today. A teacher tells children to sit up straight as a means of controlling the class. It is now portrayed as good posture.

“The medical field is littered with information and advice that was eventually proven wrong and retracted. Some of our western cultural beliefs are based in nothing more than decades or centuries old beliefs and mores.

The sad thing is that more than 80 percent of MSD's are inadvertently and unwittingly self-inflicted. People hurt themselves as they interact with inert objects, and they don't even realise it, says Milicich.

“The only way a box can hurt someone is if it is flying

through the air and strikes them. Or if it is moving on a conveyor and they put their hand where they should not.

A spade and the ground are both inert. To suffer pain while digging a hole is the person hurting themselves as they interact with the spade and ground.

The pain is a direct result of poor skills and technique of movement -- self-inflicted pain.

Most people blame something or someone for this self-inflicted injury. At that point, only the symptom can be addressed with drugs and therapy.

The problem returns as they repeat their old thinking and poor technique once the symptom has eased.

“No one deliberately hurts themselves. Given the opportunity, everyone makes the right choice,” says Milicich.

To a person, everyone was engaged for the full duration of training, always relevant, interesting, practical and beneficial to each person. We felt equipped and empowered to take back responsibility for ourselves. I personally still muse over and apply the learnings. My years of knee pain has gone.

30-second daily drills to re-programme muscle memory

Wayne Milicich 07 8583040 027 291 1829 www.otl.nz Representatives NZ wide safetynews.co.nz

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places such as Iran, Pakistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Korea, UAE, Croatia, Germany, Canada, Fiji, the UK and Australia.

Encouragingly as we have on-boarded these people the male/female split is now lifted to 60/40. And our remuneration is based on role and competence within the role as well as performance.

How to attract, retain and support good staff How has the Certification industry been disrupted by the Covid environment and what have we done to combat the changes

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year ago I wrote an article on this very same topic. At that time New Zealanders, and in particular those of us up in the Northern part of the North Island, had just come out of an extended period of restrictions.

Little did we know that we would return from the Xmas break and be pushed back into another series of restrictions.

As the year unfolded New Zealand finally threw open the doors and allowed both its people and international visitors to start the process of travelling freely up and down country again.

By the time this all came into being we had all spent more than 2 years managing Covid through an initial eliminate strategy, and ultimately a learning to live with the virus world 10 safetynews.co.nz

In the previous article I focussed on the core operational levers that we had been required to review and amend to allow our business to operate and effectively survive.

Now a year later all of the changes we had determined to make are either locked in or in the throes of being locked in.

The sticking point There is one area that continues to be a significant struggle for all businesses throughout New Zealand, and we at Telarc are not isolated from it. This area is the way in which we attract, retain and support people in a post Covid world.

We are a normal business

by New Zealand standards.

We employ just under 50 people. We have workers

based from Auckland in the north down to Dunedin in the south. We have clients on Stewart Island all the way to Kaitaia in the north.

Five years ago the business employed predominantly European males with an average age of late 50’s to mid-60’s.

Covid’s arrival saw a number of those employees retire. When seeking to replace the retiring wave we had in front of us we found ourselves increasingly looking at and employing really good candidates from offshore.

So when you look at our business today it is a completely different demographic.

Half of the current team identify as NZ European.

We now find ourselves with the balance of the team being born and educated in

Real world experience Where have the workers gone? The change is not something we had planned for. What we discovered as we looked to replace our ageing workforce was that there weren’t many New Zealanders with the experience and qualifications we needed who were looking for work.

You may ask why? The challenge we have is that we need people with real world experience. We audit predominantly infrastructure management, manufacturing and construction companies. The building of those entities took place, in a good proportion of cases, many years ago.

As we, in New Zealand, have automated processes and downsized traditional operational training grounds for new talent coming into the industries sectors mentioned earlier we have seen the pool of “could be” auditors diminish.

On the other hand, in the countries I mentioned earlier, from whom we are sourcing qualified people, we are able to access people who have been involved in, or supported, the development and management of large-scale infrastructure projects. This is both in their own countries as well as within the regions they

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have resided in / travelled to.

By having the experience they do, and also having been exposed to management system auditing, they arrive really well qualified to support the growing certification market that New Zealand is experiencing.

We still find the odd diamond in New Zealand who brings the work experience we need to the job. In most cases, though, the people who do successfully come to us do have a number of years of experience in a variety of operational roles.

This leads to our having to jointly invest between 9 and 12 months to be trained, and supported, to be confident when they start their stand-alone auditing journey. We continue to support and on-board local people, but as I have said the journey to being confident is a long one.

The other aspect to weigh into this equation relates to “where have all the New Zealand workers gone”. We hear all sorts of reasons including – early retirement, overseas experience (delayed or just the right time for it), moved to another country for higher pay or lifestyle, became a real estate agent or property developer pre-2022.

The list of reasons is getting longer and, to be honest, it is not something we can influence change in overnight. It is what it is and as a result we solve for today’s problems with the most suitable resource we can find. And on the whole the best qualified come to us from offshore.

New approaches needed With the on-boarding of people from all over the

globe we have found ourselves facing dilemma’s that we wouldn’t have predicted in a pre-Covid world.

A good example of one of the challenges we face is dealing with spoken and written English. For a number of the people who have joined us English is the second, or third and even sometimes fourth language of choice for them.

So things that would normally be taken for granted, such as writing or defining orally a concisely worded observations or recommendation, can initially be a struggle for some of the new people we have employed.

Add into this the idiosyncrasies that make New Zealand business, and social banter, challenging for new arrivals results in both our clients and our new auditors ending up being a little frustrated in finding com-

mon understanding.

We recently ran a structured approach towards better understanding some of the dilemma’s auditor’s face when getting out into their first “stand alone” engagements.

One of the biggest insights related to keeping the onsite auditing engagement calm. When managing an audit the last thing the auditor wants is for the audit to turn into a “voices raised” and “defensive” engagement. Finding ways to put all parties at ease is a skill.

And when achieved allows the engagement to proceed with minimal flare ups or disruptions.

Even for New Zealand born and raised auditors, out on their first “stand alone” audits, keeping the engagement calm is challenging.

They come to the engagement understanding

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Contact us to find out how standards will improve your business

0800 004 004 info@telarc.org www.telarc.co.nz safetynews.co.nz 11

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Risk comes in many forms and certification helps over a variety of levels

Telarc is a Jas-anz Accredited Certification Body which provides qualified, competent, New Zealand auditors, who are industry coded to provide relevant and impartial intervention for a large range of New Zealand business regardless of the business size.

The body is able to provide New Zealand business with an individual or a team of auditors capable of assessing one or multiple standards across one or multiple sites.

While the key priority of any commercial relationship is to deliver a product or a service, there is an increasing need from businesses to have confidence that their tendering parties and suppliers are managing their business in a manner that won’t negatively impact the supply relationship.

There are increasing demands from buyers for their suppliers to provide confidence that they are operating their business in a manner that is delivering good quality and environmentally 12 safetynews.co.nz

aware products (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) while managing workers in a way that protects worker well-being and safety (ISO 45001).

There is more demand across other areas such as ethical work practices, Asset Management (ISO 55001) and IT Management (ISO 27001).

Accredited Certification looks for gaps, risks and improvements in the way that work is actually done versus the way it is planned and communicated.

This provides visibility of where work practice and or documentation anomalies lie in all levels of the business. This then leads to improvement activity so Certification can be granted.

The second growing area that is driving minimisation of risk through Certification is through board and senior leader directives.

