Industrial Safety News - Jul&Aug 2014

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ANOTHER RESPONSIBLE CARE NEW ZEALAND INITIATIVE

FIRST WORD >> Relationships – comment by Ajay Marwaha

Constructive workplace relationships for health and safety The New Zealand government has undertaken a major upgrade of the health and safety legislation, recognising “Worker Participation” as a key enabler to help alleviate the country’s disappointing national work related injury and death statistics.

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vidence has shown, in almost all situations, improved health and safety and business performance is achieved by building constructive relationships - not just with your workers, but all stakeholders in the supply chain and especially your customers.

Unfortunately, some business owners and managers appear to have had a knee-jerk reaction and do the bare minimum to legally protect themselves ahead of the new health and safety legislation coming into play.

Many are missing the opportunity to put in place effective worker participation systems, and to realise the potential of this as a tool for improving every aspect of business, not only health and safety.

How to build constructive relationships Establishing constructive relationships with workers as part of managing workplace health and safety should not be viewed solely as the job of management.

The essence of any relationship is people, and as such, everyone in an organisation is responsible to mutually agree and develop working relationships.

There are different controls and scale of initiatives to make relationships effective between organisation levels and along the extended value chain (relationships with suppliers, customers, contractors, unions) but the principles to building constructive relationships remain the same.

The manager’s role Management has the responsibility for resource and stakeholder planning, goal setting and defining Best Practice behaviours and outcomes.

This means ensuring: • the right people are involved

• goals and strategy are communicated in a clear and simple way • verbalising the value (soft and hard metrics) to be secured in the relationship • delivering resources to support the relationship holders to define best practice behaviours and outcomes • the skills are available (e.g. health and safety representatives) • adherence to existing standards and safeguards • that outcomes of the relationship result in cost-effective and value generating outcomes • sustainable solutions must define process, metrics and expected stakeholder behaviours • promoting ownership and accountability of relationship holders The worker’s role Workers contribute to constructive relationships through positive engagement, innovation and open challenge.

Workers can best achieve this by: • bringing real examples to the group to explain issues and conflicts • bringing a constructive attitude: participate to improve • challenging their colleagues to get best solutions • recognising everyones ideas together will lead to better solutions • seeking goals and key performance indicators (KPI) when unclear.

A case study by a Swedish group on road safety improvement in large companies showed that working as a group, which results when having constructive relationships, delivered the most effective results.

The detailed study focused on how effective various driver incentives and management actions were in reducing road accidents

and related costs.

It showed that using group discussion techniques (a standard outcome of worker participation systems) delivered the greatest improvement in road safety, whilst other methods resulted in a worse situation or in less than best-case improvement.

For more information see http://rse.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2014/05/Gregerssen-4-Interventions.pdf Characteristics of an organisation which do not have this focus on participation and constructive relationships include staff feeling isolated, workers consistently over-loaded, more conflicts and interpersonal problems.

This in turn results in increased stress and fatigue, which leads to absenteeism, increased grievances and errors of judgement and action.

Effective monitoring Do you have an accurate sense of how well your business is performing in this area?

Workers should see any workplace changes as a result of the changing legislation as the opportunity to share with management all challenges which they face on a day-to-day basis.

Worker participation results in raising their own profile and influencing business in areas where they would not normally have a voice.

It is important however, that workers bring ideas which protect health and safety but also go one step further. These conversations are an opportunity to improve process and efficiency in other areas often with no additional investment required.

Workers should welcome constructive relationships with managers and peers, and make the most of them by promoting open

thinking, sharing challenges and ideas, taking ownership and accountability to resolve.

They will shortly find a raise in profile and ability to influence business in other areas, along with the decreased stress associated with having to hide information or deal with unsatisfactory work conditions.

Why not use the event of a change in health and safety law and its implications on business as an opportunity to introduce and strengthen constructive relationships in your business, as well as along the value chain (suppliers, contractors and customers).

Placing constructive relationships on everyone’s agenda in business, from management to worker level will lead to your business achieving greatest sustainable value.

Business wins with worker engagement leading to innovation and workers win by gaining an ability to influence New Zealand wins in leadership and productivity.

Ajay Marwaha is a director of Success Formula and has comprehensive international experience in optimisation of supply chains, implementation of continuous improvement methodology, standardisation of business process solutions and delivery of strategic goals.

New Zealand’s alarming work related deaths, injuries and diseases • 100 fatalities every year (about two a week) • 700-1000 die prematurely from work related situations causing heart, lung and cancer illnesses • 17,000 - 20,000 occupational injuries resulting in ACC claims (about 12 injuries per 100 workers).

Source: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

www.isn.co.nz

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THIS ISSUE Comment 3 First Word - Worker Participation is a key enabler to help alleviate the country’s disappointing national work related injury and death statistics says Content Partner Ajay Marwaha.

12 Implement a safe culture, where employees are encouraged to report if they are feeling stressed, without fear of retribution or inadequacy says Content Partner Sherridan Cook 26 The Best Practice Guidelines for elevated work platforms have just been given an overhaul. Content Partner Rowan McKenzie reports 27 Understanding Height Safety Standards Compliance by QSI Testing laboratory manager Jason Myburgh 30-31 Content partner Frank O’Connor shows that fatigue management, the bane of the NZ workplace, can be managed successfully 32-33 Responsible Care chief executive and NZI Content Partner Barry Dyer waves the flag on preparation for a chemical emergency.

40-41 Building safety systems do not need to be costly but they do need a serious and organised approach says Content partner Dean Jenkins.

Editor Geoff Picken 0212 507 559 geoff@ mediasolutions.net.nz Sales manager Pam Brown 0274 790 691 pam@mediasolutions.net.nz

45 Michelle Wessing writes about the growing role of Standards New Zealand, the way we stay safe together with others in our charge.

News 6-11 New prototype fire medical vehicle under trial - Big companies join ACC safety programme - CPR app accessible in a heartbeat - New name for infrastructure industry ITO - Ride Forever courses help improve safety - Pleasing progress on forestry safety action - Burning of demolition waste poses health risks Cover Story - Stress 12-20 Content Partner Sherridan Cook urges companies to implement a safe culture, where employees are encouraged to report if they are feeling stressed, without fear of retribution or inadequacy. P12-13 Editor Geoff Picken says stress is the silent and hidden cause of countless workplace accidents, but what exactly is it and what can be done to recognise and solve the problem?

P14-17 Ways for workers to beat workplace worries and winning ways for employers to subdue stressors. Cantabrians still stressed. P18-19 The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program is an evidence-based initiative developed by the Australian Psychological Society P20

July/August – 2014

basins and safety showers P38.

Jetlag glasses, portable hoist and smartphone app for truckers P39.

Sustainable cribbing solution P41.

Light Knight’s proactive lighting system gets the green light from night workers P47.

Management 40-43 Building safety systems do not need to be costly but do need a serious and organised approach says Content partner Dean Jenkins.

Worksafe sets out the tough road ahead to meet government targets at a stakeholders meeting, P42-43

Fatigue management 30-31 A BSSNZ case study shows that Standards 44-45 fatigue management, the bane of New safety standards for electricity, the NZ workplace, can be managed gas and footwear for firefighters successfully P44.

HAZMAT 32-35 The growing role of Standards New Preparation for a chemical emer- Zealand - the way we stay safe and gency should be a priority not an keep others in our charge safe as afterthought. What needs to be well. P45 done P32-33 Last Word – Construction P46 Government moves on asbestos Timely reminders about Site Safe concerns in Christchurch P34-35 passports for safety in the building Health & Safety 36-37 sector Lone workers can be found in SUPPORTERS: many workplace situations, all of Bata New Zealand P9, Charles Parwhich involve separate and distinct sons P48, Electrix (cover), EMA P17, hazards Chapman Tripp P10, Eyepro P11, Products 28-29, 38-39, 41, 47 Honeywell P29, Instep P31, LightHoneywell blazes the trail with in- Knight P47, Oliver Footwear P19, novative offerings p28-29. Enware’s People Centric P5, Quality Safety P27, Red Cross P8, Responsible Care P2, Safety ‘n Action P7, Vertical Horizonz Group P 24 & 25 Onsert: Safety & Apparel

Managing partner Phil Pilbrow 027 564 7778 phil@mediasolutions.net.nz

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Height Safety 21-27 Editor Geoff Picken reports on an alarming new study spotlights the potential dangers of roof anchor and roof sheet combinations P21-23 Vertical Horizonz offers real training that saves lives through advisory, partnerships, training and development P24-25 New guidelines for staying safe with mobile elevated work platforms P26 Understanding Height Safety Standards Compliance P27

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CONTENT PARTNERS

Editor Geoff Picken on stress and its definition (14) and the dangers of roof anchors – 21

Ajay Marwaha advocates worker participation in safety solutions – 3

Sherridan Cook encourages worker safety complaints without retribution – 12

Elizabeth Howells on workplace psychological health measured across key indicators – 20

Rowan McKenzie – new regulations for elevated work platform safety – 26

Frank O’Connor offers solutions for fatigue management woes – 30

Neglecting psychological health and wellbeing in the workplace costs Australian businesses $10.9 billion and New Zealand businesses over $2 billion a year.

What is it costing you?

Barry Dyer reports on often overlooked hazmat planning – 32

Michelle Wessing on the increasing role of Standards New Zealand – 45

Mike Bishara is the publisher of Industrial Safety News

www.isn.co.nz Free access online to an interactive digital edition.

Free access to the industry’s most comprehensive, key word searchable archives in eight key industrial safety categories: PPE, Access, Hazmat, Health, Injury, Management, Environment, Focus.

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VAcciNAte AgAiNst the cost of work stress contact Peoplecentric today to foster employee health and wellbeing while enhancing performance and productivity.

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NEWS

New prototype fire medical vehicle ready and under trial A prototype dual purpose fire and medical response vehicle (FMV) developed by the New Zealand Fire Service and St John is about to start a year of trials to test the concept.

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he prototype is designed for use in rural and remote communities whose brigades provide a medical first response service.

After being put through its paces at the Fire Service National Training Centre in Rotorua this week, it will be trialled by the Diamond Harbour Volunteer Fire Brigade in Canterbury for four months.

Fire Service Chief Executive and National Commander Paul Baxter say the fire medical vehicle is not an ambulance – what it will do is improve the patient experience.

“It will allow firefighters to get patients up off the ground and into a safer, more clinical environment while early treatment is being provided until an ambulance arrives,” Mr Baxter explains. “At the same time, we have developed a vehicle that can provide good fire fighting capability and carry the usual gear needed for rescues and other emergencies.”

During the 12-month trial, the FMV will replace each brigade’s appliance, which will allow everyone to fully assess whether it meets the needs of the communities, the Fire Service and St John.

After its stint with Diamond Harbour, the FMV will be transferred to nearby Little River Brigade before going to the North Island in April for the Tolaga Bay Brigade near Gisborne for a further trial.

The three brigades that have volunteered to trial the prototype are among 37 volunteer brigades around the country who provide the first medical response within their communities.

These brigades are dispatched to a wide variety of medical emergencies, responding because either they are closer to the emergency or there is no ambulance stationed in the community.

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July/August – 2014

The fire and medical response vehicle has a two-person cab at the front, pump and fire equipment in the middle and a clinical space with a stretcher and further crew members in the rear. Photos by David Quinn

“This initiative is a good example of emergency services working together to further benefit New Zealand communities and patient outcomes,” says St John Operations Director Michael Brooke.

“The aim is to improve the emergency medical response in those rural and remote commu-

nities where the Fire Service has a resource that is closer than the nearest ambulance station.”

All firefighters taking part in the trial will receive specific training on the prototype and go through St John training to update or add to their first aid skills.

The FMV took the NZFS three

years to design and build, working in close collaboration with St John.

It has a two-person cab at the front; pump and fire equipment in the middle; and a clinical space with a stretcher and further crew members in the rear.

NEWS

Big companies join ACC safety programme Fonterra Co-operative Group and Smith & Davies Ltd are among the first big Kiwi companies to join a new ACC programme aimed at reducing injuries stemming from heavy vehicle crashes

This is a great initiative that promotes road safety, something we regard as a top priority … we encourage others to get on board to do the same says Fonterra General Manager Central North Island Operations Peter Bird

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he ‘ACC Fleet Saver Programme’ is open to any company with a fleet of five or more trucks, and offers reduced ACC motor vehicle levies as a reward for good road safety practices.

Both companies boast impressive fleets of heavy vehicles: Fonterra’s fleet of tankers transports around 22 billion litres of milk annually on roads up and down New Zealand, while construction and transport company Smith & Davies operates one of the largest vehicle and equipment fleets in the North Island.

ACC’s Head of Insurance Products and Injury Prevention David Simpson says the ACC Fleet Saver programme is all about encouraging members to go beyond compliance and strive for best prac-

tice safety standards, to help make the roads safer for all users.

“The safe driving practices that the programme encourages can also lead to other benefits, such as reduced fuel savings and maintenance costs.”

Fonterra General Manager Central North Island Operations Peter Bird says the Fonterra tanker fleet is proud to be part of the programme and recognised for their performance on the roads.

“This is a great initiative that promotes road safety, something we regard as a top priority,” he maintains. “The gold standard we have recently achieved through Fleet Saver shows our commitment to making our communities safe and we encourage others to get on board to do the same.”

Smith & Davies Group Compli-

The ACC Fleet Saver programme is all about encouraging members to go beyond compliance and strive for best practice safety standards, to help make the roads safer for all users says ACC’s David Simpson

Since implementing the programme, we’ve also seen a significant reduction in idling times, better fuel efficiency across the fleet, and a reduction in both vehicle-related and non-vehiclerelated work injury claims according to Smith & Davies Group Compliance Manager Raywin Head

ance Manager Raywin Head says the programme complements other safety initiatives the company is involved with, and helps its drivers focus on safety at all levels, at all times.

“Since implementing the programme, we’ve also seen a significant reduction in idling times, better fuel efficiency across the fleet, and a reduction in both vehicle-related and non-vehicle-related work injury claims.”

Mr Simpson says it’s pleasing to see such prominent companies among the first intake of members into the ACC Fleet Saver programme. “With big players such as these involved, we hope others will follow in their footsteps.”

Businesses wanting to join the programme are required to complete a self-assessment and

undergo a site audit that assesses performance against seven workplace and two fleet-specific standards. “Depending on their performance, businesses will qualify for bronze, silver or gold status, and receive levy reductions of up to $186 per vehicle.”

Mr Simpson says that trucks don’t crash that often and when they do it’s not always the truck driver’s fault, but because they are bigger and weigh more than other vehicles they’re more likely to cause fatalities and serious injuries if involved in a collision.

“Trucks are expected to get longer, heavier and more numerous on our roads in the future, so this programme is an important part of broader initiatives being taken in New Zealand to make our roads safer.”

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NEWS

New name for infrastructure industry ITO

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he merged industry infrastructure training organisations InfraTrain NZ and ESITO have rebranded as Connexis.

The new organisation combines training qualifications support for civil construction and electricity supply into a new industry training organisation.

The previous organisations legally merged late last year and for the past few months have been combining systems and processes to operate as one organisation.

Part of the establishment of Con-

nexis has been the appointment of a new board of directors (including representation from both civil construction and electricity supply), chaired by Frances Hague and new Chief Executive Helmut Modlik.

Ms Hague says the merger has allowed a combining of training skills and resources in the infrastructure sector with the aim of providing even better service to both people seeking training and the companies they work for. “We now think we have chosen a new name that is both modern and dy-

namic and which is reflective of our organisation.

She adds that it is an exciting time in New Zealand across all the infrastructure industries which need to support a growing national economy. “We believe the new Connexis brand and our organisation provides us with the necessary framework and critical mass to help deliver this,” Ms Hague says.

“As we continue to build Connexis, our aim is to work with the industry to help provide skill capacity and capability development to

CPR app accessible in a heartbeat

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very day more than nine New Zealanders suffer a cardiac arrest but only 10 per cent of these people will survive.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the rest of the body and brain, and can be the difference between life and death.

St John wants everyone to have immediate access to these fun-

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July/August – 2014

damental lifesaving skills with its new CPR app, which is available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone handsets.

“CPR is simple to do but in the heat of the moment it’s easy for your mind to go blank and that’s where this app will be a vital prompt and guide,” says St John Medical Director Tony Smith.

This innovative and lifesaving app

is available FREE from the iTunes store, Google Play or WindowsPhone.com.

The St John CPR app is compatible with any iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS 6 and above, devices running Android 4 and above, and Window Phone 8 handsets. It can also be installed on iPads but not all features are supported.

Connexis chairwoman Francis Hague add value across the infrastructure sector.”

Connexis has offices in Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and Auckland, with other field staff working from satellite offices throughout New Zealand.

NEWS

Ride Forever courses help improve safety says ACC

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CC is encouraging motorcyclists to take advantage of subsidised ‘Ride Forever’ training courses this winter.

“Whether you’re a regular rider during winter, or you tend to leave your bike in the garage when the weather’s at its worst, now’s the perfect time to take your riding skills to

the next level,” says ACC’s Head of Insurance Products and Injury Prevention David Simpson.

He says a Ride Forever course can help riders be better prepared for the more dangerous riding conditions typical of winter. “Or you can use this time to check and improve your skills, so you can make the most

Ride Forever caters for everyone from learners looking to get to the next level, right up to elite riders, who can have a course tailored to their specific needs.

of those long summer rides that lie ahead.”

Mr Simpson says Ride Forever training is available across New Zealand and there are courses for all levels of riding ability. “Ride Forever caters for everyone from learners looking to get to the next level, right up to elite riders, who can have a course

tailored to their specific needs.”

Because the courses are subsidised

by ACC, they only cost $20 for beginner or ‘bronze’ level motorcyclists, or $50 for the silver and gold level courses aimed at more experienced to elite motorcyclists.

Ride Forever training is delivered

by New Zealand Transport agency approved instructors and can be booked online via the Ride Forever website www.rideforever.co.nz.

All courses have a maximum of six participants whose training begins with a short theory session, but 70 percent of the training takes place out on the road, in real riding situations.

Last year, ACC received around 3500 new claims from motorcyclists injured on the road.

