Industrial Safety News May/June 2016

May/June 2016 VOL 11 NO. 2 Price $9

PPE • ACCESS • CHEMICALS • HEALTH • INJURY • MANAGEMENT • ENVIRONMENT • FOCUS

A review of New Zealand’s most comprehensive Health & Safety event Fire evacuation procedures • Safety nets

YOUR WORKPLACE CHEMICALS NEED EXPERT HANDLING Employers MUST ensure employees are trained and equipped to safely handle all dangerous goods and hazardous substances.

HSNO Approved Handlers are your onsite compliance advisors. Our experts deliver cost-effective training customised to meet your needs: ■ HSNO Approved Handler ■ Chemical Spill Response ■ Safe Handling of Asbestos ■ Advanced HSNO Compliance for managers and supervisors ■ Implementing safe chemical management in your business ■ National Environmental Standards

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Ph 04 499 4311 Email: info@responsiblecarenz.com

ANOTHER RESPONSIBLE CARE NEW ZEALAND CHEMICAL INDUSTRY INITIATIVE

FIRST WORD • Health and Safety at Work Act

Keep calm and carry on The sun rose as usual on 5th April 2016 despite the debut of Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015

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ife goes on as we seek the elusive goal of improved productivity in safer and healthier workplaces. Sadly, however, common sense appears to be in short supply.

Presented with the opportunity to encourage those required to comply with our new workplace health and safety legislation, a mischievous media chose to publicise the worst interpretations imaginable, with the nation’s schools an easy target.

School boards and their principals (‘PCBUs’ and ‘Officers’ in the new jargon) are reportedly banning children from outdoor camps and climbing schoolyard trees - some even advocating removing the trees and playground equipment.

Our educational leaders are allegedly fearful they may be forced to mortgage their homes to pay horrendous penalties when the caretaker falls off his stepladder, or the star of the school play is injured.

Such urban myths are religiously reported by a breathless media, encouraging negativity amongst PCBUs and Officers, whatever their field of endeavour. Forget sensationalism – we need leadership.

A casual observer of media treat-

ment of efforts to reduce our unacceptable workplace death and injury performance by encouraging a culture change might wonder “where are the sector leaders who can see past the contrived concerns and misinformation and instead encourage their constituents to focus on meeting and exceeding their health and safety responsibilities?”

Associations and spokespersons have a critical role to play. Those disadvantaged by non-compliant competitors and employers can take comfort from the fact persistent offenders will finally be called to account by facing greater responsibilities and inspections – and penalties severe enough to close down a business.

A faster, more responsive and effective counter-offensive is also re-

legislation without the required comprehensive supporting infrastructure.

Agencies must quickly update free, online best practice guides and refer reporters to the solution, discouraging exaggerated speculation.

Media attention on employers getting it wrong is inevitable; however, the longer we focus on the trivial, the longer we delay implementing critical improvements. Call centres and voluminous reference material is only part of the answer.

Free agency/industry roadshows at convenient times for local businesses are a proven, cost-effective communication success in helping business operators better understand what they are required to do – and most importantly, how to do it. A chemical industry HSNO roadshow featuring local workplace inspectors and sup-

More needs to be done to reinforce the message that business operators

want to comply; not through fear of draconian penalties but because it’s the right thing to do. Chemical suppliers demonstrate the Responsible Care® ethic, safeguarding customers through product stewardship initiatives, beginning with New Zealand compliant SDS and product labels. ported by ACC reached nearly 5,000 The ‘new and improved’ Hazardpredominantly SME operators. ous Substances Regulations due late Two hundred workplace inspectors 2016 will feature successful HSNO can never provide comprehensive requirements while addressing onsite compliance advice to needy shortcomings.

SMEs. Knowledgeable employees In the meantime, let’s focus on in(aka approved handlers) will be the creasing compliance while we await first and potentially best source of major changes to the well-known crichemical safety advice, particularly teria. Those managing major hazard since chemical safety compliance has facilities will have a great deal to do, yet to change. whereas safely managing the chemical The ‘double act’ of an effective inventory in SMEs doesn’t represent workplace health and safety repre- major effort. sentative and a competent approved Safely managing workplace chemihandler will do more towards keeping cals is a well-defined path. Assistance workers safe in healthy workplac- is available from your supplier, es than obsessing over complex competent approved handlers and regulations and reference material, Responsible Care NZ. Do it once inadequate advice and pondering and do it right and you need not fear improbable, nonsensical ‘what if’ sce- savage reprisals. Ignore the horror narios involving severe punishments. stories, keep calm and carry on!

The renewed focus on long-standing responsibilities to safeguard Barry Dyer is the Chief Executive people at work provides the oppor- of Responsible Care NZ, which tunity for non-partisan collaboration provides practical products and and industry initiatives to enable a services to enable compliance with seamless transition, helping employ- New Zealand’s world-class chemical ers and employees to navigate the management regime inevitable teething problems and Tel: +644 499 4311, achieve a mutually beneficial and sat- email: info@responsiblecarenz.com, isfying outcome. visit: www.responsiblecarenz.com

“The ‘new and improved’ Hazardous Substances Regulations due late 2016.” quired. Government spokespersons feature only at the end of articles, so perhaps recognised industry and community leaders decrying the headline-grabbing myths and presenting the facts could complement newly commissioned workplace safety ads?

WorkSafe NZ FAQ and myth-busting (www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/ hswa/myth-busting) delivers sound advice to nervous business operators already struggling with compliance and vulnerable to scaremongering – not to mention a new wave of ‘pop up’ compliance advisors with expensive solutions.

Improving our unacceptable workplace health and safety performance can be both difficult and stressful for the time-poor, less well-resourced SMEs that comprise 97 per cent of our economy. This involves implementing wide-ranging compliance advice, making sense of jargon and identifying the most cost-effective solution.

The low level of HSNO compliance and the present confusion is further evidence of the danger in implementing a legacy of new and complex

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THIS ISSUE

Click to view here the late st exper catalo Our experienced team is dedicated togproviding ue

May/June 2016 SAFETY 360 – LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Supporters HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT

Facing up to sobering statistics

by WorkSafe Chief Executive First Word – Common sense still Gordon MacDonald 12-13 rules says Responsible Care’s 2 Worker participation key to forestry Barry Dyer safety says First Union General The law – think before you share Secretary Robert Reid 14-15 drink by Buddle Findlay’s Lorraine Hercus and Hamish Kynaston 38 Loss of skilled advisors undermines chemical safety says Responsible Care’s Barry Dyer 16-17 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS New hazardous substances Risk management and assessment regulations due late 2016

by NZ Planning Institute member Norbert Schaffoener 18 & 20 by Barry Dyer Workplace created diseases New approach to assessing and claim about 200 lives a year managing risk says Beca’s Bruce Campbell 21-22 says WorkSafe NZ Four decades of safe Battling the four main causes of facontainment with Bailey Tanks tigue by Fatigue Risk Management Solutions’ Rachel Lehen 24-25 New technology to help Fletcher Construction’s Michelle Buckton takes on construction dust EVENTS

The first step is to develop clear procedures says Fire & Safety Training’s Gordon Ireland

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8 21

detect workplace gas emissions says Bob Weston 30

26 Safe cost-effective asbestos pipeline removal

Health & Safety Association ConferINNOVATIONS ence has impressive line up Bright light and caffeine of speakers 10 improve driver alertness Men at work and the Dutch Witch free online Safety Leadership Awards 28-29 training module FIRE SAFETY

with a strategic and commercial approach. We offer a safety issues, investigations and prosecutions. ...........................................

Sherridan Cook, Partner 09 358 2555 // sherridan.cook Hamish Kynaston, Partner 04 499 4242 // hamish.kyn Peter Chemis, Partner 04 499 4242 // peter.chemis@b Susan Rowe, Partner 03 379 5659 // susan.rowe@bud

Simple and innovative solution for liquid waste

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Bailey Tanks 21

Buddle Findlay 27

Cancer Society 23

Fire & Safety Training Ltd 5 HASANZ 17 HASMATE 13 How can our scaffolding improve your cash flow?

INTAKS 25

Talk to us.

People Centric 31

07 577 6469

Provention 13 33 33 9

TRAINING & MANAGEMENT

5 The first step is to develop clear Are you prepared for evacuation with a plan in place 6-7 procedures says Fire & Safety Training’s Gordon Ireland 5 How to choose the correct flame resistant clothing by QSI Safety Gen- Student training towards eral Manager Jason Myburgh 35 Vocational Pathway Awards – Vertical Horizonz 19 ON-SITE SAFETY Cumulative stress is the elephant in the room at many workplaces says Safety Nets still a most People Centric’s Dr Andrea reliable tool for preventing falls from heights 36-37 Polzer-Debruyne 39

QSI 10

Responsible Care 2

Red Cross 40

Safety Nets 15

Vertical Horizonz 19 New Zealand’s Leading Soft Fall Protection for Residential & Commercial Construction

Industrial Safety News is endorsed by NZ Safety Council OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

0800 NETSNZ (0800 638 769)

www.safetynetsnz.co.nz

Editor Geoff Picken 0212 507 559 geoff@ mediasolutions.net.nz Sales manager Sandra Ansley 09 444 5140 or 027 564 7773 sandra@ mediasolutions.net.nz

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May/June 2016

Managing partner Phil Pilbrow 027 564 7778 or 09 489 8663 phil@mediasolutions.net.nz Design & pre-press Jamie Laurie jamie@mediasolutions.net.nz Web development Neo Chen – neosync@icloud.com

Publisher Mike Bishara 027 564 7779 mike@mediasolutions.net.nz Subscriptions mail@mediasolutions.net.nz Rates: $30 incl GST and postage per year, plus digital editions to five email addresses. Overseas rates available on request.

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

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

Free access to daily updated news with the ISN online carousel Printed by Crucial Colour 24 Fairfax Avenue, Penrose, Auckland +64 9 589 1550 Published by Media Solutions Ltd 3c 12 Tamariki Ave, Orewa 0931 PO Box 503, Whangaparaoa 0943

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TRAINING >> Emergency planning

Be well planned, prepared and tested for worksite crises

If there is a fire, chemical spill, earthquake or other emergency that affects your worksite, do you have a plan to ensure the safety of everyone there?

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nder the new Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2016 (General Risk and Workplace Management), all PCBUs (businesses and organisations) must prepare and test an emergency plan. Fire and Safety Training Ltd can help with training in developing and testing your emergency plans.

“The first step is to develop clear procedures. This starts with identifying potential emergencies and documenting your planned response to each emergency. You’ll need procedures to ensure you have an appropriate and effective response to the emergency,” says Fire and Safety Training chief executive Gordon Ireland.

Training is the key to ensuring an emergency plan that works when you need it. An emergency warden, fire extinguisher and first aid training are essential for each and

every workplace.

“Your workplace may also need training in specialised areas,” says Gordon. “This ensures you comply with your responsibilities under the HSWA and its regulations, and of course reduces the likelihood of an emergency occurring.”

Such training includes chemical and hazardous substance storage and handling; issuing and receiving permits to work; hazard identification; wearing breathing apparatus, safety and gas detection in a confined space; and working at height.

Fire and Safety Training Ltd offer courses in all of these subjects.

Our training is practical and realistic and can be tailored to your specific needs.

Most of our training is NZQA Unit Standard based, and we update your NZQA record of learning as soon as training is complete.

Training and information Who will you rely on to ensure the procedures you develop are an effective response? Who are your first responders? What specific training and information do they need? What training and information do other staff members need?

Evacuation of your workplace How do you evacuate the entire worksite? Can you do a partial area evacuation?

Notifying emergency services Who will do this? How will it be done? Is there a clear procedure for identifying what the emergency is, where you need emergency help, and the nature of that help?

Provision of first aid Who are your trained first aiders? Where is your first aid equipment?

Is your training and equipment appropriate to the potential emergencies you have identified?

Communication Who will coordinate your response? Do you have emergency wardens? Do they understand their role? How will they communicate with everyone on site?

Testing the plan How will you test it? How often? How will you ensure it is appropriate? How often will you review it?

Experienced trainers for:

• Emergency Response Teams • Fire Warden • Fire Extinguishers • Industrial Heights • Rope Access • Elevated Work Platforms • Confined Space • Gas detection • Breathing Apparatus • Dangerous goods

F & ST

www.fireandsafetytraining.co.nz • 0800 800 108

FIRE AND SAFETY TRAINING LTD

Training bases in Timaru and Napier.

We can travel to your site.

www.isn.co.nz

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ENVIRONMENT

Fire safety a matter of proper procedures Do you know exactly what to do if you find a fire or hear the fire alarm, asks Lara Labudde

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uilding occupants’ confidence in their evacuation procedures determines the safety of those involved in an emergency – not just the occupants but also the emergency response crews.

These evacuation procedures have become increasingly important with the new Health & Safety at Work Act (HSWA), which requires a PCBU or “person conducting a business or undertaking” to tick all the relevant safety boxes.

Fire Service legislation sets out the triggers for requiring an evacuation scheme as any building which has the facilities for:

this very difficult.

Many people are confused by the difference between a ‘scheme’ and a ‘procedure’, but it’s really quite simple.

A procedure is simply the part of a scheme that sets out what steps to take in the event of a fire emergency. The ‘scheme’ is the process responsible for ensuring that occupants are trained and confident to carry out the procedures.

A scheme incorporates the following: • documentation that must be approved by the NZ Fire Service (including building information,

made to the correct office the Fire Service marks the scheme as inoperative • instructions for each apartment in accommodation buildings.

Although there is no audited requirement for trial evacuations or training where only a ‘procedure’ is required, there may come a time when the NZ Fire Service may require evidence that occupants are aware of the procedures – not trial evacuations but perhaps training records.