Over the last decade, legislation and regulations have looked to push culpability for sub-optimal work practices towards senior leaders and boards.

the idiosyncrasies of New Zealand and its language.

So when a recent arrival to New Zealand who is operating with English as a 2nd or 3rd language is trying to i.) Interpret the spoken word while, ii.) trying to keep the client calm and engaged, the world can turn messy very quickly.

I haven’t even touched on the writing of reports in this overview as this then creates the next downstream challenge for the new arrivals.

For those of you reading the article you probably are thinking why bother, if it is going to create all the frustrations alluded to above?

Enthusiasm for the job What we have found is the people we are hiring from off shore are intelligent, motivated, qualified, “keen as” workers who want to live in a country where they can safely raise their family while working hard.

When I was growing up, the qualities I see in the people moving here is what differentiated New Zealand from other countries and made our people successful all over the world.

To that end increasingly we are going to become more reliant on workers coming from countries around the globe. Understanding their culture and their difficulties when integrating into the New Zealand way is going to be a challenge we will have to solve for.

The above is one example of the challenges we are facing in a post-Covid world. There are a number of others, but for this exercise I think it is better to focus on one area to highlight the changes we will all have to deal with over the

next few decades.

Goodbye good old Kiwi business Once an organisation accepts that the days of being the “good old kiwi business” are gone and that the new world order requires a very open, culturally diverse mind-set the overarching people management ethos changes, significantly.

The key is to embrace the change and find ways to adjust our mind-set to remain successful, rather than fighting it.

Which is a nice segue into the final point of this overview.

The greatest challenge post Covid is mind-set. Trying to bring back the past, trying to replicate what we want and trying to carry out work in a way that was successful before is not going to be easy.

Mind-sets need to change and need to adjust to a new world order in which the globe is becoming a huge resourcing opportunity, and that we should get the best people we can before someone else does.

Philip Cryer is CEO of Telarc, a Crown Entity subsidiary with a vision to provide its clients with end to end, impartially audited Food & Wine and Management Systems Certification and Training services. www.telarc.org | 0800 004 004

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Support for health & safety reps The New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM) has recently released resources to support the development of the Health and Safety Representative (HSR) community

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he HSR Knowledge Wheel is a capability framework for HSRs, articulating the knowledge, skills, and attributes that HSRs can develop to set them up for success. The supporting Guidebook provides awareness in the subjects, so HSRs have a starting point to begin their learning journey.

This project was ignited by two key facts: 1. No competency framework existed for Health & Safety Reps (HSRs) to outline what they needed to know to be effective in their roles (WorkSafe’s WEPR Discovery Project).

2. 22% of the Health and Safety Profes-

sion started off as HSRs (NZISM Annual Member Survey 2021), yet there was no structured pathway from this first step into a potential new OHS career.

NZISM’s HSR project filled the void. They engaged the health and safety profession and HSRs from a wide range of industries to articulate a framework that could be used by: • Organizations to support HSR training and development.

• Training providers to ensure HSR course content met the identified needs of HSRs. • H&S Practitioners and Professionals who often take on the role

of training and coaching Reps.

• HSRs for self-directed learning.

Over a series of eight sell-out workshops across the motu (and two online opportunities), they worked collaboratively to identify the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to set HSRs up for success. The output was then visualized as the HSR Knowledge Wheel.

While the HSR Knowledge Wheel was valuable to OHS professionals/HR Managers looking to develop their HSRs, NZISM Chief Executive Selena Armstrong realised it did not give HSRs much more than a list of the subjects they need to know about.

“We wanted to add more value than that, so we developed the supporting HSR Guidebook, which explains the terminology in the Knowledge Wheel and provides HSRs with a base awareness of the topics in the wheel”.

“It’s been an exciting journey and we are very grateful to everyone who has contributed in some way to this important mahi. This work has been developed

by HSRs, for HSRs with support from the health and safety profession.”

The HSR Knowledge Wheel and HSR Guidebook can be downloaded at www.nzism.org/hsr-repcentral safetynews.co.nz 13

ELECTION 2023

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ELECTION 2023

T

he New Zealand Police charged William Mansfield Trevor Sullivan for making a false statement and Steven Patrick John Sullivan for perverting the course of justice. William Sullivan was sentenced to nine months imprisonment on 21 July and Steven Sullivan to 20 months imprisonment on 25 July.

An apprentice at Aimex Limited was exposed to vapour from solvents he had been directed to use when cleaning an engine room which wasn’t adequately ventilated, causing serious brain injury. Aimex was sentenced in July 2021 for health and safety failings contributing to the incident.

WorkSafe’s investigation found Aimex failed to develop a safe system of work relating to hazardous substances, and had failed to properly supervise, train and instruct its workers on work with hazardous substances.

Concerns deepened when WorkSafe was informed the same thing had happened with a different worker the week before.

“In that instance the worker was fortunate to recognise symptoms and keep themselves safe. Information passed on to WorkSafe related to the destruction of key documents to cover up the previous incident, which affected our ability to substantiate it.”

Two jailed for health & safety cover-up Following the 2021 sentencing of Aimex Limited whose apprentice suffered serious brain injury, it was discovered a similar incident nearly occurred a week prior but had been covered up “The deception meant the sentencing of Aimex was not carried out with full understanding of failings.

WorkSafe informed Police, who then prosecuted the two individuals,” says WorkSafe’s head of Specialist

Interventions Dr Catherine Gardner.

Dr Gardner says businesses and organisations should focus on preventing harm instead of covering it up. Exposure to harmful chemicals is a well-known

risk businesses and organisations must manage under the law.

“Risks must be managed, and workers must be protected from this kind of harm.”

Background WorkSafe New Zealand v Aimex Limited On 29 July 2019 a worker with Aimex Limited was exposed to a hazardous substance after being instructed to clean a catamaran’s engine room using a hydrocarbon based brake cleaner. The worker suffered from an anoxic brain injury due to the effects of toxic solvent exposure.

WorkSafe was notified of the incident on 29 July 2019 and commenced an investigation.

Aimex Limited was charged under sections 36(1)(a), 48(1) and 48(2)(c) on 28 July 2020 and later pleaded guilty.

Aimex Limited was sentenced on 9 July 2021.

See the 2021 sentencing notes on the District Court website 16 safetynews.co.nz

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ELECTION 2023

A drive-belt check could save your life A farm manager was making a wide turn on his quad-bike when his wheels suddenly locked, causing the machine to roll, fatally crushing him

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post-accident inspection showed the quad bike’s drive belt had broken.

Ordinarily when the drive belt breaks, the quad bike’s wheels would keep rolling whether or not they were in gear.

However, in this case the broken belt had become bound up in the gear pulley which prevented freewheeling and caused all four wheels to lock up.

18 safetynews.co.nz

The quad bike was in good condition and had regular maintenance that included visual inspection of the drive belt. The drive belt was due to be replaced at the next service.

What can be learnt from the incident?

Quad bike drive belts have recommended service intervals of every 3000km.

Quad bikes operate in

environments – notably exposure to dirt and moisture – which can increase the wear of the drive belt. This increases the risk of the belt breaking.

Owners, users and service agents of quad bikes are reminded that they should check the drive belts at least when recommended if not sooner.

If you do your own servicing, you should be aware of the importance of visually

checking the drive belt. This will involve removing the clutch cover. If this is not practicable, we recommend that you take it to a qualified service agent.

Safe use of quad bikes For information on recommended servicing schedule for your quad bike, contact your bike’s manufacturer or a qualified service agent.

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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.