“Because motorcyclists don’t have a tin can around them, as car drivers do, they’re particularly susceptible to serious injuries in a crash,” Mr Simpson adds. “So anything you can do to improve your skills and avoid a crash has got to be worth it.”

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NEWS

Pleasing progress on forestry safety action The number of serious injuries reported in forestry in the first five months of this year has dropped by nearly half compared with last year, Labour Minister Simon Bridges says.

The significant decline in reported serious injuries is encouraging but there is a long way to go to get this industry into safety-first mode according to Labour Minister Simon Bridges

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orkSafe New Zealand figures show 46 serious injuries had been reported this year up to the end of May, compared with 82 in the same period last year. This year’s figures are substantially below the six year rolling average for the same period of 77.

“This is positive news and indicates the work the whole industry – the regulator, the forestry companies, the contractors and the workers – has been doing is paying off, but this is not a time to celebrate,” Mr Bridges maintains. “I remain concerned that WorkSafe New Zealand is continuing to find very serious levels of non-compliance in the industry.”

During the recently completed proactive ‘breaking out’ assessment programme, inspectors made

It is clear that there will need to be a multi-layered approach to improving the outcomes for workers on the forest block, says Independent Forestry Safety Review panel member Hazel Armstrong 222 visits and issued 299 enforcements including 25 prohibition notices.

The latest figures from WorkSafe’s new proactive ‘tree felling’ assessment programme show inspectors visited an additional 224 tree felling operations and issued 235 enforcement notices, including 36 prohibition notices which shut down part or all of a felling operation.

WorkSafe NZ also visited 32 forest owners and companies to determine their compliance with their duties as principals, and will hold further discussions with the owners and managers to get greater clarity on the link between their actions and the continuing levels of non-compliance at the bush line.

“These latest figures must lead the whole industry to re-double

its efforts to put the safety of its workers first,” Mr Bridges says.

“The significant decline in reported serious injuries is encouraging but there is a long way to go to get this industry into safety-first mode.”

He is looking forward to the results of the Independent Forestry Safety Review, which will be released later this year. “The government will seriously consider the panel’s recommendations as part of the overall efforts to bring down the unacceptable level of harm and death in forestry,” Mr Bridges promises.

His comments follow the recent release of the Independent Forestry Safety Review Panel’s public consultation document, which is broken down into three, overlapping areas: • the organisation of the forestry sector including oversight of health and safety responsibilities • people working on the forest block and how they are supported to work safely • the design of the forest block and the machines and equipment used in forestry.

Panel Chair George Adams says the panel wants to get all the issues on the table, even those that are well known. “It is important for people to tell the Panel if we have missed something in our summary of the issues that is essential to improving safety,” he adds. We also want people to tell us what they think about the options for change the Panel has proposed.”

Fellow panel member Hazel Arm-

strong adds that there is a need to look beyond the obvious issues to the underlying issues impacting workplace health and safety. “And, it is clear that there will need to be a multi-layered approach to improving the outcomes for workers on the forest block.”

The need for the review was highlighted by the fact that there was a forecast growth of 30 percent in plantation forest harvesting in future years. “If we don’t do something about the injuries and fatalities now, there is a real risk things will get worse,” Ms Armstrong maintains. “This is a worrying prospective – something must be done.”

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NEWS

Burning of demolition waste poses health risks A University of Canterbury environmental chemist has appealed to building contractors and homeowners to stop burning building materials rather than disposing of them safely

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iven the scale of the rebuild and the number of houses being repaired in Christchurch it is important that building materials are disposed of safely to prevent communities from being unnecessarily exposed to airborne toxic substances.

Building materials from demolishing or renovating earthquake-damaged houses must not be burnt as materials can release a range of toxic substances including lead and arsenic, Dr Sally Gaw says.

“Lead is a neurotoxin and young children are particularly at risk if timber painted with lead-based paint is burnt,” she says. “Houses built in New Zealand before 1980 would have been painted with lead-based paints.”

Dr Gaw explains that inhaling ar-

senic can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and increases the chance of lung cancer developing. “A mixture containing copper, chromium and arsenic (CCA) is used to treat timber that is likely to be exposed to moisture or placed in the ground.”

CCA treated timber is used for decks, fences and external structures while other treatments such as boron or light organic solvents may be used for house framing and cladding.

Increased air concentrations of arsenic have been measured in New Zealand towns and cities over winter indicating that people are burning treated timber despite the activity being a significant health hazard.

“The burning of treated and

painted timber and other demolition waste including plastics is illegal under the regional rules for air quality and people can be prosecuted,” Dr Gaw warns. “This includes both outdoor burning and domestic wood burners.”

The burning of plastics and especially plastic-coated wire can produce dioxins, she adds. “The burning of plastic coated wiring has been banned in New Zealand under the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality introduced in 2004.”

The toxic substances released by burning building waste are inhaled by people working or living nearby, exposing them to significant health hazards. “Ash from burning waste building materials will be contaminated and must not be disposed

Toxic substances released by burning building waste are inhaled by people working or living nearby, exposing them to significant health hazards says environmental chemist Dr Sally Gaw of in gardens as it will contaminate the soil,” Dr Gaw advises. “Children and pets could be poisoned if they were to eat ash left over from burning building materials as toxic substances can be concentrated in ash.”

Given the scale of the rebuild and the number of houses being repaired in Christchurch it is important that building materials are disposed of safely to prevent communities from being unnecessarily exposed to airborne toxic substances. “The types of building materials that must not be burnt include plastics, PVC weatherboards and pipes, Formica, particle board and treated, painted or coated timbers,’’ Dr Gaw says.

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FOCUS >> Stress – the law by Sherridan Cook

Keep calm and carry on – safely What impact will the proposed health and safety reforms have on workplace stress?

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veryone experiences stress at different times during their career. While a bit of pressure may lead many of us to perform well, ongoing and overbearing workplace stress can be harmful not only to the employee, but also to the wider business.

The current health and safety reforms will result in a better resourced regulator and personal liability for directors and senior managers. This, combined with the rapidly evolving workplaces that we see today, will mean that employers will need to keep an especially vigilant eye on their workers’ wellbeing with a resulting positive impact on workplace stress.

What is stress in the workplace?

The effects of stress are recognised in two ways. Stress may occur as a result of hazards in the workplace and stress itself may cause hazards. A number of factors can cause stress, including negative work relationships (internally or with external parties such as clients), difficult timing (such as long hours or shift work), pressures of the role or issues with tasks (including limited training or feedback and lack of variety or control).

WorkSafe NZ suggests that symptoms of a stressful workplace include low morale, high staff absenteeism or turnover, customer complaints, loss of business and low productivity. Individual reactions to stress vary but common complaints include headaches, raised blood pressure, anxiety, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

Current regime Where an employee considers that he/she has suffered from workplace stress, a number of legal options have long been available. The most common fall under the Employment Relations Act 2000 and include personal grievances for unjustified disadvantage, breach of contract and constructive dismissal. Other civil

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Implement a safe culture, where employees are encouraged to report if they are feeling stressed, without fear of retribution or inadequacy. claims exist for breach of common law and statutory duties to provide a safe system of work.

An employee may also pursue a private prosecution against their employer under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (“HSEA”), or the employer may be prosecuted by WorkSafe NZ. Since 2003, the HSEA has defined “harm” as including “physical or mental harm caused by work-related stress”. One of the objects of the Act is to comprehensively define hazards as potential causes of harm so that all are covered, including harm caused by work-related stress.

However, many employers have not given work-related stress the attention it deserves. That will need to change once the proposed health and safety reforms come into law.

Health and safety reform The much anticipated Health and Safety at Work Act is expected to come into force in April 2015. Key changes include expanded responsibilities for workplace health and safety, with increasing personal responsibility and liability for directors and senior management, increasing worker participation and increased penalties for breaches.

The “performance-based” principles underlying the HSEA remain unchanged but they are intended to be implemented more effectively.

In regards to workplace stress, the Health and Safety Reform Bill (“Bill”) includes a new definition of “hazard” to mean “a situation or thing that has the potential to cause death, injury, or illness to a person”. A person’s behaviour will also be a hazard where it has the potential to cause death, injury or

illness to a person (whether or not that behaviour results from physical or mental fatigue, drugs, alcohol, traumatic shock or another temporary condition). The Bill also includes a definition of “health” as including “mental health”. Therefore, while the term “workplace stress” is not explicitly provided for, it is included in the wider definition of hazard and will remain important under the new Act. Duties A duty holder will be a “person conducting a business or undertaking” (“PCBU”). The primary duty of care will be to ensure, so far as is “reasonably practicable”, the health and safety of workers and others affected by the work.

If a PCBU has a duty or an obligation under the proposed Act, an “officer” of the PCBU must exercise

“due diligence” to ensure that the PCBU complies with that duty or obligation. Directors/partners and the CEO will be “officers” together with, most likely, other senior managers as the definition currently includes “any other person who makes decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of the business of the PCBU”.

The due diligence obligation is wide-ranging and, in essence, will mean that directors/partners and senior managers must be personally satisfied that the PCBU is meeting its health and safety obligations, including personal knowledge of the hazards and risks facing the business, and that appropriate resources and processes for eliminating or minimising them are in place.

A failure to meet the obligation will expose the officer to a risk of being personally convicted of a criminal office, which carries significant potential penalties (see further below).

While personal liability is intended to motivate Boards and senior managers to more comprehensively address workplace safety, the flipside will likely be a significant positive impact on the early identification and management of workplace stress.

Offences A tiered penalty regime is proposed, which significantly increases maximum liability levels.

The regime categories are reckless conduct, a duty failure exposing serious risk, and a failure to comply with a duty.

The most serious (reckless conduct) has a maximum penalty of $3,000,000 for a body corporate, and $600,000 or five years imprisonment (or both) for individuals, including officers. The officer must have had conscious foresight of a dangerous consequence, and an intention to continue the course of conduct regardless of the risk.

Therefore, officers may be personally liable for the maximum penalty if they are alerted to, but choose to ignore, someone suffering extreme stress attributable to the workplace.

Worker engagement, participation and representation Workers will continue to be obliged to take reasonable care of their own and others’ safety while at work but employers will need to more actively engage with them on health and safety decisions, including on decisions regarding stress in the workplace.

Worker participation practices will be mandatory (under the HSEA, they are only required for workplaces with 30 or more employees or where requested by a worker or union). In addition, health and safety representative(s) must be elected at the request of a worker or if initiated by the PCBU,

Recommended actions To ensure compliance with the proposed new legislation and to foster a healthy workplace free from undue stress, employers should: • Ensure there is a health and safety charter or strategy and policies in place, which include workplace stress issues.

• Ensure that those primarily responsible for health and safety in the organisation are well-trained and up to date on the latest thinking on workplace stress.

• Include workplace stress as an agenda item on health and safety committee meetings and meaningfully discuss the issue.

and a health and safety committee must be established if requested by a health and safety representative, five or more workers or if initiated by the PCBU. Workers will also be able to take action if managers do not address reported workplace stress.

The Bill allows health and safety representatives to issue provisional improvement notices where they reasonably believe that there is, or is likely to be, a contravention of the Bill or regulations.

Further, workers are able to cease unsafe work, and health and safety representatives will be able to direct them to do so.

Officers should be alive to these issues and the increased transparency under the Bill, as judges will be able to issue adverse publicity orders that will allow the “naming and shaming” of those who do not comply with their duties.

• Discuss health and safety at Board meetings.

• Set up and implement an appropriate health and safety system, which includes the early identification of workplace stress and proactive management of it. Guidance on what one looks like can be found in the Good Governance Practices Guideline for Managing Health and Safety Risks and on the WorkSafe NZ website.

• Implement a “safe” culture, where employees are encouraged to report if they are feeling stressed, without fear of retribution or inadequacy. This should be part of the health and safety system, and communication can be directly with the employer, a worker representative or through any union. Seek comment from employees and take reports of stress at face value. Ensure that

concerns are documented and acted upon. Often, an employee will report stress to a manager but no further action is taken. Encourage employees to speak up if they are feeling stressed. They are under an obligation to communicate this to their employer.

• Include workplace stress on the hazard register. Consider and communicate options to help minimise it, such as decreasing workload, transferring roles, altering task allocation or changing reporting lines.

• Look for signs of workplace stress in reports to the Board and keep an eye on and monitor stress “indicators”. Stress may be able to be identified through employment-related claims against the employer, ACC claims, sick leave, medical reports, anecdotes, interviews with staff or culture surveys. Other indicators include measures of employee hours or calls to EAP services. For instance, if certain employees are working long or unusual hours, be sure to acknowledge this and offer them support.

• Provide training on stress and techniques for dealing with it to employees and managers. This could be through an external provider, EAP services or using the resources on the WorkSafe NZ website.

• Know the business. Both employers and employees should appreciate the stressful circumstances in which it may operate.

The key to the proposed changes is that officers must be personally satisfied with the workplace’s approach to health and safety. If they are, then it is likely that they will be meeting their obligations under the proposed Act. Sherridan Cook is employment partner at Buddle Findlay, one of New Zealand’s leading commercial law and public law firms with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

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FOCUS>>Stress

Taking the strain out of the workplace Stress is the silent and hidden cause of countless workplace accidents, but what exactly is it and what can be done to recognise and solve the problem?

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recent international survey by workplace provider firm Regus found 60 percent of New Zealand respondents were seeing more stress-related illnesses at work such as headaches and panic attacks.

A third said they were having difficulty sleeping because of work worries, a quarter were worried about losing their jobs, forty-three percent said family and friends had noticed they were stressed by work, and nearly two-thirds thought flexible work practices would help.

Alarming statistics to be sure, but the global study of 1000 corporations across 15 countries found that New Zealand is not alone as levels of workplace stress have risen alarmingly worldwide over the last two years.

The survey found six in 10 workers in significant global economies

experienced increased stress on the job, with China’s massive 86 percent leap earning it the dubious distinction of the country with the highest rise in workplace stress.

Workers in larger companies employing more than 1000 workers were nearly twice as likely to suffer from stress, but regardless of the size of the organisation the problem was costing billions of dollars worldwide in lost productivity and health-related issues.

Stress is therefore clearly an issue that’s not going to go away – and in fact looks set to assume an even larger profile in future with the Health and Safety Reform Bill due to come into force on April 1 next year imposing new requirements and conditions on both management and workers. Unfortunately, there are no clear definitions of workplace stress, which varies

from person to person - one worker’s looming deadline pressure is another’s incentive to perform.

Nor are there any firm figures of actual New Zealand workers suffering from stress and associated conditions such as fatigue, other than the largely anecdotal evidence quoted in the Regus study.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) simply doesn’t recognise stress as a workplace injury, charged as it is with compensating for physical rather than psychological traumas.

ACC baldly states: “Non-physical stress is any mental or emotional reaction caused by social, interpersonal or organisational factors placing the person beyond their capacity to cope. Non-physical stress cannot be considered a gradual process, disease or infection on its own and is not covered

by ACC.”

Key conclusions The corporation is standing on solid ground, given that stress levels vary from individual to individual: a looming deadline is an incentive to perform for one person but a source of strain and tension to another.

However, the negative ramifications of workplace stress were confirmed by a landmark Otago University study in 2007 which found that 14 percent of women and 10 percent of men who were stressed at work suffered depression or anxiety when aged 32 – despite never having had the conditions before.

Women who reported high levels of psychological job demands such as long hours, pressure or lack of clear direction were 75 percent more likely to suffer from clinical depression or general anxiety disorder than women who reported the

There are no clear definitions of workplace stress, which varies from person to person - one worker’s deadline pressure is another’s incentive to perform.

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Stress is a worker health and safety issue and a health and safety employment issue

lowest levels.

The first study to establish the association between work stress, depression and anxiety independent of other factors such as personality type and socioeconomic status also found that men with high levels of work stress factors were 80 percent more likely to be depressed or anxious than those with the lowest levels.

The most toxic factor is high psychological demands, says the author of the long-term study of

nearly 900 people the university has been following since they were born in 1972-73.

“That can be present in multiple professions – it applies across the board,” says Professor Richie Poulton.

Workplace stress can therefore be viewed as a major contributor to the number and cost of workplace injuries that saw the ACC report 178,141 new claims for workplace injuries in 2012/2013 that cost NZ$2.6 billion and the Ministry of

Business, Industry and Employment estimate a $3.5 billion annual cost of work-related injury and disease in 2012 alone.

These costs are manifested in a variety of evident ways, including: • absenteeism • reduced productivity • poor staff performance • low morale • accidents • reduced efficiency • poor quality control.

The Council of Trade Unions

(CTU) maintains that all these conditions and associated costs are the inevitable result of low pay, uncertainty of work, high staff churn and long working hours.

There clearly are definitions of work-related stress, claims CTU Policy Analyst/Programme Organiser Eileen Brown.

“For us, stress is a worker health and safety issue and a health and safety employment issue,” she insists.

Continued on page 16

Ways for workers to beat workplace worries

Workplace stress may be a fact of life, but these top 10 tips will help take the strain from the work day.

Laugh Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine, so share a joke with colleagues or do something to make you laugh out loud every now and then.

Exercise Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health, wellbeing and stress levels, so get out of the office at lunchtime and get some exercise – even if it’s just a short walk it will still help stifle the stress.

Try stress-relieving techniques Yoga, meditation, essential oils, massage or keeping a stress

ball in your desk drawer will help relieve tension.

Take care of your physical health Your physical health should always be your number one priority: if you’re not in shape physically, it will affect all areas of your life – including your performance at work and your ability to tolerate stress.

Take a holiday The statutory four weeks annual leave is there to provide you with much-needed R&R so make sure you make the most of it.

Get more sleep Without the eight hours of uninterrupted sleep most people need each night you could end up running on adrenaline and depending on caffeine and sugar to keep you alert – all bad for stress levels.

Limit the overtime Work smarter not harder – stick to your normal working hours to improve your work/life balance and give you time to wind down after a busy day.

Make the most of the weekend Switch off from work, do what you enjoy doing and watch the

work stress dissolve.

Create a pleasant work environment Make sure your desk has a little bit of “you” to remind you of your life and loves outside of the office. Include photos, postcards, flowers, pot plants and any other knick-knacks to brighten up your work space.