Until recently the NZ Fire Service only had the resources to focus on high-risk buildings, meaning a large

“There may come a time when the NZ Fire Service may require evidence that occupants are aware of the procedures.”

• 1 0 or more persons working (unless the building has a compliant sprinkler system) • five or more persons sleeping (other than a household unit) in three or more units (unless the building has a compliant sprinkler system) • 100+ persons to gather in one area for any purpose • early childhood education • storage or processing of hazardous or dangerous goods • nursing or geriatric care • specialised care for disabilities • lawful detention facilities.

In fact, nearly all other buildings require a ‘procedure’ (including public toilets if you really stick to the legislation), although crown buildings are exempt.

The law says the building owner is ultimately responsible for ensuring an evacuation scheme or procedure is in place.

Tenants can arrange for this to be implemented, but will always need a signed authority from the building owner or their financial representative such as a property manager.

Obviously, a building with multiple tenants under one alarm will find

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•

•

•

•

•

•

authorisations, the procedures intended for the building, who will conduct them, the building owner’s compliance responsibilities etc.) the actual procedures written for use by tenants outlining what do during a fire emergency procedure training requirements and schedules for wardens and tenants in the building installation fire action notices,

which must be displayed by all fire alarm call points and in the building’s common areas a supply of wardens’ identification materials such as vests or caps and tally boards to record information about the evacuation for incoming emergency services where applicable the six-monthly trial evacuations/ training programmes legally required to maintain compliance – though childcare or education facilities are guided by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to conduct trial evacuations three-monthly or per term reports filed with the NZ Fire Service (NZFS) to confirm continued compliance – if the report isn’t

percentage of buildings that do require NZFS-approved evacuation schemes may have flown under the radar and not be aware or not wished to take responsibility, but this is about to change.

It is also worth noting the some building owners may be forced to implement trial evacuations and training by outside authorities such as the Accident Compensation Corporation, the MoE, the Occupational Safety and Health Service or the Ministry of Health.

Although the Fire Service legislation is quite specific about which buildings are required to implement which activities, other agencies may have their own policies for compliance. In the case of ACC, quite substantial discounts can be gained by ensuring compliance.

Each building is unique and each has its own special processes, uses or design parameters that require special procedures, but essentially a procedure is simple - if you find a fire set off the fire alarm and if you hear the fire alarm leave the building.

In a perfect world, someone will have a quick check of each area on the way out and tell the person in

charge what parts of the building are clear or not – so the Fire Service doesn’t have to waste time re-checking.

The hard part is getting people to have a positive attitude – rather than being annoyed by the inconvenience of a fire drill it can be simple, easy and quick if they participate willingly from the start.

There are very specific instructions that wardens need to understand before they accept their responsibilities, including: • basic information about fire safety legislation • a basic understanding of the building’s system • an understanding of the dangers involved specific to the site • knowing where firefighting equipment is located and how to use it

“Evacuation procedures have become increasingly important with the new Health & Safety at Work Act, which requires a PCBU or “person conducting a business or undertaking” to tick all the relevant safety boxes”

• k nowing the assembly point locations • the warden’s duties • the building warden’s duties • crowd control.

While building occupants are given their instructions in the form of fire action notices, we are coming to the point where delegated wardens are no longer as efficient as previously as everyone is either out at meetings, “hot desking” or working from home.

Evacuation consultants now find themselves encouraging as many regular occupants of the buildings to learn the duties of wardens as possible to cover the movement of staff.

In some cases they teach all staff so that someone will always be able

information required by the emergency services when they arrive.

Another area of concern for evacuation consultants is buildings that have been DIY-ing their own evacuation schemes with information given to them in the 1950s.

For example, some sites still have staff crossing busy roads to an assembly area, or rely on a head count or roll call systems for information rather than a systematic physical check.

All safety procedures should be updated regularly as even procedures for calling 111 have changed, and all wardens need to be confident they can pass the right information to the emergency services at 111 call centres.

Evacuation consultants ensure

to any alarm activation to make sure they are available.

Fire communications will often use this time to put their own trainees in the hot seat, so that everyone gets to practice as realistically as possible.

Since starting this routine, evacuation consultants have identified numerous issues and rectified them such as: • people calling from inside where alarms are so loud the caller cannot be heard • calls where the portable office phone has been cut off by the alarm system • calls where the alarm interferes with the portable office phone • calls where the portable phone lost the signal when the caller left

to take on the role of warden during an evacuation and provide the vital

they aren’t tying up fire communications teams by calling them prior

the building as they were too far from the base unit - all 111 callers

are now trained to use a mobile • address point issues.

All these issues are discovered when a proper 111 call is made, but for safety’s sake an evacuation where a 111 call is made must be managed properly.

Financially it doesn’t matter who initiates these evacuation schemes or procedures, but building owners who try to do it themselves end up costing their business more than having a consultant do it as they take substantially longer to work out what is required and without the expertise of knowing whether it’s actually right.

Lara Labudde is Director of Fire Safety & Evacuations Ltd

www.isn.co.nz

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Twenty times as many construction workers die from breathing in airborne contaminants as they do from a workplace accident

Visible protection vital against invisible risks

Not all risks on a construction site are obvious but out of sight shouldn’t mean out of mind – especially when it comes to dealing with toxic fumes and asbestos fibres in the air

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azardous substances can do just as much damage as a regular workplace accident – in fact they can do more.

WorkSafe New Zealand estimates that 20 times as many construction workers die from breathing in airborne contaminants as they do from a workplace accident.

Think about that for a minute. Between 2008 and 2014 on average there were almost 10 deaths a year from incidents in the construction sector, but work-related diseases claim around 200 lives a year from workers in the industry. We’re talking about cancers, respiratory disease and the like – diseases that can not only kill you but also rob you of your quality of life along the way.

We need to get serious about workplace health risks. It’s time to treat health the same way we treat safety. We need to start identifying those harmful substances (such as asbestos, lead, solvents, paints and silica and concrete dust) and take action to ensure they don’t make us sick.

That’s where WorkSafe New Zealand’s Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit for Small Construction Sites can help. It’s a short, sharp starter course in the basics of health

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and safety. And it will point you in the direction of more detailed guidance and information if you need it as well.

The most well-known occupational health risk is probably asbestos.

Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop and there are well-established rules for working with asbestos. This article is not the place to go in to detail, but the WorkSafe website has all the guidance you could need. Just remember – if in doubt check and test for the presence of asbestos and get expert advice from a qualified specialist (with a Certificate of Competence).

Preventing harm from hazardous substances is not just about having the right personal protective equipment for the job. That is important – and we’ll get to that. But before you start putting on your mask and gloves, or whatever, you’ll need to take the time to really think about the job and the best ways to eliminate or manage any health risks.

The toolkit asks the sort of questions you should be asking yourself when you’re planning a project: • have you identified all harmful substances and materials?

• have you put in place precautions to prevent or control exposure to

hazardous substances?

• c an you do the work differently to remove the risk entirely?

• what about using a less hazardous material?

• have you fitted dust extraction to your tools – or water suppression to limit dust?

• have you remembered to put up warning signs?

Dust might seem like just an annoyance, but it can cause real health problems – particularly silica dust from cutting concrete. Preventing dust by wetting or extracting it with some sort of vacuum attachment is a far better option than just wearing a dust mask.

As always, proper training and information is also vital. If workers are expected to use or be around hazardous chemicals or other substances then they need to know what they’re dealing with and how to stay safe.

Part of that training will be making sure everyone knows what personal protective equipment to wear and how to use it. It could be anything from the right dust mask or hearing protection to safety googles or gloves. For asbestos work your specialists may use disposable overalls and full respiratory protective

equipment (RPE) to ensure they don’t breath in any fibres.

Make sure suitable equipment is provided and used – protective gear is no good if it is just lying in the back of the ute. In fact, leaving protective gear lying around in the ute is probably not the best idea full stop – make sure it is cared for and stored properly.

Last but not least, if anyone is exposed to hazardous substances (such as lead, silica, cement or sensitisers such as two-pack adhesives or coatings) arrange ongoing health monitoring. Remember, many work-related diseases can take a long time to develop and are often the result of repeated exposure over years. It might be slow to catch up with you, but occupational ill health can have a devastating effect. Don’t take any chances – look out for hazardous substances and learn how to work with them safely.

There’s a lot more practical advice in the Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit for Small Construction Sites, which is available on WorkSafe New Zealand’s construction website. It does not cover legal requirements and is a guide only. There is also plenty more information at construction.worksafe.govt.nz.

INNOVATIONS

Smart sinks unclog industry Disposal of liquid waste from a range of industries – especially waste containing solid residues – is difficult, costly and can sometimes cause unexpected damage, the inventor of an innovative filtration system observed

Muddy water converted to clean, potable water using the patented Smart Sinks filtration system

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raig Hanson noticed when he was working as a carpenter/builder that he was often called on to repair or replace cupboards around sinks, particularly those used with filters such as plaster traps in dental laboratories.

“Dental nurses and lab technicians would regularly complain to me that emptying plaster traps was a smelly, messy job,” Hanson recalls. “I also saw a lot of incorrectly fitted traps which would leak over the cabinets.”

This led Hanson to develop a patented solution to remove particulate waste from cleaning water so that the solids could be disposed of in a bin or skip, leaving clean, potable water that could be released to the drainage system.

The multi-stage filtration and collection system completely eliminates fine matter from entering normal liquid waste disposal areas so effectively that Hanson demon-

strates the Smart Sinks’ effectiveness by filling a glass with water from the final filtration stage and drinking it.

The Smart Sinks system is a versatile and flexible system designed and manufactured in Australia, the latest version of which is the fully mobile Smart Sinks Filtration Bin system that’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.

This unit is ideal for tradespeople needing to clean equipment when working in high-rise construction sites or remote locations. Based on a standard ‘wheelie bin’, it comes with its own water supply that is recirculated back through the unit, making it very environmentally friendly.

They can also be used in conjunction with a ‘wet vac’ when cutting concrete or using a hole saw; the wet vac is emptied into the Smart Sinks Filtration Bin and solid waste is separated from the waste water.

The patented Smart Sinks sed-

Smart Sink creator Craig Hanson demonstrates the mobile Smart Sinks Filtration Bin version iment filtration system design incorporates three disposable bags, a valve and visual indicators that simplify the use of the system. The filtration bags concentrate the solid material so that the bags from each of the three filtration stages can be simply lifted out and disposed of as standard rubbish. The primary filter collects up to 92 per cent of waste material, with subsequent filters ensuring that all waste is removed.

Smart Sinks can be used to dispose of trade waste from professions such as plastering, tiling, concreting and rendering, and other industries that potentially release pipe-blocking solid waste into the environment

through waterways, sewerage and drainage systems.

Smart Sinks can also save money as blocked pipes are expensive to maintain and can cause lost productivity and costly repairs when associated cabinetry is damaged, while failure to comply with local government waste disposal laws and water authority guidelines can lead to large fines being imposed.

Other models available range from a standard 450 mm built-in bench top unit through to various standalone modules for use in laboratory applications and workplace situations.

www.isn.co.nz

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MANAGEMENT

First HASANZ conference to shine new light on health and safety The first ever conference being held by the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) will encourage people to see health and safety in a new light

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he two-day conference runs from 8 to 9 September at Te Papa in Wellington, starting with a welcome function on the evening of 7 September.

Coming six months after the arrival of the new Health & Safety at Work Act, HASANZ CONFERENCE 2016 presents a timely opportunity for health and safety managers and advisors to prepare for new practices and new possibilities in a new world.

“This conference will appeal to everyone who has a direct interest in workplace health and safety,” says HASANZ Chair Craig Smith. “We’ve put together a programme that will be inspirational and provocative.

And there’ll be plenty of opportunities to mix with colleagues, business leaders and government agency representatives.

“It’s very much a conference where delegates can actively contribute.

We’re looking forward to bringing professionals and businesses together as it’s important for the supply and demand sides of the market to understand each other’s requirements in our new health and safety environment. The bottom line must be reducing harm in New Zealand workplaces.”

HASANZ has secured an impressive line-up of international and national keynote speakers, including:

Dr Vincent Covello – the founder and Director of the Centre for Risk Communication in New York and a world authority on risk and change management communication will look at managing change in the new workplace health and

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safety environment through a communication lens; focusing on how effective communication can help transform yourself, your organisation and culture.

Professor Drew Dawson – Director of the Appleton Institute in Adelaide and an international expert on managing workplace fatigue, he’ll explore where the line should be drawn between personal and corporate responsibilities in the context of our new regulatory environment and will share a proven fatigue risk management framework that’s used internationally to transform workplace practice.

Peter Biggs – head of advertising agency Assignment Group and one of Australasia’s leading marketing and communications practitioners, he’ll talk about the essential place of purpose in organisational cul-

tures and transformational change and how to get people to “buy the why”, which he believes is the key to rebranding health and safety for a new world.

Rebecca Macfie – award-winning Listener journalist and the author of Tragedy at Pike River Mine: How and Why 29 Men Died The Pike River disaster has led to a rewrite of New Zealand’s health and safety law, she will highlight how lessons from Pike River are relevant to every organisation and to every health and safety professional.

Gordon MacDonald – the departing Chief Executive of WorkSafe New Zealand who spearheaded the implementation of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) will discuss progress on the move towards an environment in which the culture in our workplaces becomes

one where doing it right is a natural part of doing business, rather than a compliance exercise.

David Tregoweth – the General Manager Health and Safety at Melbourne Water will draw on his experience in senior health and safety management roles in Australian and New Zealand corporations to argue that workplace health and safety professionals need to go beyond the law and focus on the commercial value of health and safety to businesses, not just regulatory compliance.