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Workplace explosion no joke Five workers were badly burned at a Central Auckland workplace after one of them ignited their lighter despite smelling gas

I

n August last year, a barbeque gas bottle was mistakenly left running overnight in a shipping container on a Wynyard Quarter construction site.

The next morning workers from subcontractor Vuksich and Borich opened the container to start work for the day. They could smell gas, and one of the workers joked about igniting his lighter. When he did, the gas caught fire and exploded.

WorkSafe’s investigation established this was a workplace prank gone wrong. All five workers, including the man himself, were burned. He deeply regrets his actions and has participated in restorative justice with the other victims.

22 safetynews.co.nz

“Being safe at work is a responsibility shared by both the employer and the employee and no one should be harmed because of a prank or joke gone wrong,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager Paul Budd.

“Our message is not about banning barbeques or restricting workplace socialising, but about keeping health and safety in mind whether you’re on the clock or taking a break together.

WorkSafe’s Energy Safety team says the incident is a reminder of the risks that exist with gas and the consequences that can follow.

Energy Safety is the regulator for ensuring the safe supply and use of electricity and gas anywhere energy is used in Aotearoa, including

workplaces.

“If you smell gas anywhere, take it seriously,” says Energy Safety’s technical officer, Paul Stannard.

“In some of the most significant gas-related events that have come to the attention of Energy Safety in the last few years, people have smelled gas but may not have recognised it as a warning sign.”

Be careful, don’t use flames or mobile phones, don’t turn on electrical appliances, leave the area and call the gas supplier or 111.

“WorkSafe took enforcement measures in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, after identifying issues related to gas bottle storage and worker training which Vuksich and Borich complied with. To further

strengthen its safety management system, the company has since introduced a barbeque permit procedure and prohibits storage of gas cylinders or gas bottles inside shipping containers,” says Paul Budd.

“In relation to the incident itself we won’t carry out further enforcement, because prosecuting an individual or organisation is not in the public interest in this instance.

WorkSafe acknowledges Vuksich and Borich for the ongoing support it provided to the injured workers, as well as their cooperation throughout the investigation.

Read more about responding to gas leaks

ELECTION 2023

Your responsibilities as a PCBU A PCBU means a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking.

Most New Zealand businesses, whether large corporates, sole traders, or self-employed, are classed as PCBUs. 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

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.

safetynews.co.nz 23

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Repeated machine guard failures ‘reprehensible’ Fine: $36k | Reparation: $0k | Max Fine: $1.5m A business which didn’t properly safeguard its machinery has been sentenced over two incidents, six months apart, in which workers had their hands disfigured West Auckland bakery Bakeworks Limited, which makes gluten-free products, was sentenced in Waitakere District Court for health and safety failures related to both incidents.

In January 2021, a worker had four fingers severed when her hand got caught in a seed grinding machine.

The worker had never previously used the grinder or received any training on its operation. The victim has since had seven surgeries on her hand and remains off work.

A WorkSafe New Zealand investigation found the grinder had no safe operating procedure, and its safety guard had not been replaced when it broke off 18 months prior. The worker was unsupervised, and the only training given to her was immediately prior to the incident.

In June 2021, another worker had her fingertip sliced off while using a dough dividing machine.

The fingertip could not be reattached, and her treatment is ongoing.

WorkSafe found this machine again did not have any safe operating procedure, and its guillotine was freely accessible. There was no inspection or maintenance undertaken, and this victim was also inadequately trained – just like her colleague.

“Both of these incidents were entirely avoidable, but to harm a second worker is nothing short of reprehensible when Bakeworks was already on notice of the harm that deficient machine guarding can cause,” says

WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Danielle Henry.

“These victims were vulnerable workers who deserved far better from their employer. It is fundamentally wrong that harm rates are worse for Māori, Pacific peoples and migrant workers, and New Zealand needs to do better.”

Read safety information about dough machinery Read more about safe use of machinery

School-leaver horrifically injured at new job Fine: $280k |

Reparation: $48k

|

Max Fine: $1.5m

A Hawke’s Bay meatworks faces costs of $328,000 after being sentenced for poor training and supervision Poor training and supervision contributed to a worker having his hand seriously injured on unsafe machinery at a Hawke’s Bay meatworks, which has now been sentenced.

The incident occurred on the lamb brisket cutter at Progressive Meats Limit24 safetynews.co.nz

ed in Hastings in October 2020. The injured worker, Alesana Baker, was 17 at the time and was two weeks into the job – having just left high school.

Baker was trained to use the machine by a co-worker who started on the same day as him. The co-worker

demonstrated how to use the machine with one hand.

When Baker followed this method, his right hand was struck by the brisket cutter blades. This partially amputated his thumb, index finger, middle finger and ring finger.

Following a trial in Decem-

ber 2022, Judge Geoff Rea found Progressive Meats guilty of health and safety failures. His decision noted the “training was completely inadequate and… positively dangerous”.

Supervisors, senior management, and the company

ELECTION 2023

owners were unaware of the brisket cutter being used single-handedly and, until this incident, did not believe it could be used in such a way.

“Alesana was at the very start of his working life when this awful injury was inflicted. It’s unfair for him to have been robbed of the full function of his hand,” says

WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul Budd.

“I echo the Judge’s view that proper training must always be given and the safety aspects explained

Council sentenced for part in slide collapse Fine: $250k

|

Reparation: $100k

|

when workers deal with potentially dangerous equipment such as this.”

Read more about the safe use of machinery

Max Fine: $1.5m

Despite the slide being operated by another party, a council has been sentenced for its part in failing to keep people safe when it collapsed Thames Coromandel District Council authorised JTK Trustee Limited to operate the giant inflatable slide at the Whangamatā Summer Festival in December 2020.

A dozen people, most of whom were children, fell

from heights of up to 12 metres. A father on the slide, Louwan Van Rooyen, broke both his ankles and has required 11 surgeries since.

In August 2022, JTK Trustee Limited was fined $350,000 and ordered to

pay reparations of over $40,000 over the incident.

Now, the council has now been ordered to pay reparation to Mr van Rooyen, for its failure to manage a shared risk.

“Over and above the

operator’s obvious failures, the council plainly failed to do its due diligence on an operator with a poor safety record,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul West.

WorkSafe found JTK safetynews.co.nz 25

ELECTION 2023 applied to the council using an old form which didn’t require confirmation the slide met safety standards. A permit was given three days after JTK applied, without the council doing any of the checks recommended by its own staff.

After the incident expert reports found the slide was electrically unsafe, had air

leaks via holes and seams, and poor anchoring.

“Businesses and organisations that consent and permit events and equipment cannot absolve themselves of responsibility for health and safety when things go wrong. Whānau should have the confidence that public events they attend are being run in a safe man-

ner,” says Paul West.

Slide users can keep safe by looking for the AS 3533 label, which should be prominently displayed on inflatable slides from reputable manufacturers, and can ask the supplier or operator about their practices and how it can be used safely.

Read more about the requirements for land-borne inflatable devices Read the 2022 sentencing of JTK Trustee Ltd Read more about overlapping duties

Company failures leave builder in wheelchair Chunda Limited

Fine: $258,918.92

|

Reparations: $61,464.20

|

Max Fine: $1.5m

JMK Homes Limited

Fine: $175,000

|

Reparations: $46,386.20 |

Max Fine: $1.5m

Two construction companies have been held accountable for a cavalier attitude toward keeping people safe when working at height The lack of planning and implementation of safety measures from both companies left a builder with life-changing injuries after they fell three metres from an unguarded second floor void on a construction site in September 2020, including a broken spine causing paralysis. The victim can no longer work as a builder as a result of their injuries and now requires a wheelchair to move.