Look for a new job If all else fails and you’re still feeling stressed, it could be time to look for pastures new. Finding a new job could boost your confidence and banish stress once and for all.

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FOCUS>>Stress

Continued from page 15 Invisible enemy She believes stress is “different and challenging” issue because of its unseen nature. “It can’t be seen in the same way as physical injury but it is a very significant issue in employment now and that’s why we have to have a framework to deal with it.”

The CTU is therefore seeking to have work-related stress included in the new Health and Safety Reform Bill that is currently before Parliament. “Presently there is no specific inclusion of physical or mental harm caused by work-related stress and we think that should be changed,” Ms Brown maintains.

This would, of course, require a legal definition of work-related stress that is currently lacking but which Ms Brown believes can be easily provided. “It’s a mental or emotional reaction caused by the environment in which a person is working that is beyond their capacity to deal with.”

The irony is that ACC does in fact accept work-related stress as a con-

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dition in certain circumstances – if, for example, a train driver who witnesses a suicide experiences severe stress and has post-traumatic stress disorder he or she may be covered.

“But if it’s a situation where the stress is cumulative there isn’t cover, which makes it a more challenging issue – it’s a gradual process leading to, for some people, an emotional collapse,” Ms Brown adds.

Her observations are backed by banking sector research in 2013 which found that women in banks were experiencing high levels of stress because of pressure to reach sales targets. “People talked about the stress being demotivating, demoralising and affecting their self-esteem.”

A raft of other research that she says backs the CTU’s contentions includes a survey of women in the public sector that found the major stress was abusive or intimidating behaviour from other staff, secondary school teachers’ stressed by the risk of violence or threatened violence and nurses suffering strains

from lack of staff and work load issues.

There are therefore different stressors in different workplace sectors and a real link between physical and mental stress and accidents, Ms Brown believes. “The ACC has identified six or seven sectors where they have concerns and are focusing on providing greater health and safety training– one of which is road transport, where the stress is drivers working long hours and having accidents as a result,” she says. “That’s the relationship between physical incidents and mental stress, which I think is important to acknowledge.”

CTU research has also identified insecure work as a “significant stressor “ to many thousands of workers worried about uncertain, no control over their work environment, fluctuating pay and lack of recognition.

Training trainers The council is taking positive action to alleviate these problems,

providing training to some 31,000 health and safety reps to give them an understanding of the Act, how to identify a hazard and how to involve workers to identify hazards.

“Broader than that is actually policy approaches that highlight the fact that work-related stress is a current and live issue and a phenomenon of our time,” Ms Brown adds.

The CTU advocates for workplace stress programmes and education such as the MBIE guidelines on workplace bullying, where it was involved in the production. “That highlights the issue and gets it on the radar, so those initiatives are really important,” Ms Brown believes.

Other important elements are the external stressors that are more difficult to identify such as the Novopay debacle, school closures in Christchurch and the budget cuts that have put additional strain on the public sector.

Continued on page 18

Winning ways for employers to subdue stressors

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rimary, secondary, and tertiary prevention methods exist to eliminate, isolate, or minimise workplace stressors, WorkSafe NZ advises.

Primary prevention involves creating a healthy place of work and identifying and controlling stressors so that the work is interesting, rewarding and paced within the person’s capabilities (i.e. elimination of the hazard where that is possible).

Secondary prevention concentrates on improving the fit between the person and the job by selection, on the job training, performance feedback and monitoring of problems (i.e. isolation of the hazard to adequately trained and equipped personnel).

Tertiary prevention is concerned with helping the person experiencing stress or harm that may have resulted from it (also called stress management).

The approach used will depend on the resources availa-

ble, the category the work falls into and what the employer is aiming to achieve.

Employees from all levels of the organisation should be involved in the development of solutions that are specific to each workplace, as all staff have a part to play in managing and preventing workplace stressors.

Prevention methods Primary prevention (elimination of work organisation stressors) focuses on identifying and removing stressors in the workplace and creating a healthy place of work.

Examples are: • designing work so it is safe and healthy • creating flexible, balanced work schedules • providing family-friendly work (e.g. flexible hours, assistance/ leeway in times of emergency) • hazard identification – having systems for detecting the

presence of stressors – either by hazard ID methods or the ability for employees to report stress • avoiding isolation and crowding in the workplace • providing physical barriers to deter violence (e.g. in banks).

Secondary prevention focuses on improving the ‘goodness of fit’ between people and tasks.

Examples are: • providing needed training • providing any needed mentoring and supporting for the person in the skills required for the job • providing performance feedback • assessing the workload – ability match • moving the person to a more suitable job • using best-practice personnel selection procedures.

Tertiary prevention focuses on helping the person who is regularly exposed to stressors and/or who is suffering the effects of stress or harm related to stress – this is also called ‘stress management’.

Examples are: • controlling the timing and duration of the exposure to stressors • inducting/training employees into ways of dealing with shiftwork (and perhaps including partners) • training in dealing with the demands posed by the work: this should be directed at helping the person achieve the required results rather than on how to deal with the effects of not coping (e.g. training in how to identify the levels of threat posed by aggressive customers and how to respond to each different level is more effective than training in how to deal with the effects of customer aggression) • training in time management, priority setting, and clarifying goals • providing practical assistance for specific personal issues • temporary reduction of workloads • making short personal exercise programmes a reality (e.g. is there enough time for a short run at lunchtime?)

• appropriate management after a traumatic incident • promoting employee involvement • providing contact details for centres that can assist staff.

WorkSafe NZ notes that evidence suggests that stress management by itself produces only short-term improvements in self-reported well-being and no effects on job satisfaction.

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FOCUS>>Stress Continued from page 16 A gradual build up of stresses such as these can result in people leaving the workforce, with a resulting loss to the economy.

“We’re saying therefore that workplace stress is a health and safety issue and its unseen nature doesn’t mean to say it can be ignored – it’s ignored at huge cost.”

To that end, the CTU is currently concentrating its efforts on the forthcoming Health and Safety Bill.

“The disastrous events of the last few years have actually warranted the need for a huge improvement in what we’re doing in health and safety so we hope that the bill will provide a much better environment for health and safety in the workplace – and that must include the impact of stress,” Ms Brown insists.

The CTU believes that workplace stress should be covered by the ACC but concedes that’s going to be resisted by the corporation.

“We have to recognise that stress is a silent killer and say that what is unacceptable stress and what is the employer’s responsibility.”

The new health and safety regulations will place greater onus on employers to ensure that the workers are working in a healthy and safe environment, with much tighter protections and much firmer obligations on employers. “The bill, although it hasn’t met our expectations, will also contain measures regarding employee involvement,” Ms Brown believes. “Stress will therefore be identified as a health and safety issue.”

Definition disputed Perhaps needless to say, the CTU view of workplace stress is rejected by Paul Jarvie, manager of occupational health and safety for the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA). “It’s a very big topic and even the title workplace stress is very misleading,”

he maintains. “There is no medical condition called stress – it’s a feeling.”

The EMA ran a “huge number” of roadshows for its 8,000 members when the issue first surfaced in 2003 and helped them identify what stress is and isn’t. “We essentially said that if someone puts their hand up and says they’re not coping with certain issues then be very proactive,” Mr Jarvie explains.

“Like any other employment issue, do your homework, find out what the problem is and fix the problem – not the symptoms.”

The other question the EMA had to deal with was GPs who may or may not write on medical certificates that a person is stressed and therefore can’t work. “We’re quite thankful for the advice given by the Medical Association, where they state in information to GPs that they shouldn’t put stress on their medical certificates because it’s unhelpful to employers.”

Cantabrians still feeling stressed and strained

Three years might have passed but many Cantabrians are more tired and stressed than ever in the aftermath of their city’s devastating earthquake, new research reveals.

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he study shows Christchurch city residents are more likely to feel tired or overwhelmed in 2014 compared to 2012, less than half of the 800 residents interviewed reported regularly sleeping well and 65 percent said they felt tired, a 10 percent increase on two years ago.

The levels of stress, tiredness and frustration were highest among

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those residents who had not had their property claims settled, according to the findings by Canterbury mental health project All Right?

Project manager Sue Turner says the results make sobering reading. “While there is positive data, it’s clear large numbers of Cantabrians are still finding life difficult due to the earthquakes and related stressors,” she says. “Many are still struggling to come to terms with all that has happened, most of us are still grieving for what we’ve lost and fatigue is really starting to set in.”

The results indicate no shift in 2012 figures showing over three-quarters of Christchurch residents believed that authorities were focused on the wrong priorities: more than half of residents interviewed still felt angry about the decisions being made by the authorities.

However, there were some positives with results showing fewer residents were now worrying about another big earthquake happening. Residents were less likely to feel angry than in 2012, and were less concerned about job security and financial problems.

The results in with international research, which shows that recovering from a disaster emotionally can take between five and 10 years. “We also know that Cantabrians have had it extra hard with the large number of earthquakes and the lengthy recovery,” Ms Turner adds. “It is no wonder the fatigue factor is so high.”

The government-funded service advises residents to remember the small things they can do, like taking a walk in the park, that can improve wellbeing. “Those little things may seem unimportant, but they’re actually what make life worth living,” the project’s public health specialist Lucy D’Aeth says.

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Some doctors will identify stress/ depression/anxiety where the triggers are related to the work situation, but overall Mr Jarvie thinks there has been a huge move towards seeing stress and related problems as concerns that need to be handled proactively and carefully. “We aren’t hearing of any great number of workplace stress issues – I think that’s been taken over by the new language and concept of harassment and bullying, which can be seen as stress,” he says.

The EMA is currently running a series of seminars on harassment and bullying following the publication earlier this year by WorkSafe NZ and MBIE. “We’re taking it seriously and trying to be proactive,” Mr Jarvie says.

He concedes that the EMA still holds seminars on how to manage workplace stress as well as providing resilience training. “But we don’t try and create a market where there is no market,” Mr Jarvie insists. “We’re not trying to, nor should we, make this bigger than it

really is – while it’s not pushing it down, it’s treating it in an objective way rather than being subjective.”

The stress and resilience workshops are demand driven.

“Certainly in the heyday when the stress issue first arose we ran probably over 100 two-hour workshops, but that has subsequently tapered off.”

Overall, however, stress management is “certainly part” of EMA programmes so that while it may not be a full-blown stress seminar or course it will be part of other courses. “It’s embedded in the other courses that we’re doing so in that sense it is ongoing,” Mr Jarvie concludes.

Whatever the future holds with regard to the new Health and Safety Reform Bill one thing is clear: stress in the workplace is a problem that isn’t going to go away and both employers and workers will have to take a proactive, mutually cooperative approach to mitigating its debilitating effects and spiraling costs.

There is no medical condition called stress – it’s a feeling

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FOCUS>> Stress comment by Elizabeth Howells

Psychologically healthy workplaces The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program is an evidence-based initiative developed by the Australian Psychological Society that assesses workplace psychological health across key indicators and provides access to expert organisational psychology advice, resources and tools.

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lobal statistics indicate increasing levels of workplace stress, painting a consistent picture of an international stress epidemic People are spending greater amounts of time at work, with heavier workloads, less job security, the threat of job loss or redundancy, workplace bullying, inadequate social support, poor leadership and conflicts with other workers or bosses.

A 2014 study on working conditions reported in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health found that factors related to job demands (workload and emotional repression), opportunities for development, peer relationships (conflict, leadership quality, social support, sense of community at work), violence (physical, discrimination and bullying) shift work, and promotion were correlated with long-term sick leave.

The impact goes beyond workplace costs to impacting the psychological health of individuals within and outside of work. A 2007 New Zealand study found that workers exposed to high psychological job demands (excessive workload, extreme time pressures) had a twofold risk of major depression or generalised anxiety disorder compared to those with low job demands.

Teaching individuals to manage stress, whatever its source, is therefore a way of increasing wellbeing and limiting the cost of stress on the workplace.

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Key to managing stress in the workplace is an environment that allows employees to raise problems at an early stage, which in turn requires managers who are approachable and open to employees experiencing stress in the workplace.

It entails: • training managers and staff in how to identify stress in the workplace, the impact of stress and how to address it • having in place a policy and process for managing stress that de-stigmatises it in the workplace • being prepared to take action that will alleviate stress such as hiring additional staff to reduce workload, reallocation of tasks or clients, increasing flexibility, provision of counselling • coaching managers and employees in resilience to better enable them to manage stressful situations.

The latter include coaching in Acceptance Commitment Therapy which focuses on identifying negative thought patterns, their impact and how to “let them be”. Individualised mentoring, counselling and advice the importance of a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet, exercise and sleep can also be effective.

Healthy workplaces A psychologically healthy workplace fosters employee health and well-being while enhancing organisational performance and productivity. According to the American Psychological Association, the winners of the

Psychologically Healthy Workplace awards benefited from reduced turnover, reduced stress, reduced intention to leave, increased recommendations as a good place to work, and increased satisfaction.

A 2012 study of over 100 New Zealand organisations employing almost 100,000 employees, found that nine out of 10 enterprises considered improving employee wellbeing as either desirable or a priority: approximately a quarter considered improving employee wellbeing as a top priority over the next 12 months.

Larger organisations are more likely to have a wellness programme in place and almost two-thirds of organisations have some form of policy to deal with workplace stress.

Psychologically healthy workplaces are identified as having: • supportive leadership and mentoring • supportive peer and team relationships • role clarity • staff engagement • development and growth • morale.

Many organisations measure and have programmes in place for the physical considerations of people such as nutrition, exercise and workspace design as well as safety considerations like compliance, PPE, audits and risk identification – however very few know how or effectively understand the psychological health of their people.

The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program (PHWP) offered by PeopleCentric is an evidence-based initiative developed by the Australian Psychological Society that assesses workplace psychological health across key indicators and provides access to expert organisational psychology advice, resources and tools.

The first programme of its kind to accurately and objectively assess the psychological health of New Zealand organisations as a whole,

the PHWP takes a systematic and preventative approach and focuses on how organisations can create a positive organisational climate.

Employees have been shown to work more effectively and are more productive in positive, supportive and engaging work environments, or in other words, psychologically healthy workplaces.

The PHWP assesses businesses across six key indicators of psychological health that have been consistently shown to impact on employee stress, health and well-being – supportive leadership, role clarity, staff engagement, development and growth, morale and workplace stress.

Following the assessment, participating organisations are provided with a report detailing the results of the PHWP assessment, recommendations and advice about how the organisation can best use this information to enhance the psychological health of its workplace and a range of resources to help support the continued improvement of the workplace climate.

The PHWP identifies workplaces as 'psychologically healthy' and recognises their success in promoting positive employee health and wellbeing in the workplace, enabling the organisation to be accredited by the Australian Psychological Society as a psychologically healthy workplace.

Elizabeth Howells is a director of PeopleCentric, a team of industrial and organisational psychologists who work with a variety of organisations to maximise employee potential and promote the value of psychology in driving business performance.

HEIGHT SAFETY >> Roof anchors

Anchors that drag the line could put workers at risk An alarming new study spotlights the potential dangers of roof anchor and roof sheet combinations

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housands of Kiwi workers may be risking their lives by using roof anchors in situations that don’t meet all relevant safety standards.

A recent disturbing report by the Working At Height Association (WAHA) in Australia has called for immediate independent testing of roof anchors and roof substrates to ensure the combination conforms to prescribed safety standards.

WAHA says the roof anchors met the recently launched Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/ NZS5532, which requires that both permanent and temporary roof anchors must be able to demonstrate the ability to sustain both static and dynamic loads for roof anchors mounted to differing roof substrates.

However, dynamic testing in a National Association of Testing Laboratories Australia (NATA) accredited test laboratory of a number of anchor point products and systems that were installed on various roof sheet configurations posted some startling results.

The alarming conclusion was that whilst the anchors themselves may be able to sustain the ultimate loads prescribed by the standard, the combination of the anchors installed on the roof sheet substrate led to catastrophic failures, either by way of failure of the anchor point itself or the tearing of the roof sheet under the test loads.

WAHA believes urgent “decisive remedial action” should be undertaken by the manufacturers of these products and systems to validate the performance of their products under these test conditions.

This includes:

• having all products and roof sheet combinations they claim compliance and compatibility with to be tested in accordance with the requirements of AS/NZS5532 on the actual roof sheet substrates in

the test conditions • ensuring all such testing is conducted in a NATA certified testing laboratory (or equivalent) that is independently certified to test to AS/NZS5532 • having all products approved by a third party certification body (e.g.

SAI Global, BSI Benchmark) to validate the claims of compliance of the anchor itself • releasing for public access, copies of test certificates verifying compliance with each roof sheet profile they can be safely installed upon • that all installation instructions, labeling and documentation demonstrate conformance to AS/ NZS5532 • that the certification reflects the current manufacturing standard AS/NZS5532 and that all performance elements are met including traceability • that all installers of anchor points of that specific manufacturer be appropriately trained and competent to design and install those anchor points and systems • that the product is correctly load rated and marked to the relevant rating (e.g. to 15kN or 21kN).

WAHA’s call for immediate action has been backed by Australian legal advice, which states that anchors installed prior to the commencement of AS/NZ5532 shouldn’t be retained as many don’t meet the standard’s requirements.

Lawyers Norton Rose Fulbright consider that “manufacturers and installers will not be able to discharge their Work Health and Safety duties if they retain the anchors because some anchors fail to meet the safety tests for anchors outlined in AS/NZS 5532; and there are further reasonable practical steps that can be implemented, including removing the anchors currently in place and replacing them with anchors that meet the requirements of AS/NZ 5532.”

Neither Scaffolding, Access & Rigging New Zealand nor WorkSafe NZ responded to requests for comment, but local height safety consultant Nick Collins believes the situation in New Zealand is “probably worse” than it is in Australia.

“The material they are testing on is a bit thicker than that we are using in New Zealand,” he observes. “They’re using 0.4248mm roof sheeting while we use 0.40mm roof sheeting.”

One of the founding members of the former Height Safety Association Of New Zealand (HSANZ), Mr Collins notes that roofing is governed by ANZS 1170, which is a structural design standard – not a safety benchmark. “Putting roof anchors onto the roofing iron is actually compromising the 1170 standard and coming into cross purposes with it,” he insists.