Delegates at HASANZ CONFERENCE 2016 will be able to attend masterclasses with Covello and Dawson and choose from more than 25 presentations from other high-quality speakers. “We want people to come away from the conference with heightened awareness that the approach to health and safety in New Zealand is now different and that they feel informed and confident about the difference that health and safety professionals can make in this new world,” Smith says.

For more information, visit the HASANZ CONFERENCE 2016 website: www.hasanz.org.nz

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Safety Leaders’ Summit

Sobering statistics show the seriousness of the situation Every week one person dies at work in New Zealand, notes WorkSafe New Zealand Chief Executive Gordon MacDonald

I

n addition, fifteen people die from work-related diseases and 16 loved ones don’t go home each week, he adds. “Some 23,327 people were severely injured at work in 2014 alone.”

Last year WorkSafe New Zealand was notified of over 3,300 serious injuries in local workplaces, while some 600-900 people die each year from work-related diseases.

Frightening figures that provide compelling reasons for the April introduction of the new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, but that legislation is only a start.

“To make a real difference, we need to change our attitudes towards health and safety,” MacDonald insists.

So where do you start changing attitudes towards health and safety, MacDonald asks. “Know your health and safety risks and manage them proportionately,” he urges. “Everyone has a role to play, be they business, workers, leaders or others.”

MacDonald reiterated the key points of the new health and safety legislation, which came into force on April 4 and which have seemingly caused some confusion.

“It’s really very simple and straightforward,” he maintains. “The business, also known as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has a primary duty of care.”

While working, a business must look after: • the health and safety of workers and any other workers it influences or

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May/June 2016

directs e.g. contractors, sub-contractors • t he health and safety of other people at risk from any work it carries out e.g. customers, visitors, and the public.

Due diligence Business leaders are also known as Officers under the new rules and they have a Duty of Due Diligence.

“An Officer is a person who holds a very senior leadership position, and has the ability to significantly influence the management of a Business or Undertaking,” MacDonald explains.

The Officer definition includes: • directors of a company • partners in a partnership • board members • the CEO. Officers must ensure the business is meeting its H&S responsibilities by doing due diligence to make sure the business understands and manages its risk.

They must: • keep an up-to-date knowledge of health and safety • understand the operations of their business • ensure and check that their business has appropriate resources and processes for health and safety.

Nor should working with other businesses, also known as overlapping duties, be a cause for concern.

“All that’s required is to plan ahead, think about the stages of your work and who is affected by it,” MacDonald says.

Identify the risks to be managed and together agree how to control the risks and who is best placed to do so.

“Define roles, responsibilities and actions and explain these to workers and other businesses so they know what to expect,” he adds.

“Continue to consult, communicate, co-operate and co-ordinate, including carrying out reasonable and proportionate monitoring to ensure health and safety is maintained.”

Clear definitions A worker, meanwhile, is defined as an individual who carries out work in any capacity for a business or undertaking.

This includes: • employees • contractors/sub-contractors • employees of labour hire companies • apprentices or trainees • people doing work experience or work trial • volunteer work (if paid).

Any business can have a health & safety representative (HSR) or committee (HSC), which can benefit both the business and workers by providing: • a clear, well known way for workers to raise issues and ideas • a voice for workers who might not otherwise speak up about health and safety matters • a link between workers and management.

The continued repetition of these basic principles is essential, MacDonald insists, noting the glaring mismatch between workers’ views on safety versus the extent of injuries and near misses.

The motto that appears throughout the regulator’s literature and promotional campaigns has been carefully crafted to overcome these myths and misunderstandings by repeating a simple message that is short, sharp and to the point: “Everyone who goes to work should come home healthy and safe.”

The regulator is charged with reducing the number of workplace deaths and injuries by at least 25 per cent by 2020, and the Health and Safety at Work Act is an important first step in that ongoing process.

Ultimately, MacDonald says, workplace health and safety is only common sense, quoting Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield: “Common sense … is the best sense I know of: abide by it; it will counsel you best.”

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13

Safety Leaders’ Summit

Persistent pressure produces results

The Independent Forest Safety Review owes its genesis to Pike River just as much as it does the forestry industry, says leading unionist Robert Reid

P

ike River caused the nation, its people, its workers, its employers, its regulators and its politicians to stop, take notice and re-evaluate New Zealand’s failing health and safety system.

One of the responses to Pike River was the Independent Taskforce Report on Health and Safety.

It argued that one of the key issues underlying New Zealand’s health and safety underperformance was its light implementation of the ‘Robens’ health and safety model that served as the ideological lodestone of the previous Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.

The Robens model shifted thinking from a ‘proscriptive’ model, which meant sector-specific legislation like the Factories Act Shops and

tors and workers but left much to be desired.

The taskforce report argued that resource constraints, changing attitudes towards the roles of government and business, labour market liberalisation and the weakening of union representation hampered the implementation of this model.

Key weaknesses identified included confusing regulation, a weak regulator, poor worker engagement and representation, inadequate leadership, capacity and capability shortcomings, inadequate incentives to drive compliance, poor data and measurement, the development of a risk-tolerant culture and poor performance on occupational health.

Corporate cuts Corporatisation of the Forest Service meant mass redundancies, the crushing of union density and the reorganisation of the industry into small private sector contracting crews that were cheaper, more pliant, and much harder for a union to organise. The labour share of income dropped from 50-70 per cent to less than 30 per cent.

The rapid sale of cutting rights – often well below market value – saw the extraction of huge value from the industry in a relatively short period of time as log prices spiked in the 1990s.

Growing Chinese demand pushed the wood price up in 2010, and forest owners responded by stepping up their harvesting regimes.

Offices Act and the Machinery Act, to a ‘process’ model which identified hazards, then eliminated, isolated and minimised them. The new condensed act promised tripartite engagement of employers, regula-

The 1992 act came hot on the heels of the corporatisation and privatisation of the New Zealand forestry industry and the deregulation of the labour market through the Employment Contracts Act.

The price movements started to have a visible effect on NZ forestry workers. Everyone on a skid was familiar with what ‘commercial pressure’ meant – getting as much wood to market as quickly as possible.

These words meant fatigue and loss of concentration, workers cutting corners, poor health and safety practices, and injuries and fatalities. The same was true of the Pike River tragedy, as its Royal Commission report said: increasing production had come to trump all other considerations.

The shocking increase in fatalities through 2011 and 2012 had also alarmed then Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly, who had spent the previous couple of years doing almost-daily battle in the Pike River aftermath and had become well aware of the failing health and safety systems, the loss of worker voice and the primacy of production.

She looked up the forestry industry’s safety record: its death and serious injury rate was seven times that of the UK. Three men had died

Worker participation essential

I

f there has been one discordant note in the forest safety process it is “worker participation”, Robert Reid told the Safety Leaders’ Summit.

For some reason amongst the New Zealand business community there seems to be an inability to even understand what worker participation means and what the role of unions is in promoting and ensuring genuine health and safety worker participation at a workplace, industry and national level.

We were incensed last year when the new Health and Safety at Work Bill had its worker participation provisions emasculated for certain industries and workplaces. This led to the farce of having sheep, beef and dairy farms, the sectors with one of the highest workplace serious

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May/June 2016

harm accidents and deaths, being declared to be “safer” than worm or butterfly farms or mini-golf, and not required to have workplace health and safety representatives.

I see it as testament to the strength of our campaign that the forestry industry did not lobby for a similar carve-out for forestry workers. Under the new act forestry is a high-risk industry.

The International Labour Organisation, the laws of many countries, health and safety studies and literature, the health and safety inquiry following Pike River and the Independent Forestry Safety Review all set out “worker participation” as a key part of creating a safe and healthy workplace.

Worker participation means that workers have the right and the op-

portunity to elect health and safety representatives or worker members to a health and safety committee to ensure that those who are in danger of an accident or workplace death have a say in keeping the workplace safe.

Worker participation is NOT the education and training of workers to understand and abide by company/ government rules and regulations on health and safety. This is part of the health and safety management structure that all businesses should be undertaking.

Worker participation is a system that is independent of management structures: it is of, for and belongs to the workers of a business. It is there to say “no, this is not safe” when a business or manager wants to conduct an unsafe practice.

It is not the same as trade unionism, but it’s the core business of a trade union to make sure that genuine health and safety worker participation occurs and it is the job of a trade union beyond the workplace to give voice.

This form of representation is not antagonistic to business or management – it’s a form of an ‘independent workers audit’. A crew will be safer with a trained health and safety representative, and with such a representative a crew owner can share the responsibility and will have then met the strong worker participation criteria in the cut.

Think of it as building capacity – the next generation of safety champions. For workers, it’s a matter of life and death. A worker’s life or death.

in one Gisborne forest alone in 18 months.

FIRST Union, the Council of Trade Unions and a group of families began organising a campaign in 2013 to shine a light onto the poor health and safety practices and the victims of that system. Meanwhile, as log prices continued to rise the number of victims jumped upward.

Code creation The industry first denied that there were any problems, and when questioned the government asserted hopefully that once the newly promulgated Approved Code of Practice had time to bed in the industry would sort itself out. It was unsurprising that no workers were involved in the creation of that document. For their part, police and coroners seemed to just accept forest deaths as the way life is.

The deaths kept coming, and gradually Kelly was joined by a cohort of mothers, widows and families who wanted answers. Supported by the CTU and working closely with FIRST Union and many other unions and volunteers, the campaign formed a series of basic demands. They wanted an inquiry into the causes of the fatalities, a set of standard terms and conditions across the industry, and the right for forestry workers to form or join a union.

By the end of 2013 the industry was in shock, unable to explain the loss of 10 men, the youngest only 19. The issue of deaths in forestry was becoming a serious public relations issue, and the industry had to be seen to be doing something.

Despite consistent appeals the government was unwilling to get further involved, but in January the industry announced it would estab-

lish the Independent Forestry Safety Review to look into the drivers of accidents.

Worksafe had already kicked into action, inspecting every contractor at least twice and issuing hundreds of notices, even shutting some businesses down. The prosecutorial role of Worksafe had also been strengthened and more prosecutions are occurring.

Painstaking process The Independent Forest Safety Review process involved three health and safety experts taking a wide-ranging look into the causes of accidents, with significant opportunities for public submissions and industry and worker engagement.

FIRST Union was heavily involved, meeting the panel days after it came together and putting forward its view that the crisis in forest safety was driven by organisational and structural factors. Simultaneously, Kelly and the CTU organised ‘cottage meetings’ in forestry communities around the country to submit the review.

The release of the Independent Forestry Safety Review’s report left Kelly and the families vindicated by charging the forestry industry with having a weak safety culture.

The panel said that instead of a ‘cando’ attitude the industry needed a ‘can-do-safely’ culture, and that developing this change in mindset would require entire industry collaboration.

The review’s report was one of the key antecedents to the new Health and Safety at Work Act. This new act claims to have a stronger focus on worker participation, encouraging unions and employer organisations to play a constructive role in man-

aging health and safety. It imposes harsher penalties to disincentivise cutting corners.

One of the review’s recommendations was the establishment of a Forestry Leadership Action Group (FLAG) to be the leadership agency to put in place the other recommendations.

Discussions began between the industry, FIRST Union and the CTU, WorkSafe and forestry families about what the ‘FLAG’ should look like. It was agreed to form a Forest Industry Safety Council (FISC) to promote tripartite dialogue and lead the health and safety work in the sector.

FISC was finally formalised in the final quarter of 2015. In a New Zealand context the council (and board) is unique as it contains industry representatives from owners, managers, contractors, farm foresters, union and worker representatives and also representatives from the regulator, Worksafe and ACC at a CE or senior management level. Funding is provided by way of the Forest Growers Levy Trust together with Worksafe and ACC. The FISC Board has established an Operations Advisory Group (OAG) and a series of Technical Action Groups (TAGs), each with industry practitioners where the grunt work is undertaken. FISC has also been fortunate to inherit the Safetree programme that was already in development.

It could be tempting to say that the formation of FISC has led to the rapid decline of forestry deaths over the last two years. However, there

have been other factors at play such as increasing mechanisation, lower production on the smaller wood lots, some of the earlier safety interventions gaining traction, a much more rigorous inspection regime by both MBIE and Worksafe and a greater threat of prosecution by the regulators and police.

But the shining of a light on the industry by Helen Kelly, the unions and the families, the industry admission that all was not well, the work of the independent review and the establishment of FISC all provided the momentum required to make changes to what always will be a dangerous industry. It’s worth noting that there have been two more deaths since the Safety 360 conference, bringing the 2016 total to four.

FISC’s key role is to change the industry culture so that the effect of the interventions stick and become part of everyday work – something that previous interventions have struggled with. Let’s all hope that it succeeds beyond our wildest hopes and dreams.

Robert Reid is General Secretary of First Union New Zealand, which has more than 26,000 members throughout the country New Zealand’s most comprehensive health and safety event, Safety 360 was organised by the country’s largest conference, summit, expo and training company Conferenz and featured the Safety Leaders’ Summit, HSNO 2016 Summit, Occupational Health Summit and the Health and Wellbeing Summit

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15

HSNO 2016 Summit

Loss of skilled advisors undermines chemical safety It is vital the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) Hazardous Substances Regulations retain mandatory on-site chemical safety handlers, industry association head Barry Dyer advises

S

ome 600-900 workers are seriously affected by unwanted exposure to workplace chemicals every year. This is clearly unacceptable, hence the goal of keeping people safe at work pursued by the new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSW).

Workplace chemical safety will leap backwards if the proposal to revoke the mandatory approved handler (AH) requirement proceeds.

Chemical suppliers applaud incorporating workplace chemical management into the HSWA, which, together with the revamped and improved Hazardous Substances Regulations, is both pragmatic and long overdue.