The employer, Chunda Limited, and the property developer, JMK Homes Limited, were sentenced 26 safetynews.co.nz

at the North Shore District Court in March with a final decision on fine amounts and reparations delivered on 28 April.

“The injuries the victim suffered were entirely preventable if controls, including edge protection had been in place to address the risks of a fall from height. They are inexpensive, easy to obtain, and easy to set up,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Danielle Henry.

“This was demonstrated in the immediate aftermath of the incident when edge

protection was installed by workers using construction materials available on site.

It was confirmed to WorkSafe this only happened after the incident. This is an indictment on the business and further underlines how avoidable this injury was.”

Chunda Limited had a worrying history around protecting its workers, and WorkSafe had taken a number of enforcement actions against the company since 2017 to influence the company to do better. This included seven prohibition notices, two sustained com-

pliance letters, one directive letter, and two improvement notices.

“WorkSafe had a number of interactions with Chunda Limited, and they were on notice to up their game and keep workers safe. This included providing them with guidance and information related to risk management.

This is why this incident is, in our eyes, unforgiveable and inexcusable given the track record,” says Danielle Henry.

Read WorkSafe’s guidance on working at height

ELECTION 2023

Worksafe cuts could have dire consequences There are concerns working people will bear the brunt of WorkSafe’s proposal for a deep and wide restructuring, taking New Zealand back to the days before the Pike River Mine tragedy

A

Government-commissioned review has found that while WorkSafe is performing its core regulatory functions, work is needed to achieve a sustainable funding model and clarity about the outcomes WorkSafe is delivering to New Zealanders.

WorkSafe agreed to the recommendations in the review and is proposing to disestablish a number of roles and create new ones. While the proposal

is subject to change, the number of WorkSafe staff may reduce by 100-120.

WorkSafe says there is no proposed impact to frontline inspectors and investigators and the intention is to still grow these numbers.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) is gravely concerned about the proposal, President Richard Wagstaff says.

“Reducing WorkSafe’s capacity and capability is the wrong thing to be under-

taking when New Zealand’s poor health and safety record is costing so many lives of working people.”

Between June 2022 and June 2023, 71 New Zealanders died from a result of an injury at work, he says. In addition, estimates suggest that another 750-900 workers die each year from work-related occupational diseases such as asbestosis and cancers.

“More funding is needed right now to ensure Work-

Safe’s valuable mahi can continue to help ensure working New Zealanders can return home safe and healthy from work.”

While the NZCTU agrees with the intention to prioritise maintaining the existing frontline inspectorate numbers, this needs to be understood within the context of an already understaffed resource, and now the frontline inspectorate will operate with even less organisational support. safetynews.co.nz 27

ELECTION 2023 In addition, WorkSafe have an array of core legislative functions which are beyond simply ensuring compliance with minimum standards, such as establishing codes of practice and best practice guidance on how work safely, data analysis and providing research and education, Wagstaff points out.

Following the Pike River Mine tragedy, the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety called for a regulator that had both the mandate and resources to be a visible and effective best practice regulator.

“Reducing WorkSafe’s capacity now risks going back to how things were in the lead up to Pike,” he says.

“These proposed cuts will only make it much harder for New Zealand to make real progress in turning around its poor health and safety record.

“What is really worrying is that National and Act are threatening to make even more cuts at WorkSafe and across the public service.

“When cuts are made to public services, there are real consequences as this exercise at WorkSafe shows. The scale of cuts demanded by National and ACT would have a huge impact on public services New Zealanders rely on – there is no doubt that hospitals, schools, and many other services are at risk.

“You just can’t cut public services and expect better results – WorkSafe’s proposals for restructuring are a clear warning of the consequences of that,” Wagstaff says.

28 safetynews.co.nz

WorkSafe Chief Executive stands down WorkSafe New Zealand Board Chair Jennifer Kerr has announced the resignation of Chief Executive Phil Parkes “Phil has been a strong voice for the need to collectively prioritise health and safety,” says Kerr.

“It has been clear to me in interactions I have had, particularly with system partners, that Phil’s commitment and passionate and articulate advocacy for health and safety is highly respected.”

“Phil has been with WorkSafe for almost nine years and believes the time is right for his next chapter, and for new leadership and thinking for the organisation. I thank him for his service.”

WorkSafe is currently implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Baseline Review. This requires us to streamline our activities and refocus on our core functions.

As part of this process, WorkSafe is consulting with staff on a change proposal. This proposal prioritises our front line and core roles and focuses non-personnel savings over role reductions. When the organisational change has been completed and the recommendations of the Review implemented, WorkSafe will be in a better position to build our investment case for sustainable funding.

Phil Parkes will continue as Chief Executive while the organisation works through the change process and plans to finish up with WorkSafe by the end of 2023.

“It’s been a privilege to have worked with such a dedicated team who are committed to reduce work-related harm across Aotearoa. I acknowledge all WorkSafe kaimahi, and our partners in the health and safety system for their commitment to making a difference.”

“Thanks to the organisations and workers who put people first, and the mahi of talented, dedicated people in WorkSafe, we’ve seen work related fatalities in Aotearoa reduce since 2013. But there is more to do. We all need to keep doing everything we can to improve health, safety and equitable outcomes across Aotearoa.”

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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.

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Chemical incidents now guarantee media attention, often sensationalising the incident by highlighting persons adversely affected by unwanted exposure to chemicals.

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safetynews.co.nz 31

ELECTION 2023

Are you maximising the benefits of your AEP? The Accredited Employer Programme (AEP) can be appealing and costeffective for large employers seeking to lower costs and self-manage injury claims within their workforce, Gallagher Bassett Chief Client Officer Steven Walsh says

F

acilitated by the Accident Compensation Corporate (ACC), this scheme allows large organisations to take control of their ACC levies, actively manage their Health and Safety environment and the total cost of when employees injure themselves at work, often resulting in better outcomes for their injured employees. The AEP enables the organisation to ‘step’ into the shoes of the ACC, but it does come complete with the obligations that ACC has to injured workers. These responsibilities when managing workplace injury management claims require considerable skill, time, knowledge and 32 safetynews.co.nz

resourcing – a limitation for many organisations wishing to leverage the many benefits of participating in the AEP. These limitations can play out in many forms, including; not having a claims team with adequate knowledge of the correct adjudication and legislation to apply which can result in additional claims costs, lack of independence when handling colleagues claims, availability of advanced claims management platforms and best practice, lack of data and analytics when coupled with manual and antiquated processes resulting in excessive administrative costs, not to

mention the advances and best practice in the rehabilitation. These risks are only compounded when staff retention is challenged. To counteract these challenges, part of the ACC’s AEP program allows companies to manage their claims through a third-party claims administrator (TPA).

TPA’s support a variety of government departments and agencies, well-known large New Zealand businesses and self-insured companies with their workplace injury claims, applying their highly skilled people to problem solve those existing AEP challenges and deliver superior claims management and

resolution. We spoke to Steven Walsh, Chief Client Officer, Gallagher Bassett, New Zealand on how the AEP program can be maximised through partnering with a TPA.

First, what are the constraints of using the AEP program?

The AEP program can be ideal for large employers that have the desire and capabilities to take control of their workplace health and safety practices and have a ‘hands on’ involvement to ensure that injured employees are provided with the best possible outcome when injured perform-

ELECTION 2023 ing their duties at work, which, with the impact of COVID-19, now includes those injured when working from home.