Continued on page 22

Standard AS/NZS 1891 is the parent standard for the selection, use and maintenance of Industrial Fall Arrest systems and devices but doesn’t cover the design or testing of fixedanchor points or temporary anchor points

www.isn.co.nz

21

HEIGHT SAFETY >> Roof anchors

This anchor is designed to be cast into concrete and used for any number of applications – as a fallarrest anchor, abseil anchor, lifeline anchor, scaffold anchor, access and egress ladder anchor, as a building tie down anchor or for anchoring down Machinery. All anchor photos supplied by Safetor

This anchor is designed to be bolted to the purlin mounting brackets on steel structures behind the purlins

noting that Australian Standard AS/ NZS 1891 is the parent standard for the selection, use and maintenance of Industrial Fall Arrest systems and devices but doesn’t cover the design or testing of fixed-anchor points or temporary anchor points (such as tripods and davits).

As a result, the Australian Standard AS/NZ 5532 was introduced in October 2013 to provide, among other things, a uniform methodology to demonstrate how to test

and anchor safely.

Although AS/NZ1891 does not make reference to AS/NZ 5532, anchors must comply with AS/NZ 5532 – including testing and documentation – in order to meet the requirements of AS/NZ 1891 and to protect the safety of workers at height.

The same problem occurs in New Zealand, where single anchor points and anchor point systems used for fall protection in construction work

Continued from page 21 Mr Collins maintains that every anchor that goes on a roof should be certified to the new standard and points out that many people were under the impression that ANZS 1891.4 was the anchor standard. “But part four of that standard is in fact selection, use and maintenance.”

The Norton Rose Fulbright legal advice makes the same point,

This anchor is designed to be bolted through concrete. These range in size from 16mm-30mm diameter x 100mm-500mm long, with round disc washers 10mm thick placed on both sides to protect the concrete from chipping

Safety survey shows serious shortcomings

A

recent survey of fall protection contractors by the Working at Height Association (WAHA) produced alarming results that could hold important ramifications for the New Zealand industry.

The review of 43 new building and 119 existing building projects in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide found that 31 per cent of anchor points tested, 65 per cent of horizontal static lines, 86 per cent of vertical static lines, 94 per cent of fixed ladders and 95 per cent of layouts and designs fail to meet the required standards.

The equipment and designs were assessed on a simple fail or pass criteria against specific criteria to determine whether they were safe and compliant for use in the relevant work situation.

The extensive review was prompted by WAHA’s concerns at the “deteriorating” quality of the installation and design of fall prevention equipment observed

22

July/August – 2014

during routine inspections.

Group members were asked to provide data based on their inspections over a three-month period in order to quantify the problem and determine whether the falling standards were widespread and systemic.

WAHA notes that the inspections are mandatory under workplace health and safety laws, and equipment is inspected six-monthly or annually, depending on a state’s specific requirements.

The anchors, horizontal and vertical static lines were assessed against the series of Australian Standards comprising AS/NZS1891 (Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices) and/ or installation instructions from the equipment manufacturers and generally accepted industry practice.

The fixed ladders that are used to gain access to a roof or from one roof level to another were inspected against AS1657 (Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways

and ladders – Design, construction and installation).

If a ladder deviated from any one of the criteria marked as a “shall” in the standard then the ladder failed as “shall” in an Australian Standard indicates that a requirement is mandatory.

The tests covered a wide cross-section of the fall protection industry, including privately owned companies with individual shareholders, sole trader and portfolio companies of private equity funds.

The commercial or industrial buildings surveyed were equally comprehensive, including single-story and multi-storey buildings, office blocks, industrial warehouses and retail sites occupied by private and public companies, and state and local government.

Tasks surveyed ran the gamut of everyday assignments including gutters for cleaning and maintenance, air-conditioning equipment for routine servicing,

extraction and smoke exhausts for fire services and window cleaning.

WAHA concluded that the non-conformance and safety issues were “systemic” and required attention by an industry that is essentially self-regulated, despite various standards being created to ensure a high degree of workplace safety.

While self-regulation can work in many industries, WAHA believes that these issues required intervention from government and state regulators as it wasn’t within the authority, jurisdiction or resources of an industry association to police an industry to the extent required to solve the problems.

The tantalising question that the Australian survey results pose for the New Zealand fall protection industry is exactly how many local anchor points, horizontal static lines, vertical static lines, fixed ladders and layouts and designs would pass the same tests?

The anchor is designed to be bolted to the centre web of a standard 4 x 2 truss.

The 18mm holes on the mounting and backing plate allow the mounting bolts to pass either side of the truss web. on commercial, residential and industrial buildings may not meet the AS/NZ 5532 standard.

Roof anchors are supposed to support the weight of an average family car for three minutes at 15kN, and for two people it has to support the weight of a family car plus six bags of cement at 21kN. However, because roof anchors have shock absorption qualities many manufacturers have only required 400 kg fall protection and rated them for 15kN or 21kN when attached to roofing iron.

Yet the WAHA website still shows the anchors letting go at the last rivet despite the thicker iron used in Australia. “I did tests of my own and had photos of the testing on tin – seven rivets on a line, all the load transfers to the very last rivet and that’s where failure occurs.”

Mr Collins actually bonds his anchors to the roof as well as riveting them. “We use Sikaflex 11FC and

it’s got a bonding strength of 50kg per one mm square, which means that the anchor actually becomes part of the roof,” he explains.

Simply using a rivet to hold the anchor means all the stress is pinpointed at the rivet and therefore it can fracture. “Bonding, however, stresses around the whole anchor – it doesn’t just concentrate in one small point.”

He cites WorkSafe NZ’s “Best practice guidelines for working at heights in New Zealand”, which emphasises that nobody should be working in fall arrest – they should be working in restraint. “Anyone working near an edge needs to be working off two lines to eliminate the pendulum effect because they’re working in a triangle that lets them adjust the lines to stay within the triangle.”

However, a lot of workers are using lifelines that are only designed to travel from one point to another

All practical steps

A

nyone supplying roof anchors in New Zealand for use in a workplace must take all practicable steps to ensure that they are safe for their intended use. This would include taking reasonable steps to ensure that the roof anchors are suitable for safe use when attached to roof sheet substrate – not just that the anchors them-

selves can sustain the relevant loads as set out in the standards.

In addition, employers and principals must take all practicable steps to ensure that equipment provided to employees and contractors is safe for its intended use. This includes a duty to ensure that roof work is conducted in accordance with WorkSafe’s best practice guide-

This anchor is designed to be bolted to the purlin mounting cleat at the gable end of a building it can also be bolted to 4 x 2 timber trusses / timber & steel purlins – not work off. “A lot of these lifeline systems are getting attached to the roofs with top fix anchors instead of a structural anchor,” Mr Collins observes. “They usually put about 200kg on the lifeline but wind drag and the expansion and contraction of the roof is creating stress so the anchors become very, very dangerous.”

An allied problem is the zincalume roofing cladding used in New Zealand, which suffers from a high humidity climate. “When humidity rises, especially after it has been raining, whatever is stuck there is going to start eating into the roofing, which is why the roof has to be washed every three months,” Mr Collins says. “I can’t see the sense of riveting height safety equipment to something that has the potential to rust out because it hasn’t been maintained.”

Similarly, roofing iron is designed to expand and contract with fluc-

lines for working on roofs and using restraint systems, and that any roof anchors comply with all relevant standards.

Principals and employers should check with their manufacturers and suppliers about the suitability of roof anchors for the particular task, and for details on the relevant standards that those anchors meet.

Each of the manufacturer,

tuating daily temperatures but it doesn’t expand over its full length – it’s designed to actually sag between the purlins because it has fixed points at each purlin. “Using a top fix anchor is restricting the natural curve at that anchor so it’s creating stress around the rivets and it doesn’t take long to start cracking around the rivet holes.”

That’s why Mr Collins believes that anything that hasn’t been independently tested to the ANZS5532 standard simply shouldn’t be used – and the testing should be done in local New Zealand conditions and not in Australia. “A lot of manufacturers are doing their own testing and can actually influence the outcome of those tests.”

In addition, all tests should be mandatory. “We’re talking about somebody’s life so you’ve got to take all practical steps to ensure that you’re not putting anybody at risk,” Mr Collins insists. “Putting an anchor onto something it has never been tested on raises the possibility of putting somebody’s life at risk and is in breach of the health and safety regulations.”

Known as the “Anchor Man” after winning the award for best Design or Technology Initiative at the New Zealand Workplace Health & Safety Awards 2007, Mr Collins says he is presently working with WorkSafe NZ and has been in touch with the WAHA technical advisor regarding the current roof anchor safety standards situation.

“All I do is anchors and I am passionate about making sure that workers in New Zealand are as safe as they can possibly be using this equipment,” Mr Collins concludes.

supplier, principal or employer could face prosecution under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 if roof anchors are being used unsafely or in unsafe circumstances.

Marie Wisker is a senior associate at Chapman Tripp, specialising in employment law and professional indemnity advice.

www.isn.co.nz

23

HEIGHT SAFETY>>Vertical Horizonz Group Sponsored article

Height access training solutions Real Training that saves lives through advisory, partnerships, training and development.

Working at height demands a range of solutions to achieve Safety with Certainty. There are a number of courses designed to meet this industry need.

One day harness package For workers who are to complete basic work while under restraint technique systems and using an anchorage system that is already in place i.e. a permanent installed anchor that complies to AS/NZS 1891.4:2009, NZQA 23229 - ‘Use a safety harness for personal fall prevention when working at height’, would be the appropriate and correct level of training.

Two day fall arrest package For those people who are involved in supervising staff working at height, planning, operating, and installing fall arrest systems Unit Standard 15757 is recommended - ‘Use, install and disestablish proprietary fall arrest systems when working at height’ as the appropriate level of training. It should be noted that Unit Standard 23229 is a pre requisite for the obtainment of unit standard 15757. Vertical Horizonz Group can combine the two Unit Standards 23229 and 15757 into this two day package.

One day rescue-specific package As part of the thorough planning

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July/August – 2014

process it is vital that a rescue plan is in place before work at height commences. The rescue plan can then be acted upon promptly to ensure the suspended individual can be recovered in a timely fashion to prevent the effects of suspension trauma. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recommended standard for rescue training is unit standard 23232 - ‘Develop a rescue plan for recovery of a suspended individual after a fall’.

Mobile elevated work platforms Mobile Elevated Work Platforms or MEWPs have become an integral part of the construction industry.

Used correctly they provide simple, safe height access in a range of situations, including hard to reach areas where scaffolding and rope access can be difficult and laborious to set up.

The HSE Act requires that employees are trained in the use of equipment. Supporting this is the Code of Practice for Powered Elevated Work Platforms, which states that operators must be competent. Vertical Horizonz recommend

NZQA Elevated Work Platform training to ensure the competence of operators. The standards cover the core competencies along with specific practical assessment on the different MEWPs in use. NZQA standards have the benefit of national recognition and external moderation of delivery and content, ensuring a high level of training.

Scaffolding Scaffolding is an excellent way to manage working at height safely. Scaffolding can provide a safe means of access and egress, while also providing a safe working platform.

Having a safe platform that is easily accessible can be extremely advantageous for the users. Removal of the psychological effects of working at height can improve quality and speed of work, while also ensuring legal compliance with health and safety requirements and emergency access. Scaffolding is a collective control measure, utilised by multiple trades. This is preferable over individual control measures such as work positioning.

Although scaffolding can reduce

a lot of the risk when working at height, care must be taken during its erection, alteration and dismantling. In New Zealand, a certificate of competence is required to erect scaffolding above 5 metres in height. For all scaffolding less than 5 metres, operatives should be adequately trained to the applicable NZQA unit standards, or to the equivalent, in order to remain compliant with OHS legislation.

Care must also be taken to ensure that a scaffold is fit for purpose prior to use. This can only be assured by imparting the required knowledge necessary to identify a compliant or defective scaffold on those who use it. Once again, relevant unit standards can verify this knowledge.

It is important when choosing a provider to deliver Height Safety and Fall Arrest Training that they contextualise the training in order to meet your company’s / organisation’s specific requirements. This will ensure the training is relevant, your employees are engaged and the company/organisation is getting maximum return on their training investment.

“Real Training that Saves Lives�

Advisory

Partnerships

Training

Development

Vertical Horizonz provide you with trusted advice and uncompromising safety leadership to forge your business performance.

Vertical Horizonz will work with you to build a high-value business partnership, that will provide you with agile and innovative solution.

Vertical Horizonz will create for you a complete training solution, that will set the benchmark for safety training.

Vertical Horizonz will design advanced professional development programs that will empower change.

Our specialised knowledge of industry best practice enables us to develop and implement customised solutions,helping you achieve strategic safety solutions.

Our quality management systems enable us to deliver quality training, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture and getting the job done.

Free Phone: 0800 72 33 848 Email: info@verticalhorizonz.co.nz

Our responsiveness enables us to assess the current skills of your workforce and provide a unique solution that meets your specific needs.

Our bespoke solutions will revolutionise your workforce, enabling your people to perform at the highest possible standard.

HEIGHT SAFETY>>Comment by Rowan McKenzie Sponsored article

Stay safe with mobile elevated work platforms The Best Practice Guidelines for mobile elevated work platforms have just been given an overhaul.

A

ccidents involving mobile elevated work platforms (MEWP) use in New Zealand have, and continue to cause fatalities and serious harm injuries.

Overturning of machines, being catapulted or falling from machines, being crushed between the basket/structures, electrocution and collision with other plant and vehicles are just a few examples of unfortunate yet preventable accidents and injuries.

The causes of these accidents have included inadequate training and supervision, equipment failure, not following the manufacturer’s recommendations and not fully assessing the hazards and risks associated with the job site and equipment.

The new Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) have been developed to help improve workplace health and safety by providing information for the design, safe use and proper maintenance of MEWP, and cover the safe work practices that assist duty holders to meet their obligations under the HSE Act and the pending Reform Act. The BPG is a generic guide, and is not industry specific. For example there is a separate BPG for the Safe Use of Elevating Work Platforms in the horticultural Industry that has recently been released by Worksafe NZ.

Here’s how suppliers, operators, hirers, and trainers of MEWP can prepare for these important new changes.

Employers and principals should familiarise themselves with new operator training competency and compliance requirements for EWP training.

The guideline lists a means of competency by way of training “through nationally recognised MEWP NZQA unit standards or an overseas equivalent or higher qualification”.

Following training the employer or principal must ensure by way of instruction and supervision that the operator is competent on the actual machine they intend using.

The new guideline also references Unit Standards 23229 and 17600 as means of compliance for work at height involved in operating MEWP. The table below from the BPG identifies the NZQA unit standards that pertain to the five elevated workplatform machine (EWP) types.

MEWP TYPE/unit standard

23960

Scissor Lift (SL)

P

Truck Mounted (TM) Self-Propelled Boom Lift (BM) Trailer Mounted (TL) Vertical Lift (VL)

23961

23962

23963

23964

23966 P

P P P P

Note: The guidelines now require refresher training to be undertaken every three years (instead of five).

A readily available MEWP logbook must be used to record pre-operational inspections, routine inspections and maintenance. The visual inspection and functional test is carried out before operation and include the items listed in the operator’s manual or a pre-ordained check sheet.

All MEWP are subject to a three monthly routine inspection. Other certifications include the six monthly operational and manufacturers

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July/August – 2014

maintenance check and the 10 yearly “Major Inspection”. If a machine is modified, damaged or involved in an accident the EWP must be recertified. Duty holders must satisfy themselves that an inspection is carried out by a competent person.

Employers, owners, suppliers and duty holders must recognise that simply receiving an inspection certificate is NOT sufficient compliance and does not fulfill their obligations with the guidelines.

Training programmes Safety ‘n Action undertake EWP NZQA level training throughout New Zealand and are able to provide information and assistance with compliance around the MEWP best practice guidelines.

We are proud to have worked alongside Worksafe NZ and industry stakeholders in the development of the pending MEWP Best Practice Guideline.

We learn best when teaching Is tailored to our learning style.

Safety ‘n Actions blended learning approach embraces that. Every individual learns in a slightly different way. Some of us learn best by hearing, some by seeing information as pictures, others by reading words, and of course those who prefer to learn by actively ‘doing’. One size does not fit all, especially when you need every individual to apply their skills quickly and practically in their own working environment. Whether working faceto-face with our trainers, or practicing your new skills high in the air in real-life EWP scenarios, the goal at Safety ‘n Action is to keep our training accessible and engaging for everyone involved.

Can we change our attitude towards safety in New Zealand?

As New Zealanders, we have a typical “she’ll be right” attitude that can often translate to our workplace. Subsequently, we have one of the worst records of workplace injury and death in the Western world.

If an improved approach toward occupational health and safety is not readily embraced we are at risk large financial repercussions or, even worse, more workforce injuries and deaths. Whether we like it or not, health and safety in the workplace is set to become a bigger part of our working lives.

It’s not all bad when everyone gets to return home at the end of each day.

Rowan McKenzie is managing director of New Zealand health and safety training leader Safety ‘n Action. Tel 09 414 5944, visit www. safetynaction.co.nz . Safety ‘n Action is involved at government level in reviewing and adding to safety best practice guidelines.

HEIGHT SAFETY>>Comment by Jason Myburgh Sponsored article

Spotlight On Height Safety Standards Compliance Height safety is largely a matter of trust. As users, we trust that our equipment has been subjected to rigorous testing and meets the required safety standards. Unfortunately understanding height safety equipment standards can be difficult for distributors, resellers and consumers alike.

There has been much confusion and misunderstanding of the AS/NZS 1891 group of standards relating to height safety products in New Zealand. It has become apparent that some manufacturers have been marking product to non-existing testing standards, and possibly misleading consumers as a result. Added to this, WAHA Australia have recently uncovered issues with roof anchors and fixed life line systems not meeting the new AS/NZS 5532:2013 standard.

QSI has been working hard to become one of the first IANZ accredited facilities in New Zealand to test to the AS/NZS 1891.1 and AS/NZS 1891.3 standards. This has taken over 3 years to achieve but has given us much insight into the testing and marking of products to this set of standards.

EN versus AS/NZS Standards Some importers of product mark their harnesses, shock absorbing lanyards and pole straps to both the EN and AS/NZS 1891.1 standards on the same product.