The Hazardous Substances Regulations provide performance standards necessary for workplace safety, training, compliance and enforcement. Those affected by robust competency requirements include suppliers, transport operators, ap-

proved handlers, test certifiers, workplace health and safety representatives, workplace inspectors, hazardous waste contractors and increasingly emergency responders.

The principal reason for retaining mandatory approved handlers is to ensure business operators have an onsite, competent source of chemical safety advice. This ranges from identifying site compliance requirements such as the correct use of personal protection equipment to safe handling practices, the ability

proved handlers throughout the nation’s workplaces.

The HSW Act expects employers to ‘do the right thing’. While commendable, there is evidence training is one of the first commitments to suffer as businesses deal with the commercial ebb and flow.

Responsible Care NZ is the industry association which provides practical and cost-effective products and services enabling compliance with New Zealand’s world-class chemical management regime.

cialist chemical training? Would we sustain the required approved handlers if it was not mandatory? Why not maintain the regulatory requirement which has generally served us well in the drive to reduce the role chemical management plays in New Zealand’s unacceptable workplace death and injury toll?

Chemical suppliers consider chemical safety a non-negotiable workplace health and safety issue.

We advocate keeping and eventually extending the compulsory

to respond to a chemical incident and to safely carry out their assigned chemical handling responsibilities.

Our site assessments and courses suggest compliance with HSNO is far below 100 per cent after 12 years. Latest government figures reveal that 30 per cent of employers weren’t paying the mandatory minimum wage in 2015 and 35 per cent weren’t paying their employees’ mandatory Kiwisaver entitlements.

Can we therefore be confident every employer will do the right thing and voluntarily provide spe-

approved handler requirement in order to reduce the risk of chemical incidents occurring through a lack of knowledge and supervision.

Close contact Our SMEs are unlikely to benefit from contact with a workplace inspector because there will never be enough to go around. Fortunately, industry is benefiting every day from a true HSNO success story, namely the estimated 60,000 ap-

Safe handling of hazardous materials

D

o you know how to handle hazardous materials safely?

Here are 11 basic rules everyone who handles hazardous materials should know and follow, although others may be equally applicable to your particular workplace and should be added if necessary.

1. Follow all established procedures and perform job duties as you’ve been trained 2.

Be cautious and plan ahead – think about what could go wrong and pay close attention to what you’re doing while you work 3.

Always use PPE and inspect it carefully before each use to make sure it’s safe to use; replace worn out or damaged PPE – it won’t provide adequate protection

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May/June 2016

4.

Make sure all containers are properly labelled and that the material is contained in an appropriate container; don’t use any material not contained or labelled properly; report any damaged containers or illegible labels to your supervisor straight away 5.

Read labels and the material safety data sheet (MSDS) before using any materials to make sure you understand hazards and precautions 6. Use all materials solely for their intended purpose – don’t, for example, use solvents to clean your hands or petrol to wipe down equipment 7. Never eat or drink while handling any materials, and if your hands

Costly mistakes Getting chemical safety absolutely wrong could cost a company as much as $4 million in penalties and reparations; seriously wrong $430,000; and partly wrong $23,000.

Not to forget reputational and

Mandatory approved handlers ensure business operators have an on-site, competent source of chemical safety advice

are contaminated don’t use cosmetics or handle contact lenses 8.

Read the labels and refer to MSDSs to identify properties and hazards of chemical products and materials 9. Store all materials properly, separate incompatibles and store in ventilated, dry, cool areas 10.

Keep yourself and your work area clean; wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling any material and clean work surfaces at least once a

shift so that contamination risks are minimised 11.

Learn about emergency procedures and equipment: understanding emergency procedures means knowing evacuation procedures, emergency reporting procedures and procedures for dealing with fires and spills, and also means knowing what to do in a medical emergency if a co-worker is injured or overcome by chemicals.

brand damage, which could be substantial.

Government policies advocate a skilled workforce, less government involvement and greater self-reliance on the part of employers and employees, while requiring industry to do a better job of safeguarding workers.

There are serious costs arising from not meeting industry’s ‘C4,’ Consistency, Certainty, Competency and Cost-effectiveness, when it involves safely managing workplace chemicals.

In our view, a history of exemptions granted to sites where approved handlers can minimise the risk involved in chemical related activities and inadequate employed in agriculture, horticulemergency preparedness continues ture, construction and retail outlets. to undermine a major benefit of the HSNO regime.

We need to build on the current 12-year-old infrastructure to improve a chemical management regime that is reducing the appalling number of workers seriously affected by unwanted exposure to workplace chemicals each year. This includes focusing on Occupational Health as a core strategy.

Effective chemical safety begins with correctly identifying chemicals and ensuring workers handle them correctly. Approved handlers add value to every business: they are a competent role model for fellow workers; the ‘go to’ site support for chemical issues; and perhaps a trainer/supervisor – particularly for casual employees, such as those

Call centre Our 0800 CHEMCALL® Emergency Response Service confirms the involvement of competent approved handlers, often preventing minor chemical incidents from escalating into major and costly events.

“Complaints about the quality of some AH training are well-founded but easily addressed in a comprehensive overhaul of the Test Certification regime which Responsible Care NZ has long sought. We have yet to hear a cogent argument for downgrading this important contribution to workplace health and safety.

It is unusual for industry to argue for more, not less regulation. Competent, onsite chemical

safety practitioners and advisors knowledgeable about protective equipment, safe segregation and storage and how to safely manage a small chemical spill, who can assist in the development and rehearsing of chemical emergency plans (approved handlers), represent the best chemical safety resource employers will ever have.

Sound reasons why chemical suppliers anticipate the retention of mandatory approved handlers as a critical game changer in achieving safe and healthy workplaces.

Chemical suppliers advocate competent approved handlers, who will help resolve the long-standing acknowledged problem of reaching and educating New Zealand’s SME population (presently some 97 percent of local businesses) about workplace chemical safety practices.

Barry Dyer is the Chief Executive of Responsible Care NZ, the chemical industry association providing practical products and services to enable compliance with New Zealand’s world-class chemical management regime. Talk to us today about your compliance requirements.

Tel: +644 499 4311 Email: info@responsiblecarenz.com Visit: www.responsiblecarenz.com New Zealand’s most comprehensive health and safety event, Safety 360 was organised by the country’s largest conference, summit, expo and training company Conferenz and featured the Safety Leaders’ Summit, HSNO 2016 Summit, Occupational Health Summit and the Health and Wellbeing Summit

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17

HSNO 2016 Summit

Risk management and assessment is a multi-stage process Risk is used to describe something negative that may happen in the future, hazardous substance management expert Norbert Schaffoener explains

G

enerally the questions to be answered to identify and assess risks are: • what can go wrong?

• how likely is that to happen?

• if it happens, what are the consequences?

A structured and systematic assessment of risk enables managers to better understand risks, and to reduce uncertainties about potential future adverse effects. (The acknowledgement of uncertainties is an important aspect of risk assessments.)

It’s important to differentiate between risk and hazard. Hazard is anything that may cause (or contribute to) harm or damage such as chemicals, electricity, biological/ physical hazards, or ‘natural’ hazards such as earthquakes, floods etc. Risk is the likelihood or probability that somebody or something could be harmed or damaged by these hazards, together with an indication of how serious the adverse effects could be.

Both the Resource Management Act (RMA) and the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) apply to hazardous substances throughout their life cycle.

This applies from manufacturing/ import to waste treatment/disposal. Numerous other statutes may deal with particular stages of the life cycle such as transport or disposal, or at least particular aspects of it.

It is important to understand the scope and limitations of the various statutes.

There are differences in terms of risks during the various stages of the life cycle of a hazardous substance.

Clearly the storage of a substance in closed packaging or containers in a ‘safe’ location presents less risk than the ‘use’ of that substance. (Note: the term ‘use’ is neither defined in the RMA nor the HSNO Act in this context and can include chemical and physical processes, intended

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May/June 2016

and unintended uses etc.) Hence the management and assessment of risks during the different stages of the lifecycle needs to reflect the varying aspects that contribute to the specific risks.

An important statute for the management of risks posed by hazardous substances is the new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015, which sets out employers’ responsibilities to manage hazards and risks in the workplace. Only specific stages of the lifecycle of hazardous substances may be relevant to a particular workplace.

There are a number of new workplace safety regulations, such as the Health and Safety at Work (Major Hazard Facilities) Regulations 2016,

approach to both, it is important to note that there are differences to both the impact and the perception of positive or negative events respectively. This is a common criticism of the approach taken in the standard.

Risk has an inherent negative connotation whereas ‘opportunities’ or ‘chances’ are different. There is no ‘risk’ in winning Lotto but a chance – as remote as it may be (and despite a minute probability of a major win a chance taken by otherwise sane people all the time).

The standard also deals little with the perception of risk and the implications for actions to manage or control risks, or risk communication.

Perceived risks can have actual ef-

ment Handbook HB 203:2006 Environmental risk management Principles and Process is based on ISO 31000 (actually its predecessor). It presents a framework of principles, practices and criteria to implement best practice in environmental risk management.

Safety cases must be prepared under clause 45 of the HSWA for upper tier major hazard facilities.

The information required for safety cases are set out in Schedule 7 of the act. The information items are large-

ly descriptive and not analytical, although a statement by the most senior officer of the operator must specify that risks are eliminated or minimised, to the extent that is reasonably practicable.

The RMA specifies the management of hazardous substances as one function of local government.

Schedule 4 specifies the need for the assessment of risks from ‘hazardous substances’ (defined) and ‘hazardous installations’ (undefined). Changes to these provisions may, or may not, happen in the onwhich deal to a degree with the fects, specifically on people’s health going RMA review process. management and assessment of and well-being.

The Ministry for the Environment hazardous substance risks.

There is also some disagreement (MFE) published an Assessment in the risk community about the ter- Guide for Hazardous Facilities in Crucial codes minology used in the standard. For March 2000. The purpose of that Some relevant codes and guid- example, the term ‘risk treatment’ guide was to assist regulators and ance documents were published is somewhat neutral – probably al- hazardous facility operators in deby the WorkSafe NZ predecessor in lowing for positive ‘risks’? Why in fining, identifying and assessing the mid-1990s, such as Code of Prac- that case not ‘risk modification’? issues (specifically risks) of proposed tice for Managing Hazards to Prevent More sensible - and clear - seems hazardous facilities in the context of Major Industrial Accidents and the to be a term such as ‘risk control’ (or requirements under the Resource Code of Practice for the Management ‘mitigation’).

Management Act 1991. of Substances Hazardous to Health In any case it is important in the The principles of the standard (at (MOSHH) in the Place of Work. risk management process that it’s the time AS/NZS 4360:1999) are AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 sets out clear what is meant when using par- reflected in the methodologies disthe process for the management of ticular terms. ‘Assessment’, ‘analysis’ cussed in the guide. While the guide risks in generic terms. It is in fact so and ‘evaluation’, for example, should has been removed from the MfE generic that it is not limited to ‘risks’ not be used interchangeably but as website its principles and procebut rather ‘events’ – without using per a specific reference or be clearly dures remain valid. that term. Both adverse and positive defined in the context of the releA significant part of the guidance events are addressed in the same vant project. centered on the risk assessment manner.

While there is nothing wrong Handy handbook with a structured and systematic Standards NZ’s Risk Manage- Continued on page 20

“Hazards presented by hazardous facilities depend on the types and quantities of substances used, the nature of containment and transfer installations as well as the physical storage/processing conditions”

HSNO 2016 Summit

Continued from page 18 process. Risk identification (‘Hazard analysis’ in the guide) involves the identification of hazards on a site and evaluating possible scenarios leading to potentially significant consequences.

Risk identification relies on a structured and systematic approach to identify potential hazards arising from sources such as fixed installations, on-site and off-site operations, natural hazards (i.e., earthquakes, volcanic activity, instability, etc.) or human error. It also incorporates an analysis of possible accidents or failure modes to determine what can go wrong and what the contributing causes may be.

A risk identification process could therefore be a very short or a lengthy and detailed exercise. There is a range of methods which can be used such as: • site surveys and hazard audits • checklists • maps, drawings and overlays • networks • matrices (such as 3x3 or 5x5 matrices) • HAZOP (hazard and operability analysis) • computer software.

Quite often a combination of approaches is taken, where, for example, an initial checklist is followed by a scaling and ranking

Hazards presented by hazardous facilities depend on the types and quantities of substances used, the nature of containment and transfer installations as well as the physical storage/processing conditions. Hazards may also be presented by permanent or intermittent activities, such as an underground fuel storage tank or a product batch.

exercise.

One of the outcomes of the risk identification process often includes a list of hazards on a site which is being assessed, in the form of a hazard register. This register forms the basis for the subsequent risk analysis, decisions on risk management priorities and future reviews.

Identified risks are then analysed.

Risk analysis focuses on estimating the probabilities and potential consequences of each hazard within the context of existing or proposed control measures. The objective of control measures is to reduce or eliminate potential consequences.

A hazard may have negligible adverse consequences

Tailored task The risk identification needs to be tailored to the nature of installations and activities of the hazardous facility in question and the types and scales of hazards present, as well as the sensitivity of receptors which could potentially be affected in the event of an accident.

following failure if existing or proposed control measures are failsafe. However, control measures can also have built-in probabilities of failure. Therefore, the risk analysis needs to take into account the combined probabilities of possible failures and adverse events that may lead to potential consequences. Risk analysis can be qualitative, quantitative or a combination of different techniques.

The ultimate purpose of risk management is the accurate assessment of risks, followed by decisions on whether the risks are ‘acceptable’, or what can be done to make them acceptable. The basis of this process is a fundamental understanding and agreement on what ‘acceptable’ (or the sometimes used term ‘tolerable’) means and the context.