Meeting the criteria set by ACC To be eligible to join the ACC’s AEP program, employers must meet various requirements including being able to: • Demonstrate their experience and commitment to effective workplace health and safety • Show their commitment to preventing injuries and providing the support and time for rehabilitation should it be needed • The policies, procedures, and resources for injury prevention, claims management and rehabilitation provide audited financial records that show the business’ financial strength and stability to meet the costs of their employees’ cover and rehabilitation • Pass an on-site audit conducted by an ACC approved auditor Even after your business has been accepted into the program, there are still limitations and obligations to the program that need to be understood before deciding if the AEP program is best suited for you. These include, but aren’t limited to: • Ensuring that you have the right cover plan option for your business. Options include whether the business will assume responsibility for claim management only until the end of the nominated claim management period and the financial liability

•

•

ceases at the end of the claim management period, or will the business assume responsibility for claim management to the end of your claim management period but financial liability remains for the lives of the claims.

Responsibility to the employee is not always capped (but it can be) – if an employee is injured or harmed in a fatal or serious workplace injury, you, as their employer, could be liable for supporting their financial needs for the entirety of the claim. The claim does not expire if your business leaves the AEP program.

Managing your participation in the AEP requires time and dedicated resources. If you do not follow the program, or manage your employees claims accordingly, the cost and time requirements of being part of the AEP program could be greater than your previous levy.

How can a business overcome these challenges?

Navigating the AEP requirements when managing claims can be daunting – which is where TPAs, like Gallagher Bassett, come in to offer support and guidance to your business.

It might seem counter-intuitive to partner with a claims administrator to manage your own people’s claims, but it’s often far more effective (in both costs and time) than managing your AEP internally or simply reverting

to the status quo of having ACC manage your injured employees. When you work with our team, you get access to a group of industry experts who are committed to a career in claims. We can provide claims professionals that are knowledgeable and experts in their field, that are continually instigating best practice in injury management, in an environment where they have development and growth opportunities to build a career at a company where claims are the core of what we do.

This means your employees receive tried and tested end-to-end support. From supporting businesses with their injury prevention strategies, to having dedicated claims managers who know your company’s people, processes and policies like their own, our team partners with yours at every step.

Companies who engage a TPA to overcome these challenges often see better rehabilitation outcomes and reduced return to work timeframes, meaning healthier employees and a healthier bottom line.

Latest changes In July, the Minister for ACC, Peeni Henare announced the Accredited Employer Programme (AEP) consultation outcomes.

The incoming changes are based on the feedback we received from workers, employers, health and safety experts and other interested parties during several rounds of co-design and the public consultation.

These changes are aimed at improving AEP so that it: • puts worker wellbeing at the centre of AEP • achieves better out-

comes by improving the oversight and guidance ACC provides to AEs • incentivises AEs to continually improve their performance.

Through the consultation, the Minister received detailed and considered feedback which helped to shape the final decisions.

A summary of the submissions can be found on the MBIE website.

Summary of consultation submissions Most of the publicly consulted proposed changes will go ahead, with amendments to the proposed health and safety assessment requirements and the full and final settlement for Accredited Employers on the Full Self Cover Plan.

To help us strengthen the programme, we will be refining AEP and providing further opportunities for Accredited Employers and other stakeholders to provide feedback over the coming months.

The new AEP framework will be effective from 1 April 2024. However, during the Levy Year 2024- 2025 Accredited Employers will have time to prepare and make any changes needed to start meeting the new requirements the following year. From 1 April 2025, all new requirements including performance monitoring come into effect.

The public consultation was undertaken by MBIE on behalf of the Minister for ACC and closed on 6 November. Further information on the consultation is available on the MBIE website.

Consultation on proposed changes to ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme

safetynews.co.nz 33

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Was the Covid-19 wage subsidy successful?

Two reports have been released detailing to what extent New Zealand’s Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme preserved employment and supported businesses during the pandemic

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unded by the Ministry of Social Development, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Trust found that the program was good value for money, helping workers and small business owners more than if there had been no support at all.

Their second report also highlights that the subsidy prevented mass layoffs and found no solid evidence that firms did not pass on the subsidy money to their employees.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused substantial disruption in social and economic activity since 34 safetynews.co.nz

March 2020. The New Zealand Government reacted early, introducing stringent lockdowns to restrict the spread of the virus. At the same time, it introduced a series of economic policies designed to support the health response. The largest was the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS).

The WSS was a hightrust policy, giving subsidy payments to firms that expected to have a substantial drop in revenues because of the pandemic. The objectives of the WSS were to: avoid widespread layoffs

help firms maintain employment relationships with their workers maintain workers’ incomes to help meet their essential needs during lockdown periods.

The reports analyse the impacts of the WSS on both firm and worker level economic outcomes, adopting a ‘doubly-robust’ estimation approach that uses propensity score methods both to match subsidy receiving firms to similar non-subsidised firms, and to weight the outcomes analysis. The analysis focuses on the first four WSS-waves: the March

2020 (Original), Extension, Resurgence and March 2021 waves.

First, the reports analyses if the WSS reached the intended people and businesses. For the March 2020 wave, subsidised firms experienced substantially greater revenue declines than unsubsidised firms: the modal reduction in revenue for subsidised firms was about 50%. It also observes larger revenue losses relative to a year earlier for subsidised firms in the Extension and Resurgence waves, but revenue changes for the March 2021 wave are confounded by

ELECTION 2023 the March 2020 effects.

The subsidy payments were tied to firms, so it was less effective in supporting more precarious jobs and workers.

Second, are the effects of the WSS on firm survival and resilience over the short (6 months) and medium (12 months) term.

The reports estimate receiving WSS payments positively affected firm survival rates over the following 12 months for three of the four WSS waves. However, subsidised firms experienced slower subsequent employment growth than non-subsidised firms.

Third, the reports analyse the effects of the wage subsidy scheme on worker level outcomes. It estimates positive effects of WSS receipt on job-retention over both the short term (6-months) and medium term (12-months) for the March 2020, Extension and March 2021 waves; and roughly zero effects for the Resurgence wave. It also finds positive employment effects for workers over the short term for the March 2020, Extension and March 2021 waves, and over the medium term for the March 2020 and Extension waves; and slightly negative effects for the Resurgence wave. However, conditional on being employed, the reports estimate workers who received March 2020 wage subsidy payments experienced slower subsequent monthly earnings growth than comparable non-subsidised workers. The estimates for the later waves are more mixed.

There is no compelling evidence the WSS supported non-viable firms. However, the higher survival rate and lower

employment growth of subsidised firms suggests the WSS may have kept firms with poorer growth prospects in operation.

The reports also find no systematic evidence firms did not comply with

and to a lesser degree the Extension-wave.

The value for money of the WSS was calculated using cost-benefit analysis from a societal perspective, encompassing the New Zealand economy as a

their obligations to pass on subsidy payments to workers and endeavour to pay them at least 80% of their usual earnings.

However, some subsidy receiving firms paid workers at either the parttime or full-time subsidy rate, or at 80% of their prior earnings, during periods of subsidy receipt. This was relatively more likely to occur during the original (March 2020) subsidy wave,

whole. The subsidy was treated as a transfer (from the government into the wider NZ economy) and negative transfers (government money repaid or not spent, i.e.– subsidy repayments and unemployment support avoided) were subtracted from this. As analysis was done from a societal perspective, transfers were included as both a cost and a benefit, but with a

20% deadweight burden of raising tax revenue added to the cost side. The cost of administering the wage subsidy was also included.

The quantified benefits of the wage subsidy were increased output associated with people remaining in employment, and the value of the wellbeing they experienced from avoiding unemployment.