We are often asked, “what is the difference between the AS/NZS 1891.1 standard and the equivalent EN standards?”

The table below details some distinct differences.

It will not be possible for an EN labelled product’s test certificate to pass the AS/ NZS 1891.1:2007 standard as they could not possibly meet the labelling and marking requirements, just as it would not be possible for the AS/NZS 1891.1 product to meet the EN standard because the marking, labelling and instructions are different.

There is nothing wrong with EN certified product and we at QSI sell and use EN product ourselves. The only difference is that we market it as having the 5 year life span it conforms to, unless we have a UV certificate showing the webbing complies to the AS/NZS UV testing requirements.

AS/NZS 1891.4 is not a Testing Standard

The 1891.4-2009 standard clearly states it is for selection use and maintenance.

If you asked QSI Testing Laboratory to test to this standard we would tell you it is impossible as there are no testing specifications and methods of testing laid out in this document. Furthermore, Section 1.5 of the standard states that compliance to the standard cannot be claimed on any product.

to this standard is likely to be incorrect.

The new AS/NZS 5532:2013 standard is a part of the AS/NZS 1891 group and deals with tripods, davit arms, and both temporary and fixed anchor points. The standard was published in late 2013.

It is important that both users and companies providing equipment to be used are educated on what the standards cover. The difficulty of obtaining information about the standards has allowed some manufacturers to create the illusion that certain product meets a non-existent standard. If anyone feels a The criteria of section 1.5 of AS/NZS product is not up to standard they have the 1891.4 2009 is as follows: right to ask for the testing certificates, and 1.5 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS each model of height safety equipment is required to have its own testing certificate.

This Standard does not include As users, resellers and distributors product performance requirements become more savvy and better educated for height safety equipment. on the details of the AS/NZS and EN Compliance to this Standard of any standards, we hope to see a greater such equipment cannot be claimed. level of compliance for all height safety Performance requirements with equipment sold in New Zealand. In the which items of equipment dealt meantime, we advise consumers to be within this Standard shall comply are vigilant and not take any manufacturer’s specified in AS/NZS 1891, Parts 1, 2 claims at face value. Ask questions, and 3. ask for certificates, double-check, get If you have product marked or bearing the educated; after all, your life and your mark of the AS/NZS 1891.4 standard on it, business could depend on it. or claiming to be tested to and complying

by Jason Myburgh to the AS/NZS 1891.4 standard, the QSI Testing Laboratory Manager product should be examined carefully as it

Another big area of concern is the tendency of some companies to mark product to the AS/NZS 1891.4 standard.

Although this falls under the family of testing standards, it is actually not itself a testing standard but rather a user selection is not possible to test to this standard. Any document claiming to be a test certificate and maintenance guide.

IANZ 1891.1 and 1891.3 authorized signatory

Height Safety You Can Trust

Key Differences between EN and AS/NZS Height Safety Standards Test Criteria

AS/NZS 1891.1 Standard

EN Standard

UV Testing and Lifespan

We are required to conduct a determination of resistance of webbing to light test as per Appendix A of AS/NZS 1891.1. This gives us our 10-year life span on webbing products certified to the AS/NZS 1891.1 standard. Actual certificate is needed on the webbing, not the thread.

EN standards do not require UV testing as the product is only required to last 5 years.

Dynamic Drop Testing

The AS/NZS 1891.1 dynamic drop test is conducted on a 2m x 12mm diameter, three-strand, polyester hawser-laid rope. Each harness will have a head up and head down drop on the fall arrest attachment points.

On a head up drop it will generate over 12kN of force during the drop and the head down could be as much as 16kN to 18 kN. The AS/ NZS standard does not specify a force requirement that the harness needs to be exposed to, but the force generally exceeds the 12kN load due to the lack of stretch in the polyester rope. Thus, most of the energy ends up in the harness.

The EN 364 standard requires a single mountaineering rope of 11mm diameter. This is known as kernmantle rope and has more stretch in it than the 12mm polyester rope. The EN test also requires a head up and head down drop on the fall arrest attachment points.

The marking and labelling requirements as per AS/NZS 1891.1 section 6.1 (Instructions for use) and section 6.2 (marking) are very specific on font size, label layout, and details that need to be included in the warning labels as well as instruction book. The AS/NZS 1891.1 product needs a clear date of withdrawal.

The EN requirements are vastly different in terms of labelling and instructions for use, even to the point of using an “A” symbol to indicate the fall arrest attachment point.

Marking and Labelling

The most common products marked with this standard are anchor points and slings, but we have also seen some harnesses and pole straps marked this way.

If the testing facility uses dynamic mountaineering rope, this has a lot of stretch to allow for some shock absorption during a climbers fall, this is why the EN standard specifies a minimum force of 7.5 kN that needs to be achieved on the first drop.

New Zealand’s first IANZ Accredited 1891.1 and 1891.3 Height Safety Laboratory.

QSI are accredited by IANZ to test height safety equipment to the AS/NZS 1891.1

The EN product only requires a date of manufacture. The 5 year life is standard unless specified differently by the manufacturer on the basis of a UV certificate.

and AS/NZS 1891.3 standards. This means every height safety product we make has been tested to the most stringent standards.

Having our own testing facility on site gives us the unique opportunity to take our products to the limit multiple times throughout the development process instead of relying on fewer,

AS/NZS 1891.1 AS/NZS 1891.3

more expensive tests in a foreign lab.

This allows us to identify and solve problems quickly, greatly reducing development costs, resulting in a better and more affordable product for our customers.

Visit www.qsisafety.com for more information.

www.isn.co.nz

27

PRODUCTS >> Honeywell special feature Sponsored article

Honeywell serves up a full range of safety products The face protection you deserve at a price you will love

T

he face of safety has changed with the introduction of the Honeywell Turboshield™ extra high impact rated faceshield.

Workers dealing with chemicals, molten metals, hot solids, or high level impact risks need a faceshield they can rely on time after time.

Turboshield delivers superior quality protection at a competitive pricewithout compromising on safety.

Innovative features Turboshield contains the innovation you’d expect from Honeywell Safety Products, including: • Increased protection compared to other faceshields (how?); • Better all-day comfort and ergonomics; • Quickest and simplest visor ex-

change available on the market; • A groundbreaking patent-pending hard hat adapter; and • Compatibility with a wide range of other personal protective equipment.

The Honeywell Turboshield visor provides 50 percent more chin coverage than a traditional style faceshield, without the need for any bulky additional accessories.

When safety equipment is comfortable to wear, it gets worn by workers.

The visor’s patent-pending suspension has tripled the contact area with the head compared to traditional suspension, eliminating pressure points for maximum comfort throughout the day. Dual

material technology cushions the head, and the breathable headband is removable and washable.

It is also adjustable for a wide range of facial structures with

easy-to-use ergonomic adjustment knobs that can even be operated while wearing gloves for the ultimate in personalised fit.

A patented visor exchange system allows visors to be released from the Turboshield with the push of a button and securely attached within seconds. Visors are sold separately, allowing you to select the correct one for your safety needs. Visors are available in clear, for most indoor applications; Shade 3.0, a welding shade for torch brazing applications; and Shade 5.0, a welding shade suitable for cutting operations.

The clear visors are additionally available either uncoated or with

See-thru hard hats for enhanced vision and safety Great-looking respirator kits

R

H

oneywell has announced the next generation of hard hats, featuring an innovative, translucent design. The new line of SEETHRU hard hats enhances vision and safety for workers.

A see-through peak allows the wearer to look upwards without the need to tilt the head back, causing discomfort in the neck over a prolonged period of time. This also stops the need for the wearer

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July/August – 2014

to reverse the head harness in the helmet which normally allows the wearer to have clearer vision while looking upwards.

The Honeywell SEETHRU hard hat is available as a vented model and fits all head sizes from 50cm to 66cm. The shell is made from strong polycarbonate and weighs only 386g. It is also UV400 stabilized and therefore suitable for indoor as well as outdoor use. It

is available in: red, blue, green, smoke, orange, yellow, pink and clear. An optional custom logo can be printed on the hard hat in up to eight different locations with up to four colors.

The SEETHRU hard hat features an adjustable six-point webbed harness with pin lock adjustment for all day comfort. It fits most general (25mm or 30mm), and all Honeywell attachments. We recommend the Howard Leight by Honeywell 1000244 earmuff adaptor.

This transparent hard hat range is in addition to Honeywell’s standard range of Type 1 and Type 2 helmets, vented and non-vented versions, or options with metal lamp bracket for mining.

Approved to AS/NZS 1801:1997 SMK 40222

espiratory protection just got simpler with Honeywell Safety Products’ introduction of its Honeywell Respirator Kits.

These attractive and conveniently packaged kits take the hassle out of selecting, transporting, and storing respirators, along with filter and cleaning wipes. Competitively priced Honeywell Respirator Kits provide value without compromising safety.

The kits are available in both a welders’ and a spray version. The spray kit, which is suitable for spray painting, roller painting, and agricultural spraying, protects against organic vapours and particulates.

The welders’ kit, recommended for woodworking, welding, and sanding, is suitable for dusty, particulate filled environments where nuisance levels of organic vapours or acid gases are present. The inclusion of filters in the convenient and easily distinguishable lunchbox kits means it’s always easy to have the right protection for the job at hand.

PRODUCTS >> Honeywell special feature anti-fog Hardcoat for extended visor life. The toric lens provides for stunning clarity of vision and an increased field of view.

The patent-pending hard hat adapter is compatible with most major hard hats, including the entire Honeywell hard hat range.

Only full-brim hard hats cannot be used in conjunction.

Featuring the same innovative visor exchange system as the faceshield, the Turboshield hard hat adapter combines a smooth pivot action with a positive-locking hinge to keep the visor securely in place, either raised or lowered.

Hard hat accessory slots are left free for additional personal protective equipment, and an integrated brim guard protects against falling debris, providing a gap-free fit. The visor slides 170 millimetres back when worn with the Turboshield hard hat adapter, improving weight distribution and balance. The dual hinged design of the hard hat adapter also increases clearance up to 100 millimetres.

Additionally, the Honeywell Turboshield is compatible with a wide range of personal protective equipment available from Honeywell Safety Products, such as Howard Leight by Honeywell helmet-mounted earmuffs, Honeywell disposable respirators, and Honeywell eyewear.

Standards compliant The Turboshield is approved under licence number SMK 02209/3 as compliant with AS/NZS 1337.1:2010 for extra high impact, splash resistance, molten metal, and hot solids.

Welding lenses are additionally approved as compliant with AS/ NZS 1338.1. The UV-resistant polycarbonate visors are 2.2 millimetres thick at the optical axis. All components of the Honeywell Turboshield™ are dielectric, and have a maximum operating temperature of either 97° Celsius for the headgear with visor, or 131° C for the hard hat adapter and visor. A one year limited warranty is included.

equip them for safety

Build your Culture of Safety with PPE they want to wear.

When your workers have comfortable, stylish, high-performance personal protection, they are more likely to wear it – day in and day out – building a culture of safety. That’s why the world class brands of Honeywell Safety Products offer headto-toe solutions you can trust, with the fit, comfort and style that your workers need.

Find out more about our latest innovations.

Visit our website today.

Honeywell Respirator Kits also feature numerous innovations to improve worker comfort and productivity. A latex-free half mask means that the respirator is appropriate for all workers, including those with latex allergies. Less dead air space in the mask provides for an increased flow of fresh air, increasing worker productivity.

Additionally, strategic placement of the exhalation vents prevents exhaled breath from remaining in the mask, leading to a cooler, more

comfortable mask.

The sealing area of the mask is of variable thickness, providing greater comfort while flexing to conform to the bridge of the nose, without risking collapse of the mask.

All Honeywell Respirator Kits are certified to AS/NZS 1716:2012.

For selection advice, consult AS/ NZS 1715 and if contaminant levels exceed workplace exposure standards, a higher level of protection should be considered.

www.honeywellsafety.com/culture For more information call 0800 322 200 ©2014 Honeywell Safety Products Australia Pty Ltd

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29

Training>>Fatigue management by Frank O’Connor

Putting the pep into a tired team

The bane of many a New Zealand workplace, fatigue can be managed successfully as this case study by BSSNZ shows

“It’s like working with a different team – it’s become easier to talk about challenges”

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New Zealand organisation with strong international connections recognised that a particular team of technical specialists seemed always tired.

They got their work done, but they seemed to lack they bounce they’d had. Sometimes they worked long hours, to meet urgent demands from elsewhere.

And their work was rarely straightforward, combining assuring quality of services delivered with development and testing of new products.

A fair bit of sustainable cash flow depended on these men and women being always fit for work – mentally and physically.

Yet a workplace safety review pointed to a level of constant fatigue: this team never felt refreshed and was rarely confident that they could meet deadlines and quality standards.

work and in the working relationships. Each person seemed to try to look after his or her own wellbeing. No-one seemed to have a broader view. Team leaders were scrambling to get work assigned and brought back in on time – they had no time to consider how well team members were.

In consultation with the manager and health and safety advisors we tailored a three-part fatigue management programme, delivered in two four-hour modules. We opened with Coping With Change and Demands, reviewing the extent to which individuals felt they and their team members were coping, and what was working well for them.

Then we looked directly into aspects of Fatigue such as sleep quality, disruptions and the consequences of losses of alertness. Finally, we looked at what some of them did about SourcWhat could be done? es of Constant Fatigue, so that they could share Initially, the need appeared to be a lack of their experience and reinforce what was already knowledge and practice in resting when time in place. permitted. Most of the 25 specialists had trouble finding time to get enough sleep, at least some Stresses and strains of the time.

Firstly, we looked at the ups and downs of In our experience, getting enough sleep is just stresses: what different people feel as stressful, part of the mix. We looked at the aspects of the and what they do in response. We explored work that were reported as particularly tiring. stress in work tasks, working relationships and in Collaborating remotely, often communicating the time split between work and the rest of life. by messages not face to face. Long hours away They dug out examples of beneficial and harmfrom home while travelling to work. Frequent ful stress and we discussed the effects of stress disagreements over what standard would apply on our bodies, including links to illness. We had to what work. a lively session on tips for stress-busting, then These factors highlight complications in the took a hard look at the way they tried to con-

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July/August – 2014

trol aspects of their work that probably couldn’t be controlled. We closed this section on coping with their own examples of helping others cope with change, drawing out tips for leading through change.

Secondly, fatigue management. We started on sleep and its relationship to health with an assessment called ‘How Tired are You?’ Some surprising ideas came out: that a human can get by for weeks on four hours sleep per night and still make sound judgements on matters affecting the safety of many others. We gave information and explored options on sleep type and resistance to fatigue, the flexibility of sleep and the impact of working long hours.

Another assessment looked at sleep quality, especially getting to sleep and improving quality and length of sleep. They admitted they understood little about sleep, so we covered body chemistry: naturally produced drugs and their effects, circadian rhythms, sleep and alertness and ‘sleep inertia’ – the dangerous grogginess we feel when we wake up in the wrong part of a sleep cycle.

Because of the long hours worked, we looked at their ability to nap, and they agreed some guidelines to allow resting without leaving work.

We also looked at things that ease or aggravate “Mondayitis”.

External factors included various mixes of travel, outside and family commitments. We specifically looked at commuting - travel and jetlag were not recognised for the duration of the fatigue they create and the safety of working immediately after long-haul travel took on new meaning.

The environment, family commitments and sleeping habits all contribute to how rested we feel at the beginning of a new day. We looked at what could be changed, as well as at sleeping problems, and the impact of middle age and

Training>>Fatigue management by Frank O’Connor

New Zealand’s leading fitness for work training and consultancy provider in fatigue management, alcohol and other drugs, soft skill leadership development and mental health, wellbeing and resiliency.

menopause.

We then looked at alertness.

Initially, healthy lifestyles – what we eat and drink has a big impact on alertness and our nervous systems. Alcohol, drugs and fatigue are commonly known (and ignored) associates.

The best foods for alertness and getting the most out of caffeine were more important, and discussion focused on changes to what people already did, so they could work when they needed to without disrupting resting later. We also looked at some risks that get worse with tiredness: eye strain, lack of exercise and aggressive driving.

Digging deeper Thirdly, we explored deeper sources of ongoing fatigue. We started with preferred styles in dealing with conflict, which was talked about as the different ways people did their work but was soon discussed as differing expectations on which work needed doing when.

Almost everyone could see that they could take some friction out of the situation by giving a bit more information a bit sooner. No illusions held that it would always work, but at least it would help on the long nights when the work had to get done.

By looking at what wasn’t working as well as what was, team members could find the right time to send clearer messages to each other and team leaders could look forward to surviving the first five minutes of project meetings without a melt-down.

We looked at listening skills and principles of negotiation – a couple of them realised that for all their lives they had thought they were helping by driving a hard bargain but now understood that flexibility was going to mean everyone would make more progress.

The next segment was an exercise on challenging faulty thinking, which is very common. Once people were aware of the types of faulty thinking they could watch for them and help each other when faulty thinking was getting in the way of good work.

We closed with a few exercises and discussion on developing a resilient attitude and mind-set in an assessment called ‘How Resilient Are You?’

We looked at how resilient people deal with stress and adversity in a different way to those who are fatigued: they are more realistic and optimistic, easier to work with and more able to keep going when it matters. They also learn better, adapt faster and get sick less.

What was achieved?

Some months later participants report less concern about how work will get done, higher completion rates on stressful projects, more fun at work and improvements in the balance between outside life and work. One said “It’s like working with a different team – it’s become easier to talk about challenges, and we watch out for each other on the long nights.”

The same approach helps primary sector, manufacturing and distribution and service businesses reduce fatigue in their workforces, cutting risk of injury, equipment damage, delay and confusion. The particular challenges vary, so we listen carefully to what’s working now and build on that.

Frank O’Connor is a leading trainer in workplace wellbeing for BSSNZ, New Zealand’s leading fitness for work provider - a joint venture between New Zealand behavioural company Instep and Australia’s leading fitness for work provider BSS Corporate Psychology

Did you know that 20 hours awake impairs the human body for concentration and motor skill response to the same level as .08 BAC (NZ drink driving legal limit)?