Such questions need to be asked very early on in the risk management process. Risk acceptance criteria form the benchmark against which to evaluate risks, determine whether risks are significant and to make decisions on risk control.

Risk control involves methods focussing on the need to mitigate risks and identify best practicable options and plans to achieve effective control of risks. The risk control process is generally based on a series of steps involving continuous monitoring, review and a focus on those risks which have been con-

firmed as being significant.

A series of suitable risk control measures are then identified and evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in reducing ‘residual risks’ and their acceptance. Where residual risks are still not acceptable, different risk control options may need to be considered.

The guide emphasises the resource (land use) consenting process, which means matters such as risk communication and consultation are a vital part of the risk management process. This doesn’t just involve the regulatory agencies and (potentially) affected parties but may include the wider community.

Norbert Schaffoener is a member of the New Zealand Planning Institute and accredited Independent Hearings Commissioner who has his own company – resources, Hazardous Substances and Resource Management Consulting New Zealand’s most comprehensive health and safety event, Safety 360 was organised by the country’s largest conference, summit, expo and training company Conferenz and featured the Safety Leaders’ Summit, HSNO 2016 Summit, Occupational Health Summit and the Health and Wellbeing Summit

The risk management process, based on AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009

Potential pitfalls in risk management Watch out for: • all “As Low As Reasonably Practicable” (ALARP), technical concepts and their limitations, jargon etc.

• relying on numerical answers and quantitative information, creating a false sense of security, sensitivity analysis, reliance on ‘experts’ • black swans – managing and allowing for things which are not supposed to exist or occur • the human factor - physiological such as senses, fatigue and physical ability and psychological aspects like competency and routine/complacency.

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May/June 2016

Occupational Health Summit

The “new” approach to assessing and managing risk

Risk assessment is a fundamental component of health and safety management, Bruce Campbell argues

T

he whole point of risk assessment is to assist in selecting appropriate control measures that can prevent people being exposed to risk, ideally to eliminate the risk.

Where this is not possible, methods of reducing these risks, so far as reasonably practicable, must be implemented.

It is the “reasonably practicable” element of the Health and Safety at Work Act that will require PCBUs to undertake risk assessments, but surely this should already be good practice?

Risk assessment is also a fundamental component of business and commerce – successful businesses are only successful precisely because they take risks.

Beca decided that a good methodology to capture and assess HSE

risks was to conduct “brainstorming” workshop sessions, involving managers/supervisory staff and those actually engaged in the task, facilitated by a member of the H&S team.

Around the same time Beca H&S Consultancy was engaged by Otago

• experience and training • knowledge of hazards • knowledge of the process or activity • technical knowledge of the plant or equipment • good communication skills

“Risk management is an ongoing process and all risk assessments must be monitored and reviewed, in particular to assess the effectiveness of control measures” Regional Council to undertake a similar exercise with their various directorates. Underpinning this was the need to draft a risk management procedure for the council.

The main requirement necessary to carry out a risk assessment is competence evidenced by:

• t he right attitude – arguably the most important factor.

The risk workshop process began with an explanation of what risk management and assessment are and what this means to a PCBU. Attendees were asked to come armed with what they considered to be the

significant hazards facing them and their hazard registers so there was something to work on.

Each of Beca’s New Zealand regions encompasses specific business lines and they had identified hazards particular to that business.

In essence, it was decided to operate a loose cascade system, where each level of management identified hazards, assessed the risks and evaluated control measures. These would then be developed more specifically for each location, business line and section.

Otago Regional Council chose to run all the workshops at their head office in Dunedin and considered hazards identified by each of the Directorates - Corporate Services; Policy Planning and Resource Management; Engineering Hazards and

Continued on page 20

Four decades of safe chemical containment The story of Bailey Tanks has paralleled the development of plastics and composites in New Zealand.

It can cost as little as $500 for a containment bund for four drums

B

ailey Tanks started to make manufacturing Intermediary Bulk Containers (IBCs) some four decades ago.

They began to get enquiries from people who wanted some sort of secondary containment (bunding) even before Health & Safety mandates came into play.

This led to manufacturing portable secondary containment bunds from composite material produced by the company itself and essentially the same material as is used in the IBC itself.

“They are a very easy way of complying with regulations and becoming more and more popular as the news spreads about how little it costs to get set up,”

says Managing Director David Bailey.

“People are always surprised by the pricing because they are cheap – a bit more than $500 dollars will get you a containment bund for four drums and $1600 dollars odd will take care of a larger unit. There is no installation involved – just put your drums on, or sit your IBC on top, and away you go,” says Mr Bailey.

“In the bigger bunds we use a combination of steel and plastic – you get the strength of the steel combined with the excellent chemical compatibility of the polyethelene liner.”

Bailey Tanks custom design to customer needs if required

www.isn.co.nz

21

Occupational Health Summit Continued from page 21 Science; Environmental Monitoring and Operations, and Stakeholder Engagement.

Thus the workshops assessed the risks presented to each directorate’s activities and personnel, although a number of common hazards and risks soon became evident.

The same strategy was adopted for both organisations to assess the risks presented by the hazards, using a step-by-step process that involved: • identification of significant hazards • assessment of uncontrolled (the “raw”) risk • identification of existing control measures • re-assessment of the level of risk after controls were in place (the “residual” risk) - this included a consideration of whether the existing controls were reducing the risk to an acceptable level • record the risk assessment • consider how to communicate the risks assessment to the workers.

Risk rating Beca uses a quantitative determination of risk (a 5X5 matrix) to calculate the risk assessment rating.

Each of the Beca workshops had identified a considerable number and variety of hazards, but there was one common theme – travelling and in particular driving. The hazards associated with driver ability were described as a potential lack of confidence and/or experience; inexperience with NZ road conditions or road rules; driving too close and the catch-all - other driver mistakes.

The consequences were simple to establish: the worst outcome would be a fatality and therefore was scored as 5. The calculation of the raw risk rating – likelihood multiplied by consequence – established an extreme risk (score 20). The workshop identified additional controls for consideration.

There appeared to be less commonality in the Otago Directorates risks when compared against Beca’s – although one was working on or

22

May/June 2016

Surely the “reasonably practicable” element of the HSWA Act that requires risk assessments should already be good practice, asks Beca Health & Safety (& Environment) Senior Adviser Bruce Campbell near water. This presented a number of different hazards including contaminated water; boats and vessels; entrapment under water; falling objects; weather conditions; hypothermia; rising water levels; and drowning.

Otago chose to use a qualitative risk rating matrix, opting for likelihood descriptors of - Rare; Unlikely; Possible; Likely; and Almost Certain.

The severity descriptors were – Low; Minor; Moderate; Major; and Critical. The likelihood of drowning if working on or over water without controls was assessed as “Possible” (an event resulting in drowning could occur once every two to six years) and the severity of such an event was “Critical”.

Combining these two factors on the matrix to obtain the risk rating identified a “Critical” risk that required immediate action. There were many controls already in use including life jackets; appropriate training; restrictions on when work on, over or in water is permitted; procuring and utilising equipment suitable for purpose, and neoprene waders for added buoyancy.

Controls clarified The residual risk likelihood was deemed “Rare” but the severity remained “Critical”, so the residual risk

rating was lessened but classed as “High”. The workshop team identified other reasonably practicable controls that could further minimise the hazard, including closer monitoring and supervision, regular refresher training; “lifelines”; a “Buddy” system to avoid lone working and to cater for inexperienced workers; and suitable emergency beacons.

The exercise aimed to “future-proof” the effort by using the new “Eliminate” or “Minimise” hierarchy of control instead of the then current “Eliminate”, “Isolate” or “Minimise”. Once the detail of the new concept was explained its use was generally understood.

There was also discussion around how the hierarchy should be used.

First of all it should be decided whether the risk can be eliminated completely, for instance, by doing the job a different way. If elimination is not a reasonably practicable option, then minimisation should be considered – this includes “Substitution” and “Isolation” – for example putting a barrier between the hazard and the person that might be harmed.

Another critical element was an explanation of “So Far as is Reasonably Practicable”. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 has changed from

“all practical steps” to a “so far as is reasonably practicable” test.

This means that a PCBU must: • consider the likely “Consequence” should the risks not be controlled • consider the “likelihood” and degree of the harm that may occur • consider the “Current state of Knowledge” of that harm • consider what is “Currently known about the Controls” that should be in place – Industry best practice, Approved Codes of Practice in NZ and overseas • the final consideration should be the “Cost” to implement the controls, and the cost should only be a consideration if it is grossly disproportionate to the benefits.

In other words this is exactly why an assessment of the risks is necessary. WorkSafe NZ has summed up what this actually means quite succinctly - “What is or was reasonably able to be done to ensure health and safety, taking into account and weighing up all reasonable matters”.

The workshop participants readily acknowledged the benefits of the risk assessment process in critically reviewing those existing control measures and consequently indicating where there were areas for improvement.

One of the aims was to allow the participants to gain a level of competence in conducting risk assessments, giving them the ability to roll out the programme to all outlying locations.

The workshop participants welcomed the opportunity presented by the risk assessment process in critically reviewing their existing control measures and establishing those areas for improvement.

However, risk management is an ongoing process and all risk assessments must be monitored and reviewed, in particular to assess the effectiveness of control measures.

They should also be reviewed regularly to make sure they remain valid.

Bruce Campbell is Health & Safety (& Environment) Senior Adviser, Beca

Health and Wellbeing Summit

Fighting fatigue in the workforce a winning business formula There are four main causes of fatigue, according to Fatigue Risk Management Solutions Managing Director Rachel Lehen

T

hey are the human body clock, inadequate sleep, irregular work patterns and various health issues, any or all of which can cause significant problems to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

The body clock consists of biological drivers dictating when we feel most alert and most sleepy – important to remember when creating rosters and work schedules.

Inadequate sleep is likely to be caused by a roster or schedule that doesn’t provide adequate rest opportunity between shifts; total work time in a 24-hour period and/or the time of day that the sleep opportunity is provided.

But it can also be a result of an individual’s lifestyle outside of work hours whereby they do not prioritise recovery sleep.

It’s therefore important to establish the causes of inadequate sleep with staff in order to address and correct the underlying problem.

Irregular start and finish times and rotating day/night rosters play havoc with an individual’s ability to manage their fatigue – often little routine is established and bad habits creep in.

Health issues such as undiagnosed sleep disorders or health conditions like diabetes and hypertension can also increase an individual’s experience of fatigue.

Whatever the cause, however, fatigue is primarily due to circadian rhythms; the physical and mental changes that follow a roughly 24hour cycle and respond primarily to light and darkness.

These can be managed effectively throughout an employee’s working life with a fatigue management policy or guidelines.

Fatigue management policies have become increasingly important following the introduction of the new Health and Safety at Work Act, which requires employers to

24

May/June 2016

take all measures “reasonably practicable” to reduce risk – including knowing fatigue risk exposure and mitigating that risk as much as possible. A 24/7 operation would, for example, be expected to have identified fatigue as a hazard that required a high level of appropriate management.

A potential employee’s susceptibility to fatigue can be identified pre-employment by fatigue assessment profiling.

This consists of assessing:

disorders often includes an assessment by a general practitioner or an occupational health nurse, both of whom are trained to identify those individuals at excess risk of fatigue.

Fatigue management doesn’t stop when the employee is hired, however, as annual monitoring and education is important in terms of ongoing awareness and continual improvement.

Identifying the highest risk employees and tailoring and implementing interventions based on the

• how likely individuals will cope

risk exposure is essential.

“Fatigue is primarily due to circadian rhythms; the physical and mental changes that follow a roughly 24hour cycle and respond primarily to light and darkness” with shift work by owl/lark and Shift Work Disorder profiling • his or her lifestyle • health status • family responsibilities.

Fatigue management consultants also utilise the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a self-administered questionnaire with eight questions that measures a person’s general level of daytime sleepiness or their average sleep propensity in daily life.

In addition, screening for sleep

Fleet managers could consider, where appropriate, using vehicle telematics to track driver behaviour such as speeding, harsh braking and other measures which could indicate that a driver is struggling with fatigue.

Forward facing in-cab cameras that track the movement of the driver’s eyes, face and head and facial expressions to detect driver fatigue and distraction events are also proving to be an incredibly effective way

Managing Director of Fatigue Risk Management Solutions Rachel Lehen

of reducing driver fatigue-related accidents.

Accident investigation and reasonable cause is becoming increasingly more requested by businesses concerned about the effects and costs of fatigue.

Fatigue management consultants are being requested to screen for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is caused by complete or partial obstructions of the upper airway, in the same way companies test for drugs or alcohol post incident or with reasonable cause.

It is absolutely reasonable to include fatigue as a root cause in accidents and incidents, and employers not looking or asking about people’s sleep could be missing a significant contributing factor.

Another useful tool is the Fatigue Risk Exposure matrix, which has been designed to help determine what level of intervention is required depending on the job-related fatigue risk exposure.

These charts are easily tailored to cover all job types, while the corresponding fatigue initiatives are relative to each risk tier and offer a comprehensive fatigue management solution.

It’s important to remember that not everybody gets a full eight hours of blissfully restorative sleep every night.

Common complaints include restless leg syndrome, which involves creepy-crawly, sometimes painful feelings in the legs and involuntary movements when asleep.

Narcolepsy sufferers, meanwhile, may experience a sudden wave of sleepiness and fall asleep several times a day.

Two of the most common sleeping problems in New Zealand are insomnia and OSA. Insomnia is a set of symptoms and commonly includes having trouble falling asleep, repeatedly waking up, having trouble getting back to sleep, waking up too early, and waking in the morning not feeling refreshed.