Outcomes were calculated by employment months gained over the short (6 month) and medium (12 month) term. The March 2020 wave had a favourable benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.20 after 6 months and 1.45 after 12 months. The 12-month ratio was 1.14 for the Extension wave, 0.83 for the Resurgence wave, and 1.63 for the March 2021 wave.

The first report concluded that, overall, the Covid-19 wage subsidy represented value for money. It allowed more workers to remain in employment and more sole traders to remain in business, than was predicted would occur without a wage subsidy.

To understand if the effectiveness of the wage subsidy as an intervention remained stable over time, it is recommended an evaluation is done on the August 2021 wage subsidy.

The value for money analysis could only identify direct benefits of the wage subsidy and so was limited to examining microeconomic outcomes.

It is recommended an investigation is done of fiscal interventions to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the New Zealand economy, to determine their effectiveness at a macroeconomic level.

safetynews.co.nz 35

ELECTION 2023

Concerns over complete removal of Covid-19 protections Removing facemask requirements in healthcare facilities and lifting the Covid-19 mandatory seven-day isolation period will put the health system and those with health issues at risk as a new sub-variant emerges, experts fear

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ew Zealanders must hold onto the values of keeping others safe, even when Government policy is no longer aligned with those values, University of Otago Associate Professor Amanda Kvalsvig says.

“People with decision-making power, for example employers, can use that power to maintain workplace safety, ensuring 36 safetynews.co.nz

that unwell workers are able to stay home and recover without infecting their co-workers.

“We can never know who might be further down the chain of infections, and what an infection might mean for them.”

Everyone had the power to make sure that any infection stopped with them, she says.

“One of the reasons

New Zealand’s pandemic response was so effective in 2020 was that New Zealanders were highly motivated to keep themselves and others safe. The Government is now removing all Covid protections, including in healthcare. This is a concerning decision with widespread implications, especially for disabled people, people with longterm health conditions, and

those who care about them.

“Many common respiratory infections spread easily in public settings and a key insight from the pandemic is that these infections can be prevented using simple measures like ensuring good indoor air quality, staying at home when there’s a possibility of being infectious, testing before returning to work in the case of a Covid infection, and

ELECTION 2023 wearing a face mask when visiting a clinic or hospital.”

University of Auckland Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles says the complete removal of Covid-19 protections makes no sense.

“This is the news I’ve been dreading. New Zealand was one of the few countries that still had some Covid protections in place; they’ve helped us get through winter with relatively low case numbers and hospitalisations.

“I really don’t understand how we could remove masking from healthcare settings. That’s the one protection it makes perfect sense to keep forever. With hindsight, you wonder why we haven’t used them more in healthcare settings and aged care facilities, she says.

“It’s also worth noting the health advice is still to isolate if you have Covid-19, though for five days rather than seven. But without isolation being mandated, I wouldn’t be surprised if more employers now start demanding people work when unwell.”

The epidemiologist says we can expect to see higher case numbers, meaning more people will develop long-Covid (about 1 in 5 people according to a recent study from Australia) and more people will experience damage to their brains, hearts, and other organs.

“That will put them at higher risk of developing everything from neurological diseases to heart attacks and strokes in the years to come. This is bad for all of us, but it is especially bad for our more vulnerable/at-risk colleagues, friends, and whānau. We’ve just thrown them under the bus.

“It’s ironic that as we

dismantle these last protections, many experts overseas are pleading for masking to be brought back in healthcare settings to protect the most vulnerable.

That’s because Covid case numbers and hospitalisations are on the rise again, thanks to new variants.”

Eris, a new sub-variant of Omicron, has been clas-

Here in New Zealand, there has been additional stress and strain on the healthcare system, she says, with Covid-19 still causing complications along with seasonal illnesses and workforce issues.

University of Otago Professor Michael Baker says the Government’s move is understandable, but points

sified by the World Health Organisation as a variant of interest.

University of Otago Associate Professor Dianne Sika-Paotonu says it appears to have growth advantages and potential immune escape characteristics and has become the dominant strain in the US, where hospitalisations have been rising.

out Covid-19 remains New Zealand’s leading cause of death from an infectious disease and an important cause of hospitalisation.

He would like to see the Government: • Running a media campaign about the need for self-isolation and mask use in health care settings, • Developing codes of

•

practice in collaboration with employers, unions, education sector organisations, and hospitality venue operators about how they can support these infection control measures, Reviewing infection control in health care facilities including

hospital emergency departments and primary care waiting rooms.

“It is important to remember that Government is still supporting our Covid-19 response with widespread free access to vaccines, antivirals, and RAT tests,” he says.

safetynews.co.nz 37

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Physical threats & abuse widespread in construction A study of psychosocial hazards in New Zealand construction businesses has revealed that workers are being abused and threatened, while health and safety leaders face huge challenges

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he study collected over 30,000 data points from construction businesses around the country and was led by Dr Steve Cantwell of safety software company SaferMe. The work was co-funded

by ACC via its Workplace Injury Prevention innovation programme, and supported

by CHASNZ (Construction Health & Safety NZ) and Civil Contractors NZ. Among the set of six key findings published: – Verbal abuse and physical threats are common – One in four workers avoid reporting injuries – Health & Safety leaders suffer low levels of support, more workplace bullying and poor role clarity SaferMe’s report follows on from the publication 38 safetynews.co.nz

of the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum’s State of a Thriving Nation report, which showed New Zealand’s workplace death rate is double Australia’s, with deaths and injuries costing the country $4.4 billion per year.

“Psychosocial hazards increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries; as well as making workers more likely to be absent or to leave a business. It’s certainly contributing to our abysmal statistics as a nation, and more needs to be done to understand and address psychosocial hazards,” SaferMe founder and CEO Clint van Marrewijk says.

“Our team led by Dr Cantwell has taken a very thorough process to

examine these challenges in construction and other sectors, and we’re now helping businesses to measure these problems and fix them, “ van Marrewijk says.

CHASNZ Chief Executive Officer Chris Alderson says the study could help shape a better future for construction work.

“Robust evidence-based studies such as that undertaken by Dr Cantwell and SaferMe provide the construction industry with valuable insight into how to create a better future for our construction workforce. There are instant and implementable takeaways for construction businesses around the value of fostering collaborative and supportive workplaces as well as reducing known

psychosocial risk factors.”

SaferMe is now focused on helping further industries and individual businesses to measure and address psychosocial hazards in their workplace with its Safety Snap tool, developed with co-funding from ACC. Safety Snap is an evidence-based tool that helps a business understand the psychosocial challenges affecting staff on their worksites in less than one minute per week.

More information on Safety Snap is available at www.safer.me/features/ safety-snap/ Key Findings document is able to be downloaded from this link.

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Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

Why do I need to insulate the concrete slab?

Slab insulation is important not only to save on energy bills for future owners and tenants, but also to improve comfort.

Insulation will reduce heat loss and make the slab easier to heat. It offers a layer of projection against moisture and will provide a thermal mass to regulate temperatures.

If embedded floor heating is incorporated in a concrete slab-on-ground, the slab must be insulated so that heat from the slab is delivered up into the space above and not lost to the exterior and ground below.

A new generation of Expanded Polystyrene Board insulation has arrived

LABX200 is specifically designed to deliver high compressive strength and improve insulation under concrete slabs.

Developed by trusted Kiwi insulation experts EXPOL, this exciting new innovation has quickly become the product of choice for specifiers and others in the construction industry.