Phone: 04 382 8071 Email: info@bssnz.co.nz Visit: www.bssnz.co.nz

www.isn.co.nz

31

HAZMAT>>Comment by Barry Dyer

Are you properly prepared for your chemical emergency?

How comprehensive is your Site Emergency Plan? Is the focus on fire or does it include scenarios such as a severe weather event, an earthquake and more commonly, a chemical incident?

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egislation requires employers to safeguard people and the environment by responding effectively to an onsite emergency. Ask about their plan and the discussion inevitably turns to fire, whereas the mis-management of chemicals can produce catastrophic results.

The often-maligned HSNO (Hazardous Substances Emergency Preparedness) Regulations 2001 establish clear compliance obligations. Chemical suppliers responded with a comprehensive HSNO Approved Code of Practice providing a process and template for complying with four key pieces of legislation.

Present emergency preparedness interpretations to be transferred into the new Keeping Safe At Work regime raise questions highlighting the often cursory approach to complex compliance obligations: for example, the HSNO regulatory requirement for Test Certifiers issuing Location Test Certificates (LTC) to test the emergency plan. There is no evidence this is routinely done.

The skeletal Unit Standard 18408

endorses fire wardens dealing with national disasters, chemical incidents and terrorist events, as well as using fire extinguishers and hoses to suppress a fire. It does not explain how, nor who deems fire wardens are compliant.

For example, the role and responsibilities of fire wardens involves both safety and personal competencies. Wardens are critical to ensuring personnel are successfully evacuated. Should wardens also be expected to fight fires or deal with small chemical spills?

HSNO requires Approved Handlers to successfully manage a chemical incident, particularly small spills in the workplace and during the transport phase. Such expertise complements the local NZ Fire Service capability, particularly volunteer firefighters.

Without the appropriate qualification, fire wardens are not HSNO Approved Handlers. They lack the expertise to safely manage a chemical incident.

Employees put at risk by being required to carry out hazardous duties in response to a site emer-

gency are increasingly questioning the obligation, particularly in litigious jurisdictions. Employers are duty bound to ensure employees designated First Responders for site emergencies are competent to do so.

The shortfall in practical unit standards and certified training providers delivering qualifications reflecting best practice deserves urgent attention. Government backing for Approved industry codes is essential.

Responsible employers, particularly chemical suppliers and their customers, routinely invite local fire personnel to participate in regular site emergency response rehearsals. This is clearly impractical.

Improving workplace chemical management requires a review of current practice. Persons in Charge and Approved Handlers are a valiant attempt to equip employers and employees to better manage hazardous substances and dangerous goods throughout the product life cycle. These key notes may not survive the transition.

Non-compliance all too often

results in death and injury. The Tamahere Coolstore casualties were largely due to individuals and organisations failing to comply with their HSNO obligations. Relatively minor workplace incidents can quickly escalate, threatening health and safety onsite and throughout the neighbourhood. Fires account for approximately 40% of Fire Service callouts, whereas the lesser number of reported chemical incidents can prove equally devastating if not safely managed.

Chemical suppliers welcome the challenge to demonstrate world-class chemical management solutions to safeguard people and our environment through the international Responsible CareÂŽ programme, lauded by the UN as a uniquely successful volun-

Chemical suppliers welcome the challenge to demonstrate world-class chemical management solutions to safeguard people and our environment through the international Responsible Care programme, lauded by the UN as a uniquely successful voluntary industry initiative

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July/August – 2014

tary industry initiative. Sound performance standards together with practical ‘compliance tools’ provide the ‘how to’.

The unacceptable level of 20 percent HSNO compliance nationally underscores the concern of chemical suppliers, their responsible contractors and customers that urgency is required if we are to achieve safer workplaces.

Industry product stewardship initiatives include providing national performance standards (Approved codes) to provide the best practice solution required to enable compliance, support industry training and ensure certainty for enforcement agencies. Responsible Care NZ is currently helping WorkSafe NZ establish criteria for the operations and selected products that will require a Safety Case.

It is unrealistic to expect your local NZ Fire Service to scrutinise your emergency plan. Pending a robust, cost-effective plan approval process agreed by the emergency services (NZ Police, NZ Fire Service and Civil Defence) and executed by local authorities, employers should take the initiative.

The RCNZ HSNO ACoP 36-1

‘Preparing for a Chemical Emergency’ melds various regulatory requirements into a model planning process. The code emphasises the importance of competent personnel regularly demonstrating their collective ability to safely

Check your review against the RCNZ Approved HSNO 36-1 Code ‘Preparing for a Chemical Emergency’ which explains “what to do and how to do it” – particularly helpful for time-poor SME operators.

Seek the quality training needed

Compliance with HSNO ACoP 36-1 and a close working relationship with your local NZ Fire Service will help ensure your site emergency procedures and capabilities reflect the best you can be. manage an incident threatening not only their safety but also the local community.

Comprehensive training of company First Responders to safely and effectively address site emergencies makes sound business sense. Preventing or at least mitigating the incident, particularly where chemicals are involved, will save lives and prevent environmental damage.

In summary, don’t wait for the new legislation. Review your collective ability to successfully manage a site emergency, be it a fire, earthquake or chemical incident.

to execute your comprehensive emergency plan.

Where chemicals are concerned, train supervisors to Advanced HSNO level and workers to customized Approved Handler standard.

Provide the appropriate spill kits and PPE. Engage your local emergency services to advise and hopefully help with training and regular, onsite rehearsals.

If you require a Location Test Certificate, ensure the Test Certifier tests your emergency response.

Safely managing that unexpected

site emergency is your regulatory responsibility. Compliance with HSNO ACoP 36-1 and a close working relationship with your local NZ Fire Service will help ensure your site emergency procedures and capabilities reflect the best you can be.

Are you ready? Barry Dyer is the chief executive of Responsible Care NZ. Members and partners are committed to superior safety, health and environmental performance, particularly the safe management of hazardous substances and dangerous goods, through the global chemical industry’s Responsible Care initiative. info@responsiblecarenz.com, 04 499 4311, www.responsiblecarenz.com

www.isn.co.nz

33

HAZMAT>>Carcinogens

Asbestos causing concern in Christchurch rebuild

The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) is deeply concerned about the exposure to deadly asbestos Christchurch rebuild workers are experiencing.

Homeowners of quake-damaged houses are made aware of asbestos problems but there is no single registry of all the asbestos homes across Canterbury, according to Fletcher Construction chief executive Graham Darlow

New Zealand is “out of step” with many other countries around the world as it doesn’t have a plan in place to eliminate asbestos says CTU Policy Director Bill Rosenberg

sbestos causes cancer and no exposure is safe, CTU Policy Director Bill Rosenberg declares. “We have known this fact since at least 1986 when the World Health Organisation declared just that,” he says. “Demolition workers, tradespeople, carpenters and householders may

have been needlessly exposed to asbestos fibres in Christchurch.”

The government should have been proactive in its approach to the presence of this known workplace carcinogen, he claims. “The government has a moral obligation to take urgent action,” Mr Rosenberg insists. “This should include

A

monitoring the people who have been exposed, and compensating them if needed.”

New Zealand is “out of step” with many other countries around the world as it doesn’t have a plan in place to eliminate asbestos.

“Banning all importation of asbestos products is a critical step,” Mr Rosenberg believes. “In Australia and the UK, asbestos products are strictly banned at the border.”

He says urgency should be given to upgrading the asbestos regulations rather than waiting until April 2015. “There should be notification of work with asbestos, employers should be required to keep records of working with asbestos, and buildings known to contain asbestos should be registered,” Mr Rosenberg says.

The government has a goal of reducing workplace accidents by 25 percent by 2020 and must also have a goal around asbestos, similar to the European Parliament’s agreement to ‘eradicate’ asbestos by 2028.

“In New Zealand we should have a national plan to eliminate asbestos from buildings by 2030,” Mr Rosenberg says. “The aim should be to completely eradicate asbestos from all workplaces.”

He adds that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) estimates that 170 deaths occur a year from asbestos-related diseases, and that this will rise to over 300 as the results of the ‘asbestos boom’ of the 1970s make themselves felt.

“Even 170 is double the number of workplace deaths each year from injury – a number which is itself far too high,” Mr Rosenberg notes. “We can and must prevent more deaths in future decades.”

Ultimately, he says, the risks have been known to employers and government for 30 years. “There is no excuse for putting off decisive action any longer,” Mr Rosenberg insists.

The CTU has listed 12 action points on asbestos: 1.

An immediate priority to upgrading the asbestos health and safety regulations currently these are slated to come into force alongside the proposed Health and Safety at Work Act in mid2015. This is too far away and the Minister of Labour should

Government to review asbestos action

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arthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced a multi-government agency review into the processes of dealing with asbestos that will be carried out by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) and Fletcher EQR. The review follows a claim by a project manager for a company accredited to Fletcher EQR to manage EQC repairs in the Canterbury Home Repair programme that up to 60,000 people could have been exposed to lethal asbestos fibres.

WorkSafe NZ is investigating the complaint but Fletcher Construction says there is no one single register with figures on how many people in Canterbury may have been exposed to asbestos through

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July/August – 2014

earthquake repairs.

Homeowners of quake-damaged houses are made aware of asbestos problems but there is no single registry of all the asbestos homes across Canterbury, according to Fletcher Construction chief executive Graham Darlow.

“Records of asbestos homes were kept by Fletcher EQR and the Earthquake Commission,” he notes. “A single registry would come with a cost and the agencies involved would need to discuss whether it was good use of public money.”

All houses built between 1940 and 1990 that have been or are being repaired were tested for asbestos from the middle of 2012.

“Thirty five home owners have requested a further test following their repairs,” Mr Darlow adds.

Five of the six investigations by industry regulator WorkSafe have not resulted in prosecution and one was ongoing. “We’ve been engaged in this programme since the first earthquake in 2010 and we’ve completed 48,000 emergency repairs, and we’ve now completed a further 56,000 permanent repairs so I don’t think six is a big number across that.”

Mr Darlow says Fletchers has worked with Worksafe on the management of asbestos. “From the beginning of the programme which dates back to late 2010 we’ve been complying in all respects with the regulations and the guidelines which existed at the time, and we’ve been complying with those and/or better.”

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced a multi-government agency review into the processes of dealing with asbestos that will be carried out by the MBIE, the EQC and Fletcher EQR.

regulate as quickly as possible.

Further amendments can be made following more detailed consultation.

2. As MBIE has proposed, the regulations should be based on the Australian approach which includes a presumption that asbestos is present in the built environment and therefore workplaces, and lowering the exposure limits which are out of line with international standards, and require more prescription in relation to removal work.

3.

There should be mandatory licensing and training for those working with asbestos (both maintenance and demolition) 4.

The distinction between friable and non-friable asbestos is unhelpful given the possi-

ble deterioration of previously non-friable asbestos and should be removed.

5.

A complete ban on the importation of asbestos-containing products should be implemented.

6. A National Plan to eliminate all asbestos containing material from the built environment by 2030.

7.

All work with asbestos should be notifiable under workplace health and safety legislation.

8.

The government should take urgent steps to implement a Health Surveillance scheme similar to that used in the UK for many years. This requires employers (or all persons conducting businesses or undertakings under the proposed

Malignant mineral

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sbestos must have seemed a wonder mineral way back in the day – non-biodegradable, with great tensile strength, a poor heat conductor and relatively resistant to chemical weathering.

Little wonder it was used widely and indiscriminately, particularly in building and insulation materials such as boilers and heating vessels; cement pipe; clutch, brake, and transmission components; conduits for electrical wire; pipe covering; roofing products; duct and home insulation; fire protection panels; furnace insulating pads; pipe or boiler insulation; sheet vinyl or floor tiles and underlay for sheet flooring.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as benign as it seemed as damage to material that contains asbestos can result in the release of small asbestos fibres that become airborne and are readily inhaled.

Inhaled asbestos fibres aren’t acutely toxic but can remain in the lungs for long periods and serious lung disease including: • asbestosis (scarring of lung tissues) • mesothelioma (malignant cancers developing around the linings of either the chest or the abdominal cavities) • lung cancer (often associated with smoking, but sharply increasing an individual’s risk of disease) • pleural plaques (thickening of membranes around the lungs which may or may not lead to further disease, and leading to varying degrees of debilitation).

These diseases have long latency periods, in the order of 10-50 years, and are associated with all forms of asbestos – although blue asbestos is considered to be the most harmful form.

They have taken a heavy toll to

law changes) to keep records of worker exposure to hazards such as asbestos for 40 years to allow tracking of long latency diseases such as those caused by asbestos exposure.

9. All identified asbestos in Christchurch should be registered.

If a building contains asbestos materials the priority should be to remove it. If asbestos is identified in a building it should be notified in LIM reports.

10. The National Asbestos Registers should be reinvigorated and improved including by making them compulsory.

11.

Lung cancer should be registered and recorded in more detail.

12.

There should be a system of notification by medical practi-

tioners of all potential asbestos related conditions/exposures including, lung cancer and pleural plaques [asbestosis and mesothelioma are currently recorded].

Mr Rosenberg’s warning is timely as Fletchers, the major contractor responsible for a significant part of the rebuild project, is facing possible charges for not complying with the law.

WorkSafe NZ has applied to the Christchurch District Court for an extension on its formal investigation into cases of EQC and Fletchers contractors being exposed to asbestos but the application was adjourned and a court date has not yet been set.

date as the MBIE conservatively estimates that 170 of the estimated 700 to 900 deaths from workplace disease in NZ in 2010 were due to asbestos exposure, making this the biggest cause of work-related mortality.

More worryingly, New Zealand is currently experiencing a ‘second epidemic’ of asbestos disease caused by exposure to the mineral in the 1950s to 1970s, which could push the mortality rate to 300 per annum.

On a brighter note, the World Health Organisation has determined that the ingesting asbestos through the digestive system, such as through contaminants from asbestos pipes in drinking water, does not present the same carcinogenic hazard as presented by inhalation.

Either way, asbestos could soon be a thing of the past as growing awareness of the mineral’s health hazards since the 1930s has seen some 54 countries ban or partially ban its use – with Australia prohibiting all imports from December 2003.

Unfortunately, however, international moves to ban asbestos totally have proved unsuccessful - Russia is currently the world’s leading producer and exporter while China and India absorb more than half of the global output.

Healthy hints

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sbestos-containing materials are found in many building products in New Zealand, but workers in Canterbury are at a particularly high level of risk of exposure because of the amount of demolition and repair of residential buildings following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

WorkSafe New Zealand has produced an Asbestos Toolkit, with a series of eight factsheets to help assess the hazard of asbestos and provide options on how it can be safely managed.

The toolkit covers such topics as: • Health risks from asbestos exposure • Locations where asbestos may be found • Surveying a building to determine whether asbestos is present • Managing asbestos • Personal Protective Equipment to use when working with asbestos • Restricted and notifiable work involving asbestos • Non-friable asbestos • Disposal of asbestos waste.

www.isn.co.nz

35

HEALTH & SAFETY>> WORKING ALONE Sponsored article

New technology designed to help lone workers in an emergency Lone workers can be found in many workplace situations, all of which involve separate and distinct hazards

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hese hazards can be purely safety-related, but health issues are also an important risk to consider when it comes to lone-worker risk assessment in a variety of settings.

The definition of lone workers includes people working alone on site in fixed establishments - offices, retail environments, mobile workers working away from a fixed base such as installation operatives, service sector workers and home workers.

Lone working is completely legal but the law does require companies to ensure that those employees working alone are at no greater risk than other employees, which means that employers have to understand and appreciate the types of work that are undertaken by staff.

Employers should be confident about the procedures they have in place - for example, working in an office may not usually be a lone working situation but the person who arrives first in the morning and is last out at night may be at greater risk than attendant risks assessed.

A comprehensive risk assessment should therefore be undertaken regardless of the industry and should include consideration of such topics as personal safety like violence, aggression and confron-

tation involving both humans and animals. It should be employee specific with consideration of gender, age, race, disability, medical issues and language barriers and take account of competence, training, skills or experience.

There may be specific issues regarding the location of the lone worker and again a risk assessment should consider site-specific matters such as: • the location of the site –remote, rural or urban site features such as geology, hydrology, areas at height or areas below ground • the likely presence of hazardous substances that can have detrimental health effects – e.g. asbestos, chemicals or ground contamination • the likely presence of sharp materials like glass, discarded needles • access, parking, site security arrangements • availability of suitable welfare facilities A Risk Control System (RCS) should be developed in order to reduce the level of risk that has been identified and should always be discussed with employees, who can also make observations and have input into the process.

Considerations can include the methods of communication used to stay in touch with the lone worker such as verbal in person,

Increasingly, companies are managing lone worker risks by using technology such as smartphone applications that can track employees in real-time using GPS technology, allowing the organisation to monitor employees who are working away from a fixed base and enabling employees to send alerts to managers/supervisors to inform them of any potential issues telephone, SMS or e-mail and whether or not access to emergency support is known – fire, police, hospital. Have instructions and procedures been developed, has a site-specific Risk Assessment and

Method Statement (RAMS) been developed and is there a requirement for a process of Dynamic Risk Assessment?

Check whether the arrangements for both employee and manage-

The price of neglect

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n October 2004, a gamekeeper suffered serious injuries to his pelvis when his quad bike overturned on a slope. Although there was a mobile phone signal in the area, he had not been issued with a phone or other means of communication, and tried to reach a nearby farmhouse for help. A search wasn’t initiated until he was first missed 52 hours after the accident. Searchers found his body 200 yards from the scene of the accident in another field.

Clearly the injured gamekeeper did not die immediately and if he had a means of communication then he would have had an opportunity to summon help.

His employers were found guilty of a health and safety breach, having failed to provide a means of communication or carrying out a risk assessment for a lone worker to report in at the end of a shift.

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July/August – 2014

StaySafe systems include session started/extended/end/expired, 2/7 panic alert, duress alert in which an attacker is fooled into believing that a session has been cancelled, non-movement alert for a potential mandown situation and a low battery alert

thing happens

Employers must ensure that a means of communication is available in the event of an emergency and that there is a procedure for regular contact.