Obstructive sleep apnea is when the airway (which is normally held open when awake) collapses and blocks the airway, essentially choking the individual. This ‘choking’ can

happen several hundred times a night and each apnea (‘without air’) can last up to 60 seconds at a time.

The majority of doctors that are now in practice have received no education in the area of sleep disorders, and current teaching in medical schools is minimal. Thus it is reasonable to assume that the majority of people with sleep disorders in this country go largely undiagnosed.

Interrupted sleep patterns mean OSA suffers rarely have restorative rest, manifesting in some of the following problems: • a 40 per cent increase in excessive daytime sleepiness • twice as many traffic accidents per mile • a threefold risk of occupational accidents • 1.3 to 2.5 times more hypertension • 2.2 times increased risk of nocturnal cardiac arrhythmia • 3.9 times likelihood of having

congestive heart failure • 1 .6 times increased chance of stroke • 1.4-2.3 times greater risk of heart attack • 40 per cent increased risk of depression.

Fully 50 per cent of a recent workplace group screened for OSA also presented with one or more serious health conditions such as gastrointestinal upset, hypertension, diabetes, depression and heart trouble.

People who are significantly sleep deprived or fatigued may experience what’s called a ‘micro-sleep’, an involuntary lapse into sleep that lasts around two to 15 seconds and can have fatal consequences for anyone performing a safety critical task such as driving or operating machinery. For example, a five second micro-sleep at 100 kilometres an hour will leave a vehicle 150 metres further down the road when the driver awakes.

Clearly, sleep disorders, poor lifestyle or a work schedule that has people working when they should be sleeping all increase the risk of having a fatigue-related accident.

Excellent fatigue management is therefore not an option but essential for any business concerned about both employee welfare and boosting the bottom line.

Rachel Lehen is Managing Director of Fatigue Risk Management Solutions, which creates and delivers practical fatigue management interventions for all industry sectors New Zealand’s most comprehensive health and safety event, Safety 360 was organised by the country’s largest conference, summit, expo and training company Conferenz and featured the Safety Leaders’ Summit, HSNO 2016 Summit, Occupational Health Summit and the Health and Wellbeing Summit

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25

Occupational Health Summit

Clearing the air on construction sites Fletcher Construction Group National Occupational Health & Wellness Specialist Michelle Buckton shares learnings from the Fletcher “Dust Busting” pilot

C

onstruction dust can be a major health hazard on all construction sites in New Zealand. Dust exposures could include silica, wood dust, nuisance dust, man-made fibres and lime, to name but a few.

Silica is particularly dangerous because it’s found in almost all types of rock, sand, clay and gravel, making silica a major component of many building materials on construction sites.

Material

Silica %

Sandstone

>70%

Concrete

25-70%

Tile

30-45%

Bricks

>30%

Fibre cement board

10-30%

Mortar

25-70%

Plaster board / filler

0.2%

Relatively harmless in its natural form, silica becomes a respiratory hazard when high-energy tasks are performed such as cutting, drilling, grinding, crushing, sanding, polishing or even sweeping.

Its adverse health effects include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), silicosis and the possibility of lung cancer.

Fletcher Construction has a four-part silica dust strategy that involves: • identifying and assessing the risk • preventing and controlling the exposure • monitoring and maintaining exposures below the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) • reviewing and improving controls.

Identifying and assessing the risk consisted of looking at the tasks associated with fibre cement board cutting, block and brick cutting, concrete grinding and cutting and tile cutting.

Understanding the level of exposure was more difficult, so a personal exposure monitoring pilot programme was undertaken by an

26

May/June 2016

Occupational Hygienist in May 2015.

Similar exposure groups such as carpenters, block layers and tile layers on a selection of Fletcher sites had personal monitoring undertaken for respirable and inhalable dust.

These results were analysed and showed that action levels for respirable silica were necessary for some tasks.

Hand in hand with this programme a comprehensive Contractor Knowledge on construction dust and Eliminating Dust Practices survey was conducted.

The survey found room for improvement, with contractors needing more information and resources to keep themselves or their workers safe from exposure to construction dust.

Powered tools were being used indoors instead of outside, some did not adequately use engineering controls and P1 disposable RPE was non fit-tested.

Control key The next step was preventing and controlling the exposure, ideally by elimination and exposure controls.

Substitution and engineering controls included: • increasing the proportion of product requiring less cuts such as brick and speedwall • on-tool dust extractors for dry cutting • water suppression for blocks, bricks and concrete • a negotiated equipment upgrade subsidy • partnering with Placemakers to offer deals with tool suppliers • distributing hundreds of free flow dust blades • providing training on cleaning and maintenance.

A reward and recognition programme for early adopters was also instituted, along with administration controls such as training.

Partnering with 3M and NZ Safety saw: • 290 contractors nationally attend

silica dust and respiratory toolbox talks • 170 respiratory protection qualitative fit testing and care and maintenance seminars.

In addition, 45 workers volunteered to shave for a fit test. All contractors had the option to purchase respiratory protection equipment after training.

A further 170 contractors underwent a free lung function test, while all participants were issued with a fit test wallet card and a “goody” bag that included a Schick razor and shaving gel as well as written information on working safely with silica.

Monitoring and maintaining exposures below the WES included the establishment of an exposure and monitoring programme.

Baseline monitoring looking at a ‘worst case’ scenario has been completed and Fletcher Construction is working towards establishing a statistically valid sampling programme.

The final reviewing and improving controls portion of the strategy has seen the introduction of sitebased controls such as exclusion zones, signage, waste disposal and vacuums.

Site supervision has been enhanced, while coaching on dust management practices and an auditing programme focused on dust management controls has been implemented.

Achievements include: • worker education and empowerment

• successful implementation of elimination and/or substitution controls • an extensive engineering controls programme • a respiratory roadshow rolled out to other parts of the Fletcher Construction Group • supervisors managing dust exposure better.

Reviewing and driving this continuous programme has significantly cleared the air on Fletcher’s construction sites, but our work isn’t finished yet and dust education and elimination may require ongoing vigilance.

Fletcher Construction aims to be a leader in health and wellness for all employees including contractors.

We have now turned our attention to other occupational health exposure monitoring projects, including heat stress, ultraviolet radiation, airborne, contaminants, noise and fatigue.

We want to continue to ensure that all our workers return home safely and healthy after a day on one of our sites.

New Zealand’s most comprehensive health and safety event, Safety 360 was organised by the country’s largest conference, summit, expo and training company Conferenz and featured the Safety Leaders’ Summit, HSNO 2016 Summit, Occupational Health Summit and the Health and Wellbeing Summit

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MANAGEMENT

Follow the

leader

Christchurch’s need for effective traffic management skyrocketed after the 2010 earthquakes

Leading people in safety led a Canterbury company to the Safety Leadership Award at the 2015 Site Safe Health and Safety in Construction Awards

A

ptly named Men at Work may be only 10 years old but it has quickly become a recognised leader in its essential but often overlooked field.

The company’s business is centred around keeping people safe on the road through providing temporary traffic management solutions, an area largely driven through the release of the Traffic Management Code of Practice (3rd edition) in 2004.

Established in 2006, Men at Work grew rapidly and by 2010 had 10 employees, sparking a need to expand the focus of health and safety internally within the business.

The team has grown to 46, including 37 qualified traffic management staff, a 10-strong management team and a fleet of over 30 traffic management vehicles, explains Director Esther Hyde. “Christchurch’s need for traffic management skyrocketed after the earthquakes in 2010,” she recalls.

28

May/June 2016

This meant the company needed to take on employees to cope with the demands of a city in crisis, while new staff fuelled a need to focus on a more holistic health and safety strategy.

Men at Work looked to the market for ideas and inspiration, and sought

across all facets of the business including training, 80 per cent of which was health and safety-related.

Topics ranged from healthy hydration on the road and the importance of sun protection to driving courses and 10 fully trained site traffic management supervisors (currently the

“It’s not just about leading by example but also encouraging people to talk to each other and hold each other accountable” external input into how they could put effective health and safety systems and processes in place.

They were introduced to the ACC Workplace Safety Discount programme and began to work their way through to ensure all areas were covered. “It became a passion of mine to get as much of what ACC suggested done as possible,” Hyde admits.

Building a health and safety structure internally involved a review

highest level qualification in traffic management).

High quality personal protective equipment was provided, monthly meetings were held to discuss issues such as fatigue and balancing long hours with rest, and monthly employee incentive programmes were put in place to recognise strong health and safety practice on site.

Expert financial advisers were even brought in to help alleviate any financial stress employees

might have been dealing with personally. “This has resulted in four or five employees in their mid-20s buying their first home in the last four years,” Hyde explains.

Management-driven from 2010 to 2014, the dedication, commitment and focus embedded into the team culture, changing staff habits and traditional ways of thinking to a fresh, proactive health and safety focus.

The real breakthrough has been in the conversations, Hyde adds.

“We’ve had really good staff engagement,” she says. “For example, a new health and safety committee was set up a few years ago, and as soon as the first meeting was underway people were volunteering to be on the committee – this is when I realised the staff shared my enthusiasm for health and safety.”

She encouraged these employees to stand up at meetings and share their ideas directly, an approach that showed the ideas weren’t just

Men at Work aims to keep people safe on the road through providing temporary traffic management solutions

coming from management and also improved staff buy-in.

“This is the winning formula to embedding a companywide culture of health and safety,” Hyde maintains. ”It’s not just about leading by example but also encouraging people to talk to each other and hold each other accountable.”

The recruitment process was also a driver in achieving a strong culture of health and safety, with potential employees who regarded health and safety as a priority brought into the organisation. “We will try and gauge how people naturally think about health and safety and pick people who hold this as a higher priority”..

Following on from this, new employees see health and safety reinforced in inductions and training programmes. “Health and safety was always top of the agenda at meetings and a hot topic in everyday office conversations,” Hyde says.

The Men at Work crew really got into the spirit of the All Blacks post-World Cup win Christchurch parade, for which they provided traffic management

“Employees are engaged and constantly coming up with new ideas and initiatives.”

Because Men at Work chose employees who held health and safety as a priority the culture is one of trust in all things health and safety, and this in turn has had a positive flow-on effect to clients. “We are getting a lot of big companies that trust us coming on board,” Hyde reveals.

She believes it’s due to the company’s good reputation around Christchurch as being the best traffic management company around.

“Men at Work are a trusted partner which puts health and safety first.”

The company is also become a strong advocate for health and safety in the industry and is committed to continuous improvement in the health and safety arena. “One of the great things in Christchurch

is a lot of businesses are happy to share health and safety initiatives,” Hyde believes. “It’s not something they keep hidden as a competitive advantage”.

Men at Work isn’t resting on its laurels, however, and is constantly researching new approaches to health and safety in order to achieve the company mission: “To be the most trusted organisation providing leadership in people safety.”

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29

H A Z M AT

Detecting an invisible killer Gas is an insidious workplace problem that can be fatal but new technology is making rapid advances in combating the silent menace, Bob Weston explains

N

ew wireless technology is greatly expanding the functionality of portable gas detection instruments to increase safety and worker productivity – essential with the new health and safety legislation.

These same in-the-field detection tools are becoming smaller and more affordable, designed for continuous use all day and every day.

They have evolved from simply providing personal protection against toxic and flammable gas hazards to offering a site-wide infrastructure for safety communications.

Industrial Scientific’s Ventis Pro Series instruments, for example, incorporate a panic button, which initiates both an audible alarm and an alert to team members across the wireless network.

Should a user be incapacitated, an accelerometer within the instrument will also raise an alarm if no movement is detected within a prescribed time limit.

They also boast handy iAssign Technology, which allows users to be seamlessly paired with their instrument using Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

Site locations tagged with iAssign ensure the user’s location around the site is recorded, making subsequent analysis of any alarm events more precise and able to be acted upon.

These tailored and “plain English” alert messages broadcast to users mean that users can focus on their primary tasks rather than needing to become experts in gas detection, leading to productivity gains on site.

Given the size and scope of many of today’s companies, however, it’s not enough for products to fully serve their purpose as life-saving equipment – manufacturers also need to ensure they were correctly used and managed in the field.

The iNet Control system, for example, is a unique tool for the management of portable gas detectors that works via docking stations, into which instruments are placed at the end of each shift or prior to a

30

May/June 2016

Modern portable gas detection instruments often incorporate panic buttons that sound audible alarms and alerts to team members to increase safety and worker productivity

new shift.

Best industry practice dictates that a portable gas detector should be “bump tested” prior to each use; this is a quick and simple function test to ensure the detector is ready for action. A bump test with a docking station is a single button process.

The key benefits of the iNet Control system lie in the management of alarms, alerts and the compilation of reports that is all automated within iNet Control.

Each time an instrument is docked, its previous operating data is uploaded to the iNet Control system in the cloud for analysis by shift managers, HSE managers or hygienists.

Recognising that everyone is time-poor, the reports can be easily

customised so that only the important points are highlighted and crucial events flagged via email or text message.

This allows managers to clamp down on unsafe or non-compliant practices on site – for example, an iNet report may alert a shift manager to a worker having been exposed to an unsafe level of carbon monoxide for a prolonged time.

It is not unknown for people to disregard audible alarms – in fact, in extreme cases, iNet reports have highlighted that gas detectors have been manually turned off when in alarm.

Any unsafe practices captured through the use of iNet-connected devices in the field will be reported,

allowing managers to follow up and correct the behaviour.

This is the type of proactive safety management required as part of good safe practice, and now demanded to a much higher level under the revised H&S legislation.

This system can be taken to a further level with developments such as iNet Exchange, whereby replacement gas detectors are proactively dispatched to a site when iNet detects a pending fault or service event with any instrument within the fleet. This service can be offered as a monthly subscription charge, as opposed to being a draw upon capital budgets.