Wayne Watson Technical Manager EXPOL doing a visual check of SLABX200 to ensure it meets EXPOL’s high technical specifications.

What makes SLABX200 different?

We chatted to Wayne Watson a Structural EPS and GeoFoam Consultant at EXPOL to see what makes SLABX200 different.

Wayne told us that due to its compressive strength rating of 200Kpa there is no comparable product on the market. He states “SLABX200 is specifically designed for insulating concrete slabs.

It has a rating of 200kpa at 10 percent compression or 20 ton per square meter.

Its high performance specs are designed to give Engineer’s peace of mind so that they can recommend this product with 100 percent confidence”.

The team at EXPOL recognised that there was nothing on the market that offered a cost-effective yet high performance solution to concrete insulation.

So they set about to develop a product with New Zealand residential and commercial projects in mind.

The durable nature of SLABX200 means that it won’t degrade over time, keeping its integrity for the life of the structure.

Due to the lightweight nature of Expanded Polystyrene the product is also easy to handle and install making quick work of slab insulation on site.

How does this product compare to Healthy Homes standards?

The Healthy Homes insulation standards across New Zealand states than underfloor insulation should have an R-Value of 1.3 or

greater.

With several thicknesses available SLABX200 ranges from an R-Value of R 1.5 at 50mm thickness through to an impressive R6.0 at 200mm thickness.

Therefore, all thicknesses offer R-Values over and above the standards to ensure healthy and efficient homes.

How does this product work in my sustainable building project?

The team at EXPOL are committed to the environment. In a true closed loop process 100 percent of manufacturing waste is recycled in their seven recycling plants nationwide.

Expanded Polystyrene offers great eco credentials and at the end of a products life it can be turned into other EXPOL products.

The high performance of the SLABX product also ensures that your building project is sustainable to heat and cool and therefore leading to less energy consumption over the life of the building.

If you’d like to learn more about the SLABX200 product, the team at EXPOL are happy to have a chat. Visit their website on www.expol.co.nz or give the Technical Manager at call on 0800 86 33 73. safetynews.co.nz 39

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Sponsored Article

How BIM Will Impact Your Future Infrastructure Projects

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or nearly 40 years, building information modelling (BIM) has been a mainstay in architecture circles within the industry. But it’s only really gained ground in actual construction over the last two decades. If your company is among these near-future BIM adopters, what impact can you anticipate for your projects?

Financial efficiency with better use of capital project data Having to rely on traditional construction practices involving 2D drawings and decentralised project details can be very limiting. Think of all the data that starts rolling in from day one. And it continues to accumulate when the completed project has been handed over to the owner’s operations and facility management team.

It can be somewhat of a challenge, not to mention overwhelming, to track and understand everything.

Buy that’s where BIM can help. What often makes it stand out is the BIM model’s ability to link directly to all the details associated with each individual element within it, from the smallest nail to the largest volume of concrete. Those include all usable and actionable data, including size, current cost, replacement value, lifespan, warranty information and more. These specific details — or project intelligence 40 safetynews.co.nz

— can be leveraged again and again throughout the project’s construction and beyond from within its own common data environment (CDE).

The key is to enter all that data into the BIM model during the estimate phase so it can serve as an interactive reference going forward. That’s when it becomes the foundation

for data-driven decision making. Based on the model-linked data, the owner, contractors and other stakeholders can evaluate and agree on the most appropriate material and equipment options to invest in for the project based on cost effectiveness, durability and/or repair record, for example.

Optimised design phase efficiency Building your project through BIM before real

construction begins opens up opportunities to experience things you hadn’t been able to with traditional design methods.

For instance, designing a structure through BIM modelling frees you up to experiment with variations on materials, exteriors, door and window placement, layout configurations, and more. You’re able to virtually

walk through a model for a realistic view of the flow, the aesthetics, the space, and even any design mistakes to fix on the spot.

The BIM process also acts like a risk mitigation tool enabling you to discover structural and spatial interferences through automated clash detection.

Catching these early enables you to correct them at the design stage — before they’ve had a chance to be built into the structure, which would set the stage

for change orders for anything from minor alterations to full-on budget-eating rework down the road.

You preserve not only the original cost and schedule estimate, but your profit margin.

Maximising design phase efficiency with BIM means being confident that those choices you make for your future capital projects are cost-efficient with regard to the construction estimate and to future maintenance after handoff.

Interactive data to foster interactive teams Being able to access and interact with all your projects’ constantly updated details at such a granular level is the kind of transparency that sets the stage for better understanding of the build and more effective communication among project teams, including those disciplines that may not normally have had a seat at the design table.

With all the data linked from the model housed in BIM’s CDE, it serves as a central hub where everyone can interact with the wealth of information it contains. Teams can interact with each other — sharing updated models, asking and answering questions, suggesting modification ideas, reviewing solutions to problems oftentimes before they occur.

ELECTION 2023

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The Evolution of

BEING 100% CERTAIN TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD BUILDS Software for Capital Projects Learn more at InEight.com/Being-Certain safetynews.co.nz 41

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earners in Auckland can now book VR formats of the popular Foundation Passport Building Construction and Civil courses. VR courses will be available in Wellington and Christchurch in late 2023.

Virtual reality (VR) training is an innovative, future focused learning format that allows for real life scenarios to be digitally simulated for training purposes, and eliminates the risk of making mistakes.

These VR courses have been designed to provide health and safety training through a virtual onsite experience that accurately simulates hazards and risks present in a real construction environment.

Developed with industry, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and SkillsVR, the Foundation Passport Building Construction and Civil courses set the standard for health and safety training and knowledge in New Zealand’s construction industry.

Compared to traditional classroom learning, VR training is more time efficient, cost effective, and accommodating to people with different learning styles. VR delivers consistent training content and results in high learning outcomes.

Using VR headsets and controllers, learners are fully immersed in their learning, completing interactive tasks such as hazard and risk identification, PPE selection, and identifying how to keep themselves and others healthy and safe in a construction environment.

Learners who complete the one-and-a-half-hour VR course receive a digital 42 safetynews.co.nz

Sponsored Article

Site Safe New Zealand launch VR training courses for New Zealand’s construction industry Health and safety training for New Zealand’s construction industry has levelled up with the launch of Site Safe’s first virtual reality (VR) training courses.

Site Safety Card (valid for two years). The digital card includes a green ‘Foundation’ indicator, showing they have completed the foundational training that allows them to work safely on a New Zealand construction site.

Job seeker Jacob Hedley was the first person to complete the VR Foundation Passport

training course, and in oneand-a-half hours, he gained his digital Site Safety Card and important skills that would help him in his search for a job.

“I was actually blown away, I told my missus, I told my brother-in law, father-in-law, and a friend over in Australia,” said Jacob.

As a key sector currently

facing a skilled labour shortage, the development of VR health and safety training is an innovative way of getting people ready for work in the construction industry.

“By utilising technology such as VR, Site Safe continues to lead in providing innovative and effective ways of delivering workplace health and safety training,” says Site Safe Chief Executive Brett Murray.

“It is important that we are doing all we can to ensure that construction is seen as a safe and attractive sector to work in. Training plays a big part in building the competence and confidence of our workforce to produce good work outcomes,” says Brett.

“As the industry’s leading safety organisation, we are committed to working alongside industry to make sure our training is the gold standard in giving our kaimahi the knowledge they need to stay safe onsite.”

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safetynews.co.nz 43

ELECTION 2023

Safer, faster, multipurpose telehandlers

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The introduction of game changing 360-degree rotating telehandlers looks set to disrupt the infrastructure, civil and construction industries

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he days of needing on site a mobile crane, a boom lift or other types of elevated work platforms, a forklift and an excavator are numbered - one machine can do it all.