Workers must be trained in these procedures ment training are suitable and with less risk, and benefit from the whether or not effective monitor- increased employee productivity, ing procedures in place? faster sales cycles and decreased Increasingly, companies are man- staff costs that lone working allows. aging lone worker risks by using It provides a dependable means of technology such as smartphone ap- communication in an emergenplications that can track employees cy as well as regular and reliable in real-time using GPS technology, contact to know what people are allowing the organisation to mon- doing, where exactly they are, that itor employees who are working they're okay and have the systems away from a fixed base and ena- and procedures readily in place to bling employees to send alerts to respond in case of emergency. managers/supervisors to inform StaySafe enables a reduction them of any potential issues. in the risk and consequences of StaySafe uses smartphone non-compliance with a company’s technology to allow a user to auto- statutory duty of care to provide a matically summon help using their safe workplace and safe systems of smartphone if they get into difficul- work by ensuring its staff are as safe ty whilst working, travelling or even as is reasonably practical. It provides socialising. assurance to staff that someone Tracking sessions are initiated is looking out for them who can by users and a monitor is notified and will respond in an emergency, by a number of different alerts of giving lone workers peace of mind, varying potential severity during a improving morale, productivity and session – either visually through a reducing employee turnover as well web-based hub or by email or SMS. as reducing reputational risks that a This includes session started/ lone worker incident would cause. extended/end/expired, 2/7 panic StaySafe provides an easy to use, alert, duress alert in which an at- flexible, cost-effective solution that tacker is fooled into believing enables workers to call for help if that a session has been cancelled, required: non-movement alert for a potential • automated procedures that don't man-down situation and a low batrely on other people rememtery alert. bering to monitor when a lone The system offers numerous worker is due back at base benefits, including allowing organ- • the capability of handling unlimisations to decrease the cost and ited numbers of lone workers in streamline the management of unlimited number of workgroups lone workers, reduce the risks and • managers know where staff are consequences of non-compliance on a map, what they are doing, with health and safety regulations, and that they are okay - in real help retain staff with better morale time and lower turnover and reduce PR • record and retain incident logs risk. and session details automatically It also allows organisations to • define lone worker notification cost-effectively manage and deploy alerts with fingertip access to lone workers in an organisation procedural documents if some-

• provides multiple alarm types-man down/duress/session expired/session extended/low battery/non movement • know where lone workers actually are located, not where they are SUPPOSED to be • nip incidents in the bud - alarms immediately alert designated users who can respond and escalate as necessary and don't wait until lone workers are supposed to back to base • users create their own tracking sessions – they initiate their own tracking sessions because they want to be safe • users know that someone is looking out for them • the ability to archive and store session data, including mapped locations, and revisit at any time • the ability to SEE where lone workers are on a map/satellite image • 24/7 availability – lone workers can initiate a panic alert at any time, irrespective of whether they are being tracked at that time or not, or even at work • The system is a reliable, easy to use and highly cost-effective

means of communication with lone workers and enables them to actively take responsibility for their own well-being and safety.

• Employers and self-employed people have to take reasonable care for their own safety when they work alone and employees must take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health when working alone.

• Business sectors such as infrastructure utilities, construction, property development education and social services share a number of common factors.

• Employers must establish a safe working environment for employees who work alone, assess the hazards that face their workers and identify control measures to eliminate or reduce the risks of injury or harm.

• Employers must ensure that a means of communication is available in the event of an emergency and that there is a procedure for regular contact and workers must be trained in these procedures.

For more information: www.staysafeapp.com.

Quick questions

• Do you really know where your Lone Workers are?

• Do you know that they’re ok?

• Do they have an effective means of communication in case something happens?

• Have you carried out a proper risk assessment recently?

www.isn.co.nz

37

PRODUCTS >> Special feature Sponsored article

Spill containment, emergency showers and eyewash technology

E

nware’s range of easily handled relocatable spill-containment products are custom-designed to protect the environment and workers from the many hazardous chemicals found in industrial, civil, municipal, mining and military applications.

The flexible portable and robust containment products - constructed from high-grade specialised

polymers to resist diverse ranges of fuel and chemicals - are produced

by ENPAC, which has decades of experience in delivering optimum performance and best value in design engineering and production capacity.

Enware’s safety showers, eyewash and spill protection technology is focused on industrial worksites where serious injury can

The range of emergency safety showers and eye/face washes quickly remove contaminants and irritants from the face, body and eyes

occur if eye and skin accidents are not treated within seconds. The range of emergency safety showers and eye/face washes feature breakthrough technology that quickly removes contaminants and irritants from the face, body and eyes.

The award winning EM850 relocatable self-contained safety shower with eye wash is tough and reliable featuring a solar battery

charging for use in remote or harsh conditions. It is designed for loading or unloading access for forklift tines or cranes.

Designed and manufactured in Australia, the high-visibility showers and eyewashes have been independently tested for compliance to ANSI Z358.1-2009 and AS4775-2007 standards.

Mental health basin kits anti-ligature features Enware’s compact Cera basin and contemporary Sign bowl have robust anti-ligature features

C

ompact and contemporary basin kits from Enware Australia offer superior anti-ligature and hygienic features while still offering a modern design for mental health care applications.

The versatile range of seven mental health basin kits feature either Cera or Sign basins, both of which are manufactured in Sweden to a commercial grade with double glazing for extra infection control.

The functional Scandinavian design of products is proven globally in health applications, with Enware’s long-established service network providing specialist backup wherever they are used.

Their vitreous china construction

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July/August – 2014

The IFO2360-100MHKIT with Cera basin

offers an attractive, environmentally friendly and durable natural material providing hygienic and environmentally harmonious solutions.

The Mental Health Kit range offers 600, 700, 770 and 900mm basin options, with shroud, waste, fixing kits and bottle traps to deliver

a contemporary sanitary solution, without ligature points, for hospitals and aged care facilities. The 770 and 900mm basin kits, featuring Sign basins with left or right-hand bowl options, include white powder-coated PS steel frame.

Features of all kits include:

The contemporary IFO7470-100 MHKIT with Sign right hand bowl option basin

• no ligature points on the basin and shroud • no concealment areas • easy-to-clean bowls • load-tested to an excess of 400 kg • ample layoff space without further need of joinery • AS1428.1-2009/10 compliant

PRODUCTS

New glasses help beat jetlag

A

n innovative solution is at hand to the perennial problem of jetlag, which knocks out the sync between an internal body clock and the day/night pattern when crossing time zones.

Light therapy is the only way to ‘reset’ natural circadian rhythms quickly, so a traveller can operate at peak efficiency from the moment he or she arrives.

Re-timer glasses are ergonomic, lightweight and produce a 100

percent UV-free green light which helps reset the body clock to bring it in line with the local day/night cycle as soon as possible.

Re-timer’s green light source has been independently tested for ocular safety and is the most effective wavelength to reset that inner clock.

Wearing the Re-timer glasses for 30-50 minutes a day for four days before leaving on a long-haul flight will gradually shift the sleeping pat-

Portable lift system safely hoists up to 200 tons

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he PL-Series Pow’R-LOCK Portable Lifting system with full-time locking capability is designed and purpose-built to provide safe and secure lifting for heavy

off-highway machinery including trucks, tractors, civil engineering machinery and implements.

Pow’R-LOCK accomplishes its load-holding protection by utilizing

tern naturally.

Travellers use one of the jetlag calculators available on the internet to customise a schedule for wearing the glasses, depending on whether they are flying East or West.

Re-timer glasses were developed in Australia by a clinical psycholo-

gist and former president of the Australasian Sleep Association, and a sleep researcher at Flinders University in Adelaide.

a control system (patent pending) that maintains the position of a rotating locking collar near the cylinder base, providing a mechanical lock regardless of cylinder movement and control cycle.

The heavy-duty lifting system integrates into a rugged mobile cart with a high capacity and compact 700 bar (10,000 psi) hydraulic cylinder and an air-driven hydraulic pump unit with complete valving and control systems.

“Frustrating problems can arise both in workshop situations where space is at a premium, and in remote situations where normal plant services and lifting surfaces are not available,” says Enerpac Regional Manager, Australia and New Zealand Denis Matulin.

Mr Matulin says a solution to such

problems is offered by the easily manoeuvrable, self-contained, Pow’R-LOCK Lifting Jack system, which can be used in even the tightest locations and over rough terrain where recommended safety procedures are followed.

“Pow’R-LOCK is unique in that it provides autonomous locking of the load through all stages of lifting and lowering,” he explains. “No operator intervention is required to activate or energize the locking system – they just lift or lower the load. If anything hazardous occurs, the Pow’R-LOCK system is there to hold the load.”

Enerpac recommends that safety first procedures be followed wherever Pow’R-LOCK is operated, including published safety directions for lifting and cribbing loads.

New Zealand Respiratory & Sleep Institute. www.nzrsi.co.nz

New smartphone app to make trucking safer A local start-up has introduced a simple alternative to traditional paper logbooks that it believes will not only reduce the time it takes to move freight but also reduce driver fatigue.

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he Logmate Drivers Logbook System smartphone app is a cloud-based drivers’ logbook software platform that enables commercial drivers and transport operators to record and manage work time entries electronically.

Logmate offers drivers of heavy vehicles an alternative to cumbersome and exhausting paperwork claims Tierra Technologies Ltd founder Greg McDowell. “These vehicles are very much part of our economic psyche, and helping businesses leverage the benefits of technology just makes things more

efficient all-round,” he says.

Mr McDowell says that drivers who aren’t worried about paperwork can concentrate more on driving. “If drivers are tired or fatigued, they present a danger to other road users and themselves.”

Introduced in June following 18 months of development with assistance from the NZTA and the NZ Police, the Logmate Drivers Logbook System iOS and Android apps utilise a cloud-based administration panel to provide storage, management and security services.

“The app is simple to use, works

on most popular smartphone devices, removes most of the hassles and helps drivers and transport operators make good decisions when it comes to driver fatigue,” Mr McDowell says.

A software engineer with more than 12 years’ experience, Mr McDowell designed the Logmate system and coded the mobile apps to capitalise on the growing trend towards software as a service.

“When the opportunity to get involved & build something that will deliver a genuine benefit to drivers and make our roads safer for

all, I jumped at the chance,” he explains.

Tierra Technologies Ltd was formed in February 2013 with the explicit aim of bringing mobile technologies and fresh thinking to the New Zealand transport industry, which the founders felt had begun to recognise the value that mobile technologies could deliver.

www.isn.co.nz

39

MANAGEMENT >>> Comment by Dean Jenkins Sponsored article

Safety from the ground up enters industry DNA

Building safety systems into everyday operations need not be costly but it does require an organisation to take them seriously

H

ow do you maintain a strong safety record in some of the most dangerous industries in the world?

This is the task facing many industry operators in the 21st-century, and one that must increasingly be addressed by resource and energy companies large and small following the tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and the vast cost, both to human life and to the environment that resulted from it.

Though it is impossible to say whether tougher safety measures would have prevented the Gulf disaster, governments around the world have embarked on major reviews, investigations and discussions to strengthen legislation governing safety.

Regardless of major disaster or legislation, smaller but still costly and damaging cases of neglect and error occur all too often throughout industry every week. It is these “day-to-day” events that can be addressed by developing the correct safety culture throughout the organisation.

As a company, Hydratight puts safety and integrity in any job ahead of profit and expediency.

There is only one way to do a job, and that is the right way.

It is partly for this reason that Hydratight’s adherence to safety-inwork principles is being extended to clients, and to outside bodies inducting newcomers to industries served by our company.

Safety should be the goal of everyone within industry, the company believes, and by extending its accredited, internationally-recognised training courses, Hydratight is helping to create a growing core of well-trained, safe-working technicians, taught by some of the industry’s most experienced engineers from Hydratight operating around the world. Knowledge and expertise are thus passed to col-

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July/August – 2014

leagues and trainees on day-to-day projects.

In this way the cause of general training and competent, safe working is carried forward to a new generation of industry personnel – all working to a higher, common standard and, in a small way, gradually helping to spread this message across all companies and levels of the industry.

Some companies believe safe working practices can be fostered by offering rules and guidelines reinforced by annual or monthly award schemes, or even financial prizes. At Hydratight, we believe safe working within our industries call for more than just award or prize systems: the philosophy of safety is built into the Hydratight DNA. The company is far more concerned that every employee exercises an extraordinary level of care at all times.

By extending its accredited, internationally-recognised training courses, Hydratight is helping to create a growing core of well-trained, safe-working technicians, taught by some of the industry’s most experienced engineers Hydratight has introduced several initiatives to illustrate the immense value it places on continuous personal development and safety at all levels. Among these are mentoring initiatives, global learning days, in which every member of staff in

There needs to be a plan for proper procedure and inspection, and all the data needed by trained personnel to do their job properly needs to be available on demand, not locked away in someone’s office.

Active awards Having said that, Hydratight has no hesitation in praising members of the team for responsible for successful projects. We have also instituted in-house awards, which reward positive feedback from clients and fellow workers. In this way we encourage the highest standards from Hydratight field service engineers in the field.

Hydratight provides comprehensive and externally accredited training in all areas of bolted joint integrity, on-site machining, and associated joint integrity management activities.

over 30 countries is encouraged to undertake an extra-curricular training session; and performance management.

The company also educates staff with regular briefings on the ways training and development can affect personal performance and, in turn, overall company performance.

Building safety systems into everyday operations need not be very costly, but it does require an organisation to take them seriously - to take “ownership” of safety matters and protect them against the laziness, cost-cutting and negli-

gence that weakens them and lays a company open to greater danger, injury and damaging investigation and litigation.

It starts with a senior management process that provides a senior individual the responsibility for, or “ownership” of, instituting safety policy matters, and supporting that person’s work.

Heightened awareness Next is awareness: everyone with an influence on safety, whether managers or site supervisors or team leaders or individual colleagues, should be aware of the safety system through publications, meetings, regular briefings and continual reinforcement of the message. It takes only one person to operate dangerously, but many to deal with the consequences.

Management tools to permit the system’s implementation are a necessary evil: risk assessment, competence management, practice controls, records and data management all have a significant role to play.

There is an old-school idea that safety isn’t in the rulebook but in the head; that common sense and experience are vital prerequisites for safety to be maintained across

PRODUCTS

Sustainable cribbing solution sets new safety standards A high performance recycled plastic cribbing system outperforms the wooden products it replaces while outlasting them typically many times over

Tough versatile recycled plastic Dura Crib and Dura Stat systems replace finite resources

T

he lightweight, splinter-free, non-absorbent and environmentally sustainable Dura Crib and Dura Stat ranges from the Cribbing and Matting Co Pty Ltd were specifically developed to replace older, weaker, less predictable wood cribbing systems which need constant ongoing replacement involving consumption of a finite resource.

“These systems are engineered to provide whole-of-life value, with a 50-year warranty against splitting, rotting, absorption, termites and mould a guaranteed span of 50 years service,” says Cribbing and Matting managing director Tony

Brooks, whose company is introducing the Dura Crib and Dura Stat ranges throughout Australasia.

company operations.

While this is to some extent true, modern working practices simply don’t permit individuals to decide for themselves what might be safe and what might not: the industry is too complex and operations and processes too wide-ranging for any one person to assume full knowledge and understanding in every situation.

If nothing else, accident investigation and correction can operate only on what has happened and was documented — not what was going on in the head of the individuals involved.

Best practice needs to be adopted everywhere, with procedures specific to each operation. There needs to be a plan for proper pro-

cedure and inspection, and all the data needed by trained personnel to do their job properly needs to be available on demand, not locked away in someone’s office.

In the best implementations, where training and skills are given a high significance, management also needs a way to know which personnel are able to undertake specific tasks. Hydratight wouldn’t allow a relatively new recruit to work on a high-pressure, high-temperature line that carries lethal chemicals, for example, so managers need to know exactly who is capable of doing what, and what stage of training has been reached by each technician.

Only when this information is fully recorded and available can a

Re-engineered plastic Dura Crib will not break down The systems are ideal for the Australasian and South-East Asia Pacific regions, where there are strong movements towards greater protection of timber resources and better worksite safety through stronger and lighter products that are easier to transport and handle on often remote and difficult sites.

Dura Crib and Dura Stat systems have been extensively proven under some of the world’s toughest safety

regimes in the US, where they are manufactured to meet strict environmental standards.

“A beauty of this range is that it is a complete proven system of integrated products that can be combined to provide comprehensive solutions across a wide range of industries,” says Mr Brooks.

Benefits of the re-engineered plastic cribbing and blocking systems include: • 100 per cent recycled plastic construction for optimum durability http://turtleplastics.com/ category/products/testing • unmatched strength – stronger than oak, with a typical strength

definitive team be put together to carry out any job – or indeed any trainee be assigned to an experienced team so that he or she might learn from their example.

Does this company-wide adherence to safety matters work in practice?

All Hydratight staff are encouraged to report unsafe work practices, and all incident reports are overseen by the head of the company.

A senior committee under his guidance then monitors every incident reported, and may make findings and recommendations that are relayed to each of Hydratight’s 30 global outlets, ensuring the same factors cannot result in a similar problem else-

per square inch of 700-1200 psi (4.826 – 8.2737 MPa) • high stability and repeatability (consistency of plus/minus two percent, predictability 99 percent) • resistant to gas, oil, chemicals and organic substances such as blood • suitable for both active cribbing, where a person is working nearby, and for passive cribbing, where cribbing is used to keep material off the ground to allow a forklift to operate.

“For years fire and emergency departments, industrial plants, resources and mining workers have used wood to stabilise equipment, products and vehicles,” Mr Brooks observes. “This is despite the fact that it comes with knots, is absorbent, cracks, splits and splinters – in fact, the only guarantee with wood is that you will eventually have to replace it.”

Dura Crib and Dura Stat are guaranteed for 50 years against such shortcomings while creating a safer, longer-lasting and more durable cribbing base that saves time and money in the long run.

where. Such incidents also inform the development of constantly-reviewed in-house safety policies. A dedicated section of the company intranet distributes safety bulletins globally, as does a special newsletter for each region of operations.

You might wonder if this takes up a lot of management time, and the answer is no – it becomes part of the rhythm of the business. In recent years, the company’s reported incidents have fallen to an all-time low and we’re driving for Target Zero. Working safely really does pay off, when you do things right.