Ideally, gas detectors should also feature a rugged design to ensure they will still operate after lengthy submersion in liquid, with some manufacturers such as Industrial Scientific even offering a lifetime guarantee of the major components.

Bob Weston is Managing Director of Entec Services Ltd, which has been offering instrumentation, electrical and mechanical solutions since 1982

H A Z M AT

A safe, cost-effective asbestos pipeline removal solution Simple, non-destructive and cost-effective solutions to pipeline maintenance could cut the estimated $2.2 billion cost of replacing New Zealand’s aging asbestos pipes

T

he estimated total length of the country’s $8.7 billion water supply pipelines is 36,436km, some 9000km of which is made of asbestos cement and will need to be replaced within the next 20 to 30 years.

“The central issue in the pipeline network renewal task is not any health risk from drinking water passing through the pipelines while they are intact, but rather worker safety and community safety during the task of renewal,” says James Maslin, Sales and Marketing Manager for Air Springs Supply Pty Ltd. “It is important in this regard that repair and removal technology touches lightly on the affected pipelines and does not contribute to damage or breakage.”

Air Springs Supply is the Australasian distributor for the Pronal elastomer inflatable pipe stoppers, lifting cushions, seals, tanks and environmental protection products used by municipal, industrial, civil emergency and military forces to repair and restore environmentally sensitive services including pipeline networks.

Inflatable Pronal stoppers – equipped with bypasses where water supply must be retained while pipeline sections are replaced – are inflated to create a powerful, watertight and non-destructive seal to safeguard maintenance workers and preserve the integrity of networks.

Pronal lifting cushions, meanwhile, provide a way to lift, shift and position old or replacement pipelines even in sandy trenches or on soft surfaces. The cushions – larger versions of which are powerful enough to lift railway locomotives and damaged aircraft – spread their lifting power evenly over a wide area, thus avoiding point loads that could damage the object being lifted or cause instability and breakages.

Pronal stoppers and lifters have been proven globally to address

32

May/June 2016

many environmental issues involving industrial and municipal pipelines of all types, including concrete, cast iron, steel, stainless steel and PVC, Maslin claims.

“Pronal technology is used not only on water pipeline networks, but also their environmental credentials have been demonstrated in Australasia on industrial pipeline networks where their stopping efficiency, light weight and reusability are useful to manufacturers, miners and other big users of water and process solutions.”

Pronal inflatable pipe stoppers are already in widespread use for maintenance, testing and emergency tasks in applications as diverse as industrial and municipal water and waste water, and pollution prevention in mining, energy and industrial projects where sealing and testing operations need to be conducted not only with complete safety and environmental security but also with considerable speed to maintain flows of liquids and gases.

The stoppers – most recently put into service Down Under with national food and beverage, defence manufacturing and chemical processing companies – can be rapidly deployed, easily transported and widely applied in remote, temporary and permanent industrial situations.

Their affordability and cost-effectiveness has expanded greatly as more are brought into service, Maslin says. “Their local and global success means that increasing volumes and types are available at even more competitive installation costs than previously,” he maintains. “Advantages of scale are also producing a broader range of stock types and sizes to fit pipelines up to 2115mm inside diameter and custom-produced models over 3000mm.”

The expanded ranges and greater cost-efficiency are particularly

Pronal lifting cushions, shown inflated and deflated, complement Pronal pipeline stoppers as easily transportable solutions to pipeline maintenance issues

timely, not only to address the asbestos issue in public water supply but also for Australasian industry because of the safety focus on preventing industrial spills.

Pipelines are a particularly important component of risk management plans not only involving purity of water supplies, but also where companies may be handling increased quantities and types of hazardous materials associated with production and process engineering, cleaning, vehicle maintenance and plant upkeep, for example.

In addition to potential hazards to people in the workplace, environmental authorities are particularly concerned about possible spillages of contaminated waste water into nearby streams, rivers, seas and groundwater systems.

The common factor with maintenance, testing and emergency situations is that they need stoppers that can be rapidly and securely deployed to provide primary or secondary safety and environmental security. Sometimes stoppers are permanently located in pipelines for

instant remote inflation with compressed air or other gas where there is a risk of toxic runoff at different stages of production, or where spillages occur.

In other instances, they are used to seal off sections of pipe where leaks are occurring, serving the dual role of enabling pressurisation of that section so leaks can be detected, then protecting the men in the pipeline from any product flows while they work to fix the problem.

They are extremely strong and durable in service, being hot vulcanised in a mould to give outstanding service life. The material used in the stoppers and the production method (customised dilatability) means they are extremely versatile.

The big advantages of the technology also include simplicity, portability and re-use: maintenance staff don’t need huge amounts of gear on-site and the stoppers themselves are easy to transport around plants to remote locations, where they can be used, moved on, and used again and again.

I N N OVAT I O N S

Bright light and caffeine improve driver alertness

Caffeine and blue-green light have significant effects on improving the driving performance of chronically sleep-deprived young people, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) study found

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hamsi Shekari, from QUT’s Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q) tested the use of bluegreen light and caffeine on young drivers aged 18-25 in a driving simulator to see if it increased alertness during daytime driving.

“Driver sleepiness accounts for 20 per cent of all crashes in developed countries, and young drivers are at an increased risk of chronic sleep deprivation,” she explains.

“This is due to later brain development and social factors such as friends, work patterns and increased use of drugs and alcohol, all of which impact on sleep.”

Shekari says the study tested the novel and potentially effective use of bright light, using commercially available light glasses that emit a shortwave blue-green light, and caffeinated chewing gum on driver sleepiness.

Light therapy was being used to adjust a person’s circadian rhythm in shift workers and pilots and offered the potential to reduce sleepiness.

“The two-week study included monitoring sleep-wake patterns, with a normal eight hours of time in bed in the first week being reduced to seven hours in the second week to produce chronic sleep deprivation in the participants,” she explains.

“On the last three days participants took test sessions which involved recording their brain and heart activity, reaction times, assessment of their sleepiness and two 50km-long simulated drives each day.”

To compare the effectiveness of the countermeasures, all participants were provided with inactive chewing gum and light in the first drive and randomised active chewing gum and light in the second drive.

Shekari says there was a significant effect on driving performance, mostly when caffeine was used alone or combined with light. “Drivers who were given just caffeine, or light and caffeine together had decreased side-to-side movement of the steering wheel and the vehicle,

QUT’s Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q) researcher Shamsi Shekari tested the use of blue-green light and caffeine on young drivers aged 18-25 in a driving simulator indicating better control of the vehicle and higher alertness.

“Drivers who were feeling some signs of sleepiness after sleep loss felt less sleepy after receiving either light or caffeine, and even felt rather alert after receiving the combination of light and caffeine.”

However, there was a discrepancy between feelings of sleepiness and actual driving performance. “This is a big concern given current advertising messages rely on drivers making their own judgement of

when they are too sleepy to drive.”

Shekari admits that while her study had revealed promising results of the use of light and caffeine to improve driver alertness, more research was needed. “CARRS-Q is now undertaking a study on the effect of sleep loss and caffeine on driving where we want to learn about more, specifically about the effect of daytime sleepiness and caffeine on driver performance,” she adds.

Ditch Witch offers free online training modules

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itch Witch New Zealand is helping to get drilling crews and underground construction team members prepared with a unique series of free online horizontal directional drilling training modules.

The Ditch Witch Certified Training modules effectively pack decades of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) expertise into intuitive and easyto-follow online courses; providing valuable insight and information which is translatable to any team working in any part of the world.

“The advent of certified online HDD training modules makes for a safer and more productive job site, as well as a great learning opportunity for every company using directional drilling gear,” says Ditch Witch New Zealand General Manager John Grant.

Practices, Drill Pipe, Tracking, HDD Tooling and Drilling Fluid.

After completing each course, the operator receives a certificate of completion which is recognised by Ditch Witch affiliates worldwide.

“The Ditch Witch Certified Training modules are just as effective a resource for New Zealand companies whether undertaken by seasoned operators looking to refresh their Operators can learn online at their knowledge, or newer team members own pace with the Ditch Witch HDD expanding their skill set,” continues simulator training package Grant.

“This is a unique knowledge offerRegardless of the circumstance, ing which will allow local businesses Ditch Witch’s online training system to participate in training modules will result in a safer, more productive that are relevant to the day-to-day approach to drilling, he claims. “And challenges Kiwi operators face and it’s all undertaken at the trainee’s the machinery they use to face them.” pace and in a stress-free, convenient Ditch Witch’s HDD online training environment that they’re comfortaoffering is split into six easy-to-fol- ble learning in,” Grant adds. “Anyone low modules; HDD Overview, Best can register to take the courses and

the courses can be taken as many times as desired at absolutely no cost.”

In addition to the online courses, the Ditch Witch Certified Training programme includes HDD simulator training, which Ditch Witch New Zealand will be introducing through the second half of the year.

This provides on-site training in a state-of-the-art virtual environment that gives operators the chance to tackle real-world scenarios and learn correct operating procedures.

With plans to incorporate additional curriculum, the online training programme will also eventually extend beyond HDD to focus on all segments of the underground construction industry. “The driving force behind this comprehensive training program is the idea that ‘we get crews ready’,” Grant concludes.

www.isn.co.nz

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PPE >> Fire resistance

How to choose the correct flame resistant clothing Flame resistant clothing is becoming a more utilized as a standard protective garment throughout multiple industries says QSI General Manager Jason Myburgh

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ith all the options of new products being continuously brought into the market, it is important for a user to determine the level of flame resistant (FR) garment protection required, the comfort and weight to the user and the cost of the FR protection.

As long as you understand the benefits and limitations to the product you are purchasing, you will be able to make an accurate decision.

There is a good reason some of the more prominent brands are slightly more costly than some unknown imported product.

This is due to the fact that the fabric manufacturers have invested the time and money into the con-

predict risk and prepare for any situation that may eventuate The first question that needs to be asked is “Who is at risk and who needs flame resistant (FR) protective garments”.

The answer is pretty simple - any person who does work in a hazardous environment that may involve coming into contact with hot metal, grinding or welding sparks, electric arc, flash fire, explosions from gas or dust or general fires like rural fires.

Industries that would fall into these categories are, electricians, electric utility linesmen, refinery, chemical and pharmaceutical workers, workers in the pulp and paper industry, food processing, paint, rural fire fighters and many more

tinuous improvement and quality

industries as well as anyone who

management of their product. Look to fabrics that are market proven to ensure you are getting the best protection.

As we better understand the risks presented in the everyday work environment we are better able to

comes into contact with energized equipment like road workers and arborists working near power lines.

May/June 2016

How do I choose what to garment to use?

With the global market becom-

ing more accessible, the ability to be an import a finished garment has become a lot easier. There has been an increase in FR garment options and this has resulted in a misrepresentation of the garments performance ability, and is creating a lot of confusion in the market.

The best way to determine what is best for your business is to make an informed decision based on fact.

In order to do this you will need to understand the various types of products available to you and the pros and cons of each one. There are a lot of fabrics and blends as there

are so many different application requirements.

Not all FR fabrics will do the same jobs Let’s look at it in a systematic approach starting with the entry level fabric moving up to the higher performance fabrics.

The entry level, easy to obtain fabric of choice over the last few years has been a 100 percent FR treated cotton fabric.

This garment is not inherently flame resistant such as QSI Spectron garments.

A manufacturer will use specific combinations of chemicals and will soak or spray the material so it will have the ability to self-extinguish after being exposed to flames.

The FR chemicals are “activated” by intense heat, producing char and gases that inhibit combustion.

This a treatment placed onto a finished fabric so the fire retardant materials lose their fire retardant properties after a number of washes.

This is commonly known as a “50 wash garment”. The drawback to this fabric is that normally to achieve a suitable arc rating or long burn exposure they need to be a heavier weight (260–270gsm = 8 Cal+), this makes them a little heavier and a little more uncomfortable in the hotter seasons. This is generally a 1 year use garment.

Locking in FR treatment In the last few years some more advanced ways of locking the FR treatment into the core of the cotton fiber have come about. This has brought about some great technical fabrics that have 88 percent cotton with 12% nylon such as QSI Banwear.

Unlike the basic treated cotton

How to care for flame resistant FR garments?

• Do not use hard water. Hard water can leave behind salts. Salt residual on the garment can compromise the FR properties • Do use a phosphate-based detergent; this is gentler on FR clothing.

Avoid using fabric softeners, chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide bleaches during the laundering process • Do rinse all fabrics adequately to remove chemical residue • Any oil, grease, paint residue or solvents on the garment could negatively impact on the garment’s performance • Follow the wash care instructions of manufacturer for prolonged life of garment

fabric the FR treatment gets released from the core of the fiber, taking longer to leach out.

In most occasions the life of the garment is depleted before the FR treatment is gone. This is still a fire-retardant fabric. The 12 percent nylon adds extra durability and makes this garment a more durable option. It would have around a two to three year lifespan. It also requires a heavier weight to get the better arc rating or longer burn performance (260-270gsm = 9 Cal+).

Genuine FR material With the advancement of technologies, a lot of technical fibers have been developed to be genuine flame-resistant material which are inherently flame resistant.

Some types of fibers are modacrylics, FR viscose, kermel, nomex and kevlar. The fibers these materials are made from are inherently non-flammable. Inherently flame-resistant materials are not affected by proper laundering.

The challenge is that some of

these fibers shrink when they come into contact with heat, others may be uncomfortable to wear and are not a soft fabric -- some are difficult to dye and fade easily.

Affordable options A more affordable option that is now coming out into the market is a blend of a 50-60 percent synthetic fiber with a cotton blend.

The synthetic fiber acts as an oxygen scavenger so it prevents the cotton from burning.

This fabric is more durable than the cotton fabric alone and does not require a treatment for the FR properties.