Rotating telehandlers may look a lot like their conventional cousins, but they are very different.

Their arrival on New Zealand work sites has completely changed the way project management is planned and the way on44 safetynews.co.nz

site work is completed in a safer and faster manner.

They load material, pick it up, drive to where it’s needed and then unload.

The rotating telehandler can then pick the load, rotate and place the materials where needed.

The concept originated in Europe, where the majority of urban construction sites are very compact and do not allow room for traditional telehandlers.

“Rotating telehandlers have taken North Ameri-

The world’s highest rotating telehandler – RTH6.51 (six-ton lift) has an impressive 51-metre reach (not pictured) ca by storm and over the past 18 months have been attracting a lot of attention in New Zealand,” says APS general manager Darren Boon, agents for Magni, one of the most technologically advanced brands of rotating telehandlers in the world.

“As technology has improved so has the reach and lifting capacity of these

type of machines. On a multi-level construction site, a machine with a five-tonne lift and 26-metre reach would usually have been the standard,” says Boon.

“Now machines are available for bigger projects with heavy lift capability up to 13 tonnes and machines with a reach of 51 metres.”

ELECTION 2023

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Magni recognised early that the biggest trend in the industry is to lift safer, higher and heavier

MAGNI ROTATING TELEHANDLERS - EFFICIENCY

Proven efficiency

Replacing a tower crane with a rotating telehandler.

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n Auckland private building company has purchased a Magni rotating telehandler in favour of hiring a tower crane for the construction of a four storey apartment block in West Auckland.

The rotating telehandler meets most of their lifting requirements for the crane work, with a larger mobile crane only being bought in to lift the heavy pre-cast panels. Having the ability

to easily swap attachments between winch and a set of forks the machine can pick and carry around the building site for more efficient lifting or the unloading of trucks.

All deliveries from the building supplier can be ordered on flat-deck trucks which means quicker delivers and savings of up to $150 per delivery by not waiting for Hiab/crane truck to become available.

MAGNI ROTATING TELEHANDLERS - SAFETY

The safety of the operator and people nearby is paramount The Load Movement Indicator (LMI) system is a load limit device. It is fitted as standard on all Magni telescopic handlers (RTH, TH and HTH ranges). It is made up of a rotation sensor, stabiliser cable reel, lifting cylinder pressure sensors and the LMI safety control board. Together, these components provide the operator with the best real-time load chart. This system continuously analyses the spatial positioning of the load and stores specific load charts for each attachment, displaying the correct load chart based on the machine’s working configuration.

The LMI system constantly monitors the movements of the machine to avoid any type of overload.

If the system detects operating inconsistencies, it interrupts all aggravating movements, allowing only safe maneuvers (boom retraction and load release).

This prevents operator error causing serious injury to themselves and nearby staff.

Every telehandler is equipped with the R.F.ID automatic attachment recognition system on the boom head. Whenever a new attachment is fitted to the machine it is recognised automatically and the display shows the corresponding load chart.

safetynews.co.nz 45

ELECTION 2023

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he Registered Inspector Programme (RIP) is designed to improve the inspection process and quality carried out of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) throughout the country.

Focusing on safety and the certification of MEWPs in accordance with the Australian Standard AS2550:10 and Elevating Work Platform Best Practice Guidelines 2014, EWPA believes its RIP will maintain the industry’s high levels of safety around the inspection of MEWPs. Currently, the New Zealand MEWP inspector market is made up of hire companies, MEWP specialty maintenance and servicing companies, and importers/ distributors/manufacturers.

Typically, these businesses’ MEWP inspection staff are trade-qualified mechanics, auto electricians or hydraulic specialists who are also responsible for other functions in their businesses.

However, there are only a small number of specialist MEWP inspectors, of whom many are not directly employed with a MEWP business.

While these inspectors are highly skilled in their roles, they are only exposed to working on or around MEWPs for a small percentage of their time, EWPA President Rodney Grant says.

Thus, they are limited in their understanding of any advances in technology, innovations and industry-specific safety improvements, he adds.

“We’ve consulted with the industry to get an understanding of where the problems are, which has highlighted for us a number of issues,” Grant says.

“Primarily, the industry has 46 safetynews.co.nz

New Registered Inspector Programme for MEWPs Large variances in the quality of inspections and the abilities of inspectors have driven the Elevating Work Platform Association of New Zealand Inc. (EWPA) to develop a new regime told us they’re concerned by a lack of controls, training, and industry focussed accreditation for inspectors.

“For this reason, RIP was developed to fill the gaps identified and provide a continuing education and training development pathway for inspectors.”

Under RIP, potential inspectors are formally assessed, verified, and moderated to ensure they possess the level of experience and expertise required

to undertake six-month and/or major inspections of MEWPs. Additional and continual education is provided to help improve potential inspectors’ processes through regular auditing.

Grant says this will bring about a pathway for inspector technical development and growth which, in turn, creates an attraction to the industry.

“This is a ‘for industry, by industry’ nationwide

initiative, so who better to maintain the competency of MEWP inspection professionals than the peak body?”

“The more registered inspectors are assessed, verified, and moderated, the safer MEWPs will be in the market.”

“You can feel confident a MEWP inspected by an EWPA Registered Inspector has been inspected to the best level available.”

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ELECTION 2023

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Ensuring adequate respiratory protection It is incumbent on PCBU’s to ensure that workers are not exposed to carcinogens and airborne risks

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orksafe NZ's Clean Air programme was their first targeted intervention on workrelated health. Their goal was to reduce the risk of respiratory ill-health caused by exposure to airborne contaminants in the workplace.

A key part of the programme is to raise awareness and eliminate or control the health risks of silica dust, organic solvents, welding fumes, wood dust, carbon monoxide and agrichemicals.

In New Zealand cancers and respiratory diseases from airborne substances account for at least 31% of total work-related harm and 48 safetynews.co.nz

an estimated 650 deaths per year. They account for 79% of the estimated 750 – 900 people who die annually from work-related health causes - Source: Worksafe NZ. More information here: https://www.worksafe.govt. nz/topic-and-industry/ work-relatedhealth/ carcinogens-and-airbornerisks/ Whether you are an employer who needs respiratory solutions for employees or a welder, plumber, spray painter, asbestos worker, farmer or even a casual carpenter – LUNG PROTECTION IS VITAL! It is incumbent on PCBU’s

to ensure that workers are not exposed to carcinogens and airborne risks. When the hierarchy of controls in risk management have been applied and risks remain, Respiratory Protection Equipment is one of the last lines of defence.

Choosing the correct type of respiratory equipment can be quite confusing, but here are a few simple guidelines to ensure that employers and workplaces make the right decision.

• Get advice from experts.

• Use a reputable supplier.

• Ensure the respiratory equipment complies with AS/NZS1716:2012.

• Use the right filters or opt for an airline system if

necessary.

• Change filters regularly.

• Only use the filters supplied by the manufacturer of the respiratory mask to stay compliant.

• Get “fit tested”. pH7 has the expertise and products to assist companies with their respiratory requirements. Follow pH7’s respiratory “fast facts” articles on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram for more insights.

For end to end solutions, contact us on 0800 323 223, email us at enquiries@ ph7.co.nz or go to www.pH7.co.nz

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ELECTION 2023

safetynews.co.nz 49

aPriL- MaY JUNE - JULY 2022 2023

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KEEPING HOT HANDS COOL, DRY & PRODUCTIVE

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