Dean Jenkins is global joint security specialist Hydratight APAC Leader

www.isn.co.nz

41

MANAGEMENT

Tough task ahead, WorkSafe NZ stakeholders told

The performance of the New Zealand health and safety system is – to be blunt – poor, WorkSafe NZ Chairman Professor Gregor Coster told a recent WorkSafe NZ stakeholder event

Chief executive Gordon Macdonald says the WorkSafe’s task as a good, effective and smart regulator is to say we have lots of tools in the toolbox – partnership working, working through supply chains, working in collaboration with organisations, developing guidance, developing standards, sharing knowledge, educating the workforce and the public about risk and how you manage it and enforcing and inspecting and investigating

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he health and safety system is “effectively broken” and, as a nation, the country is lagging seriously behind other countries, Professor Coster believes.

“In particular, New Zealand’s average of 75 workplace deaths per annum is seven times the rate of that of the UK on a per-head basis and our death and injury rates are twice those of Australia,” Professor Coster notes.

“If we had the same rate therefore of deaths as England in New Zealand we would only lose 11 people a year, so we’ve got a big piece of work to do.”

He says WorkSafe NZ thinks there is a “fundamental and structural weakness” that needs to be addressed.

“The government has set a very big target for us by – by 2020 they want to see a 25 percent reduction in deaths and serious injuries in the workplace,” Professor Coster observes. “That’s a big target and we

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want to achieve it.”

His confident assertion was backed by WorkSafe NZ Chief Executive is Gordon Macdonald, who asked which of the following describes his organisation - enforcer, challenger, facilitator, enabler, prime mover or supporter?

“Of course the answer is all of the above,” he says. “That’s what I believe we have to be as an organisation.”

However, Mr Macdonald concedes that WorkSafe NZ isn’t the centre of the health and safety universe. “The centre of the health and safety universe is the business because it’s the enterprise that creates the risk,” he maintains. “It’s the enterprise that controls the risk.”

Orbiting around that central point in the universe are a lot of influencing factors – trade associations, the economy, political pressure, trade unions, media, insurance companies, banks, accountants.

“There are lots of things that in-

fluence the way businesses behave and we are one of those influences,” Mr Macdonald believes.

“So our task as a good, effective and smart regulator is to say we have lots of tools in the toolbox – partnership working, working through supply chains, working in collaboration with organisations, developing guidance, developing standards, sharing knowledge, educating the workforce and the public about risk and how you manage it and enforcing and inspecting and investigating.”

The trick as a regulator is, he thinks, is to ask how all these tools in the toolbox are going to be deployed. “Who are we going to collaborate with, who are we going to work in partnership with, who are going to provide the focus for our inspection and enforcement effort,” he asks. “It’s that task we are engaged in now.”

WorkSafe NZ’s arduous task certainly isn’t underestimated by Minister of Labour Simon Bridges,

who says New Zealand currently is embarking on probably the “most significant” reform of health and safety seen in at least 20 years.

“That involves significant overhaul of our laws – both our primary legislation and the regulations that underpin and support that,” he notes.

In broad terms, this means that getting away from an employer-employee distinction towards a much more rounded position where everyone needs to take care of everyone else on the work site.

“We’re also increasing penalties, including the due diligence requirement that many of you will understand and be aware of,” Mr Bridges adds.

“We’re also doing a lot in the worker participation area to make sure that everyone is involved in health and safety.”

Buddle Finlay partner Sherridan Cook is in no doubt that education is going to be key if the government’s ambitious aims are to be achieved within the targeted timeframe, and to this end WorkSafe NZ has to be seen to be working with business.

“Don’t be the type of regulator that takes a hands-off approach and says “we’re the regulator – you’ve got to do what we say”,” Mr Cook says. “Actually get involved with businesses.”

Auckland City Council Health & Safety Transformation manager Mark Lipman, meanwhile, is looking for clarity, guidance and help, support and leadership from WorkSafe NZ. “I need the regulations to work for me as an organisation, I need them to inspire my organisation to change, to be better and I need that clarity so that I can understand and the organisation can understand exactly what needs to be done to get through this big challenge.”

Proportionality is the most important aspect of WorkSafe’s approach to health and safety reform accord-

MANAGEMENT

This means that getting away from an employeremployee distinction towards a much more rounded position where everyone needs to take care of everyone else on the work site – Minister of Labour Simon Bridges ing to Transdev general manager Safety & Compliance Huw Bridges.

“The regulator has to seen to be fair, to be just and to be proportionate in its approach is absolutely

critical, otherwise it would be very easy to undermine one’s credibility if they don’t behave in a proportionate and credible way.

EMA Health & Safety consultant

Patrick Seaman takes a similar line in seeking “clear guidance” from WorkSafe NZ regarding practicable steps in the new legislation and what industry actually has to do.

“I think there’s some real misunderstanding about the expectations,” he adds. “I think the guidance material that Worksafe NZ produces could be a lot simpler and could be aimed at the smaller employer for them to be able to get a basic understanding of what they need to do.”

The sum total of these concerns is nervousness among boards, says Buddle Finlay’s Sherridan Cook.

“They are taking on personal liability and can’t insure against it, so they have to know more about their business from a health and safety perspective,” he believes.

“But directors in New Zealand companies have been lumbered with more personal liability in a number of different areas so they see it as another area in which they need to upskill and if they get appropriate advice and do it properly they shouldn’t be too concerned.”

Chrisana Archer and Catherine Spiller talking up the WorkSafe message

www.isn.co.nz

43

STANDARDS>>Fire, gas and electricity

New standard to help gas and electricity industries improve safety Electricity and gas industries will benefit from a new risk-based standard that helps them manage their assets to reduce risk and improve public safety.

S

tandards New Zealand has published NZS 7901:2014 Electricity and gas industries – Safety management systems for public safety.

The standard helps electricity generators, distributors, and owners or operators of gas supply systems to develop and maintain safety management systems for the facilities and equipment they operate in order to prevent harm to the public or property.

Peter Berry, chair of the P 7901 committee, says the committee took on board the changing demands on electricity and gas supply industries to manage risks to public safety associated with the presence or operation of their industries’ assets.

“We’ve updated the standard to include current risk management practices and aligned it with planned reforms to health and safety legislation.”

NZS 7901 now includes a riskbased approach with principles and guidelines from AS/NZS ISO 31000 Risk management – Principles and guidelines. This approach helps opNew standard for protective footwear for firefighters The Standards Association of New Zealand has published a new standard AS/NZS 4821:2014 – Protective footwear for firefighters – Requirements and test methods.

The standard provides minimum performance requirements for firefighters’ footwear intended for firefighting and associated activities to enable the manufacture and selection of footwear that does not melt or ignite when exposed to flame or risks to which firefighters may be exposed. This standard supersedes AS/NZS 4821:2006.

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erators assess, manage, and reduce significant risks from electricity and gas supply industry assets.

Operators need to document and monitor their safety management systems to show continuous improvement of safety levels. They also need to have these systems regularly audited by accredited certification bodies.

NZS 7901 has been developed by the New Zealand electricity and gas supply industries and other stakeholders. The committee included representatives from Contact Energy, Electricity Engineers’ Association of New Zealand Inc., Genesis Energy, Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, KiwiRail,

Meridian Energy, WorkSafe New Zealand, New Zealand Council of Elders, New Zealand Institute of Safety Management, Orion New Zealand Ltd, Powerco, Telarc SAI Ltd, Transpower New Zealand Ltd and Vector Ltd.

STANDARDS>>Comment by Michelle Wessing

Seeking safety in standards Standards and standardisation touch our lives wherever we are, including protecting us at work

I

f there had been international guidelines for standardising screw thread sizes during the Second World War, it is estimated £25 million (approximately £750 million today) would have been saved.

If freight containers around the world did not have the same specifications, international trade would be a lot more difficult and expensive. Without standards, we would not have credit cards, the internet, or mobile phones.

Clearly, therefore, standards are important – and nowhere more so than when it comes to safety. Our national standards body was borne out of a need for safe buildings. On 3 February, 1931 the Hawkes Bay region was struck by as earthquake that measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. The death toll was 256, fire spread throughout Napier and Hastings, major Napier buildings and landmarks were completely destroyed, areas of coastline were dislodged, and the landscape changed forever.

After this disaster, Standards New Zealand was established to ensure future such events did not result in the same loss of life. Following the development of the first earthquake standard in 1932, there are now over 650 building-related New

Zealand standards. Many provide guidance for designers and builders on how to comply with the Building Code – all of which benefit industry and New Zealand communities.

Here are a few examples of other standards at work: • Protecting our environment – AS/ NZS 5377:2013 Collection, storage, transport and treatment of end-of life electrical and electronic equipment • Protecting our health – AS/NZS 2604:2012 Sunscreen products – evaluation and classification • Protecting our children – AS/NZS 1754:2010 Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles • Promoting energy efficiency – NZS 4246:2006 Energy efficiency – installing insulation in residential buildings • Enabling quality management systems – AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems – Requirements • Ensuring safety – NZS 5256 Verification of the safety of gas appliances.

And, of course, they help keep us safe at work. In our catalogue, we have over 100 standards that were developed to protect us from harm on the job. These standards cover everything from protective clothing through to safety of machinery Protecting our children – AS/NZS 1754:2010 Child restraint systems for use in motor vehicles

and the carriage of hazardous substances.

Standards mean we have the protective helmets, gloves, footwear, face pieces, goggles, leg wear and jackets that protect us from chemicals, fire, falls, dust, sun, and electrocution, to name but a few hazards.

If a product meets a standard, it means it meets the minimum safety requirements. Last year, we talked to several businesses, large and small, about how standards contribute to their success. One of those was Bata New Zealand.

Better business Bata manufactures PVC gumboots at its Owhiro Bay factory in Wellington, and they told us that meeting the requirements of AS/ NZS 2210.3 occupational protective footwear – specification for safety footwear gave the company confidence in their product.

Their QSR (Quality System Requirement) means, for example, that all Bata gumboots with safety toe caps have to meet certain rigorous standards, including passing a 200-joule drop test (where weights are dropped on the toes), slip and oil resistance, durability, and penetration resistance on the sole.

Another company, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association of New Zealand, told us that standards provide for the manufacture of safe gas appliances and their installation, enable the company to safely run distribution pipes and put meters in, and they set the specifications for fuels, all of which protect people and the environment from harm.

Wherever we go and whatever we do, standards – and standardi-

sation – touch our lives. They are in use in our homes, our clothes, our vehicles, our workplaces, the road signs we read, the toys our children play with, the aeroplanes we fly, the ATM machines we use, and the electronic systems we rely on.

They are an intrinsic part of the global economy, increasing productivity, boosting economic growth, minimising duplication and inconsistencies, encouraging best practice, and, of course, keeping us safe.

Standards New Zealand is New Zealand’s leading developer of standards and standards-based solutions, with a 35-strong staff based in Wellington. We are governed by the Standards Council, an appointed body with representatives from a wide range of community sectors, and we operate under the Standards Act 1988. We are an autonomous crown entity and are self-funded.

When a standard is to be developed, we pull together our committee members who are experts in their fields (we’re always keen to welcome applications from experts who would like to volunteer to serve on our committees).

They draft the standard or revise or amend an existing standard and we manage the development process. We use a robust and recognised process that relies on expert committee consensus and widespread consultation with affected parties, including public input.

Standards are generally voluntary, but can be mandatory when cited in Acts, regulations, or other legislative instruments. The majority of our standards are developed in partnership with Standards Australia and are called joint standards – that is why they are AS/NZS standards. However, we do not test products to particular standards and we are not a certification body.

You can read more about standards and case studies, and buy national and international standards on www.standards.co.nz Michelle Wessing is Acting Chief Executive of Standards New Zealand

www.isn.co.nz

45

LAST WORD >> Construction

Engaging employees through Safety Awareness Workshops An important duty placed on employers under the current Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 is to provide workers with opportunities to participate and contribute to workplace health and safety. The Health and Safety Reform Bill also shows an increased emphasis on involving and consulting workers in workplace health and safety.

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he Reform Bill (part 3) emphasises that employers must ‘engage employees’ in workplace health and safety.

By contrast, the current legislation states there is a general duty to ‘involve’ workers in workplace health and safety.

To engage a worker, an employer needs to actively gain their interest and attention, as well as involve them in site matters. An engaged employee will be more likely to take positive actions in health and safety.

Site Safe’s new Safety Awareness Workshops are a mechanism to provide greater health and safety engagement and awareness with workers.

Site Safe NZ Inc has worked with an Industry Steering to explore opportunities around how to provide greater options for how a person might choose to renew their Site Safe Passport and engaging employees in workplace health and safety.

The result has been the creation of a series of ‘Safety Awareness Workshops’ that focus on technical and behavioural topics that are practically based and hands-on, and related to construction specific work and hazards.

Each workshop will be between 60-90 minutes in length and de-

signed to be delivered like an interactive ‘toolbox talk’ safety meeting that can be presented in a variety of locations: on a construction site, at the employer’s premises or at Site Safe’s regular training facilities.

Renewing Site Safe Passports From July 2014 trainees can choose to attend Safety Awareness Workshops throughout the two year period following their Passport course, and have their Passport renewed for a further two years on completion of the workshops. Individuals will need to undertake a minimum of four Safety Awareness Workshops within the two year period that their Site Safe Passport is valid.

Trainees will be required to attend one mandatory ‘Safety Management and Behaviour’ Safety Awareness Workshop, covering behaviour and decision making, safety culture/awareness and hazard management.

Trainees will then choose three out of the following workshops Planning (including Task Analysis), Ladders, Manual Handling, PPE (including correct selection, compatibility and maintenance) - with additional modules added over time.

Recognising alternative training To acknowledge the value and benefit of training from other providers, one of the four workshops can be a non-Site Safe course.

Any training that links to a construction-specific health and safety based NZQA Unit Standard will be recognised.

Receive LBP points The Safety Awareness Workshops are a great opportunity to receive LBP points. Licensed Builder Practitioners (LBP) receive one point for every hour of up-skilling they do, and the Department of Building and Housing is encouraging seminars or workshops with professionals.

Why Safety Awareness Workshops?

• An opportunity to engage employees in health and safety on-site

• Renews Site Safe Passports • Workshops are short in duration • Flexible – select topics that are right for you, your employees and your business • Delivered in a variety of locations • Practically based ‘hands on’ interactive workshops that are construction health and safety specific • Recognition of other NZQA based construction health and safety training completed within the two year renewal period • Another way to encourage regular engagement with health and safety Site Safe supports, promotes and inspires a culture of health and safety in New Zealand construction. 0800 SITE SAFE www.sitesafe.org.nz/ safetyawarenessworkshops comments@sitesafe.org.nz

Site Safe Construction Health and Safety Awards entries open

S

ite Safe NZ Inc is inviting applications for the 2014 Construction Health and Safety Awards, which acknowledge people, sites and companies that are demonstrating excellence in the areas of leadership, and innovation (both small and large businesses).

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July/August – 2014

The awards aim to help improve health and safety in the construction industry by promoting great ideas and give national recognition to those making a real difference in the construction sector.

Winners in each category will receive an award trophy, a $1000 gift

certificate from the award category sponsor, and will have a feature article written on their initiative in Site Safe’s membership newsletter ‘Safety Insite’.

Applications are open until 1 September before the awards are presented at Site Safe’s Evening of

Celebration at the Ellerslie Event Centre in Auckland on 5 November, in conjunction with the 2014 Site Safe Certificate in Construction Site Safety graduation ceremony.

SPECIAL FEATURE>>LIGHTKNIGHT INTERNATIONAL Advertisement

A safety concept that saves lives

Lightknight International provides technological solutions in safety and related equipment.

I

t is a company committed to going beyond compliance to improve employee safety in hazardous low light environments, providing solutions to industry need for safety technology that works. With the impending new HSSE legislation, if your staff work in poor light, dawn, dusk or at night they are at increased risk of being hit by a moving object. Using only Hi Vis vests or normal lighting in many circumstances is not sufficient protection for your workers and supervisors. Owners and directors could be subject to significant penalties should an injury occur Lightknight is NZ Transport Agency approved.

When staff is required to work in low light environments, the danger of being hit by a moving object increases dramatically. Cur-

rently, work-zones use over lights and reflective High Vis in order to make workers as visible as possible to passing drivers or machinery operators.

High-Vis strips are important, and should still be used but they are reactive, only identifying the worker when a light source is directed towards them.

The rest of the time they cannot be easily seen which creates problems such as: • Inability to be effective and recognisable in low lighted areas • If there is no direct light source a worker cannot be identified • Workers can be mistaken as cat’s eyes or roadside reflective panels • Workers are not distinguished from safety equipment and signage around them • They cannot be identified from

long distances and are not visible from all angles • They can become faded and ineffective The Callaghan Institute says that “Research concerning vision under low levels of illumination also indicate that night time activities relates to the situations for which man is not constructed and in which man’s visual system proves inefficient”.

Lightknight premium safety products are designed in conjunction with industry and set a new standard in quality and safety performance of protection in the workplace enabling road workers, safety officers, emergency workers, forestry gangs, port workers, warehousing staff and miners and staff working in low light conditions to be recognised in a professional and innovative way.

Lightknight is a patented proactive self-illumination system designed to save lives by continuously identifying the person wearing it from any angle (360 degrees), in any work environment,

no matter what the lighting and weather conditions are.

A recent report by a government research institution proves that the system can greatly increase the visibility of low light workers by up to 10 times*.

Testing the product in the industry environment with key players during the design process has allowed them to carefully examine the needs of the industry and create a unique life-saving product: • The light generated is distinctive and will avoid confusion with light from other equipment and signage on a worksite • It is visible from all angles, from up to 600m in low light conditions • The Power-pack for the Lightknight system is lighter than iPhone, durable, water and dust resistant • It can be retrofitted to existing work-gear • It is completely transferrable from garment to garment • Garments fitted with the Lightknight system can be washed or dry-cleaned.

THE LIGHTKNIGHT PRO THE PROACTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT FITS TO ANY CLOTHING

DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED IN NEW ZEALAND

IP67 WATERPROOF CONNECTION

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

www.lightknight.com www.isn.co.nz

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