The only drawback is that it may not be suitable for a longer flame exposure and is more suited to an arc flash environment where you have a very short exposure to a flame.

High end fabrics The higher end fabrics that combine durability, long burn protection and light weight performance are normally a combination of two or

more technical flame resistant fabrics like QSI Kermel with FR Viscose.

They are generally lighter (245gsm = 8 Cal+).

They are also known as a three-tofour year garment due to the fact they do not lose their FR properties and the kermel fibers are also more durable.

The advantages include: • Light weight fire resistance performance • High durability • Colour durability • Proven performance in severe environments • No performance degradation through overor incorrect washing PPE must also be worn properly • Avoid the use of polyester, nylon, polypropylene and polyamide undergarments (sports material). Use FR, cotton, wool or rayon underwear and T-Shirts – non-melting.

• Ensure appropriate size and fit (maintain air gap between body

and garment) • C lose PPE correctly (buttons or zipper, Velcro, ....) always done up • Do not roll up sleeves.

• Keep it clean, the garment should not have flammable contaminates on it. Follow the cleaning and maintenance instructions on the inside label. Only repair or modify the garment following the guidelines provided by the garment manufacturer.

• Outer most wear must be flame resistant – eg do not wear a PVC raincoat over a FR coverall in a FR environment.

• Recommended stock: It is recommended that 3 sets of selected suitable FR garments are purchased per employee. This allows for 1 to be worn, while 1 is laundered and then a spare to be kept in stock.

• Consider FR head, face, hands and foot protection too.

When do I replace my garments?

Fire retardant clothing can lose its FR properties before physical damage is noticeable.

Any garment, flame resistant or fire retardant that has any visible holes or tears, should be repaired or removed from service immediately.

Get the manufacturer’s guidelines on the longevity of the specific FR treatment you are using.

Jason Myburgh is the General Manager of QSI which has been manufacturing and selling FR garments to resellers in New Zealand for over 10 years. The company is a manufacturer of garments and supplier of well known global brands of fabric from around the world. They are the agents for Banwear, Protal and Kermel. QSI acknowledges these companies continuous input and innovations in helping development of the QSI FR program and our understanding of the FR industry

www.isn.co.nz

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ACCESS

Working with a net helps break the fall

The use of safety nets as a means of providing a robust fall protection system on construction sites has become a common sight over recent years, a leading proponent observes

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afety nets have become increasingly popular since 2009, when the old Department of Labour launched the Preventing Falls From Heights project that aimed to achieve a 25 per cent reduction in fatalities resulting from falls from height by 2020.

Three years later the department’s successor, WorkSafe New Zealand, developed the Best Practise Guidelines for Working on Roofs, which led to WorkSafe advising the residential construction sector that fall protection standards needed to improve.

The Best Practise Guidelines for Working on Roofs identified “soft fall arrest” collective passive systems as the preferred option in the sector, as they allow work to continue at height without restricting workers’ movement.

Safety nets therefore came to the fore as they offer numerous benefits and advantages when used as the primary means of providing a fall arrest solution on construction sites: • they provide a collective, passive solution, meaning that there is no reliance on worker action to ensure their own safety with regards to fall protection systems – they don’t have to clip harness-

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May/June 2016

•

•

•

•

•

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es on and off every time they move the net system minimises the

impact on builders works, meaning that works can continue both above and below the net, unlike other fall protection systems such as air bags there is no reliance on builders to move the protection system around the property to suit varying work locations – the nets are installed by certified installers and removed upon completion of the builders’ work so they don’t need to do anything the nets are quickly installed and removed, thereby having very little impact on project time lines nets provide an extremely cost-effective solution, and add minimal cost to the overall project nets come in varying sizes so they can be “dressed” to suit any area that requires protection the nets are fitted as close as possible to the working level, thereby minimising fall distance into the nets, which is an advantage over other means of fall protection where fall distances and greater – the greater the fall distance, the more chance of injury to

the falling person.

During this time, the technical side of fall prevention has moved away from simple strength issues and now embraces energy absorption as fundamental principle of design.

Under load the nets deform plastically (unlike the safety nets that are used in the circus, for example), which means that the net and associated tie ropes all permanently “stretch” and work together to absorb fall energy.

Once the nets have been used they need to be discarded as the permanent deformation of the system means that effectively there is no “ stretch” left in the net.

There are three areas of compliance that need to be considered when using safety nets: The quality of the nets There are no New Zealand-specific standards, so WorkSafe NZ refers to European standard EN 1263 which outlines key compliance criteria: • each net must be individually identified with a unique reference number • the nets should be tagged such that dates and place of manufacture (supplier) are clearly

identifiable • t he net tag should also confirm the actual type of net • each of the three separate removable small meshes attached to the net must be tagged with the same net reference number.

Nets degrade under UV light (sunlight) and have to be confirmed as fit for purpose every 12 months. A test mesh is removed from the net on the anniversary of its manufacture or the previous test date and stretched/tested to destruction. If the load reading at failure is above a certain level, the net can continue to be used for another 12 months. If the reading is too low, the net must be withdrawn from service.

Installation The nets in commercial environments must be installed in accordance with the requirements of European Standard EN1263 which outlines criteria for: • tie/fixing centres • sag • maximum permissible gaps in the net system • the net’s condition • the suitability of the structure to which the net is secured.

Certified Installer/Rigger All installers of safety nets must be trained and possess the appropriate certification to confirm competency.

Safety signs Always check that the nets are compliant by inspecting the net tag to confirm when the last test was carried out - if in doubt, ask the installer.

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• Key things to look for include: • making sure the suitability of the structure to which the net is secured is fit for purpose – a steel portal or timber framing constructed in accordance with NZ 3604 • ensuring the nets have 5 per cent -10 per cent sag across them • securing rope ties • making sure brackets are securely in place if they are used • securing brackets in place at a maximum of 1.7m centres on residential properties • keeping the area beneath the net clear with no equipment such as saw horses or mobile towers that could be a hazard to a person falling into the net – the net needs time to deflect so materials in the

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clearance zone beneath the net can cause a significant hazard should someone fall into the net no gaps of more than 100mm

around the edges of the net a Handover Certificate should

be completed and displayed in a prominent position confirming that the net system is complete and work above the net can commence the builder should inspect the

net system before any work is undertaken above the net, particularly at the start of every new work session, to confirm that the net system has not been tampered with if the builder has any concerns, he must not attempt to fix the net system himself - the net installer needs to return to carry out any

remedial work that may be required and the entire system then needs to be recertified.

There are also several things that shouldn’t be done if a safety net is to perform properly: • the nets shouldn’t be walked in or worked from at any time as once loaded they become permanently deformed and can no longer be used • all debris should be removed from the nets immediately as they are a hazard to anyone falling into the net, and can possibly change the integrity of the net system • don't store materials, or undertake any works, in the clearance zone below the net • don't untie any fixings used to secure the net in position

Superior system The advantages of safety nets include: • reducing the number of potential falls and minimising their effects • providing collective passive safety • the ability to be fitted as close as possible to the working level • allowing a wide range of activities to continue with minimum restriction • allowing greater mobility for people working above the nets • reducing crane time and cost • ensuring speedier and more efficient construction methods.

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on't install ceiling battens before nets are installed • don't attempt to reattach any nets that have been untied • don't support trusses/builders’ material in nets.

Safety nets have made a positive contribution to industrial safety in New Zealand in a few short years, with recent analysis of information gained since the implementation of the Preventing Falls from Heights programme indicating a significant reduction in injuries as a result of the falls.

Given this success rate, it seems certain that safety nets will become increasingly popular in industrial, commercial and residential worksites as employers and workers alike strive to achieve the government’s target of a 25 per cent reduction in fatalities resulting from falls from height by 2020.

Craig Daly is General Manager of net specialist Safety Nets New Zealand, helped to write the Code of Practice, brought together the industry and WorkSafe New Zealand and drove the formation of the Fall Arrest Safety Nets Association

www.isn.co.nz

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COMMENT >> Law

Hosting drinks?

Be sure to think

The introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) is provoking a range of reactions - from the ridiculous to the sublime, and mostly somewhere in between

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ne example is the approach that some workplaces are taking to after-work drinks, or to the availability of alcohol more generally in the workplace or at work-related events.

Some workplaces have not even thought about it (which we don’t recommend), some are banning it altogether, and others are a taking more of a middle-ground approach.

The HSWA and regulations do not specifically cover alcohol, and there are no WorkSafe guidelines. Nevertheless the consumption of alcohol in work situations plainly represents a risk, which PCBUs are responsible for managing. There is also the potential for serious harm, for example if workers or others become intoxicated or drive under the influence.

Even though a PCBU is generally not responsible for a worker once he or she has left work to travel home, the PCBU could be held liable if the worker is at risk because of alcohol consumed in the workplace, for example at after-work drinks, or at work, for example at a client function.

This will of course depend in the usual way on all the circumstances, including the closeness of the connection to work, the steps taken by the PCBU and individual responsibility.

Further, and rather than focusing

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on whether the precise wording of the HSWA applies and when, it is more useful for PCBUs to focus on the steps they should take when providing alcohol (if at all) at work, workplaces or work-related events.

Case law?

The HSWA has not been tested in this way, but we can look to other cases where organisations have faced court action.

A financial services company was fined $10,000 in the Magistrates Court of Western Australia in 2015 for unlawfully supplying alcohol.

The company organised a boat trip where alcohol was provided without a permit that would have required someone present to ensure alcohol was provided responsibly. One of the attendees drowned during the trip.

Closer to home, a heavily intoxicated man who drowned in a Wellington storm-water drain had been drinking for some time at licensed premises shortly before his death. The man fell at the premises and cut his lip and nose. He left the premises to go to his car, dropped his keys in the drain and drowned trying to retrieve them.

Following the police investigation, the premises’ licences were suspended for 24 and 48 hours respectively. The premises are now

required to assess patrons more proactively for intoxication.

Arguably the health and safety regulator could have taken action in both cases. In practice, it is probably only when there has been a serious accident that the police or WorkSafe will track back to the PCBU over alcohol-related harm. Police typically ask drink drivers where they have been drinking, so there is the potential in this instance to follow the same procedure.

What should a PCBU do practically?

Some PCBUs take the approach of prohibiting the consumption of alcohol altogether at work or in the workplace. This is a perfectly valid approach, especially in safety sensitive workplaces.

Where this approach is taken in other workplaces, it is often much about culture or consistency – for example the PCBU’s head office makes the same commitment as its industrial sites.

Prohibition is not the answer necessarily for every workplace. If yours is a workplace where alcohol is provided or consumed in work situations or at events, we recommend a common-sense approach.

You should consider the following: • where is the function being held – at work or an external venue?

How much control do you have over the venue?

• are workers aware of the expected standard of behaviour, both generally and around drink driving? Is there a policy in place or are reminders sometimes sent out?

• is someone present to supervise, monitor alcohol supply and consumption, and intervene or assist where necessary? Do managers or other workers understand that they can and should intervene and assist if they have concerns?

• is there sufficient food and non-alcoholic drinks available throughout?

• if minors are present, what steps are in place to ensure they don’t have access to alcohol?

• is the alcohol self-serve, and if so what controls are in place to monitor this?

• at what time will alcohol cease to be available? A cut-off time is recommended. Is the supply unlimited until then?

• what steps do you have in place to help ensure workers and other guests get home safely? While the pcbu need not pay necessarily, there should be ready access to safe transport options.

If someone is intoxicated, there is a greater responsibility to ensure that he or she makes it into a taxi or is otherwise looked after.

Ultimately, the PCBU should aim always to be a responsible host. That will keep everyone safe. Cheers!

Lorraine Hercus is a Senior Solicitor and Hamish Kynaston www.buddlefindlay.people/ hamishkynaston/ a Partner at Buddle Findlay, one of New Zealand’s leading commercial law and public law firms with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

LAST WORD >> Management

Beware the elephant in the room

The Earth moved, the neighbour had a loud party, you’re short staffed, the machinery is broken down, the project has changed direction, you and your partner argue...

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ach of these experiences seen in isolation appears to be manageable, and you may think you’re fine but combine those thoughts with messages you may have heard in childhood telling you not to act so dramatic when something happens, that you just need to pull yourself together - and you create an ‘elephant in the room’ that is likely to impact every aspect of your life: cumulative stress.

Cumulative stress is by far the most frequent form of stress. It is not necessarily traumatic, can arise from a combination of factors that build up over time, and gradually erodes your resilience and productivity. Prolonged experiences of cumulative stress without adequately being addressed can have devastating results on your life.

Take, for example, Mr Pullthrough, who lived through the 2010/2011 earthquakes. At the time he was quite shaken; however, over the years he got ‘used’ to the smaller tremors that continued for months, and ‘got on’ with his life.

Or did he? His mind may have started telling him ‘It’s okay, it’s not that bad’. People around him may have said ‘Nothing we can do about it but move on’. People at work who were sympathetic in the first few months went back to ‘normal’.

Some signals that indicate the cumulative stress ‘elephant’ may be ‘in the room’: Fatigue, headaches, indigestion, sleeping too much or too little, diarrhoea.

Forgetfulness, boredom, procrastination, perfectionism, poor concentration.

Irritability, depression, anxiety, anger, mood swings, sensitivity to criticism, intolerance, cynicism, compassion fatigue.

The nervous system, Mr Pullthrough’s fight or flight mechanism, didn’t get back to normal - it stayed on alert. Designed by nature to be ready to react quickly in the event of danger, every small jolt confirms to the nervous system that the danger is not over yet. Valuable energy and resources remain directed towards maintaining a level of alertness that does not allow for complete relaxation and an ‘all clear’.

Uncharacteristic behaviours like shouting at the drop of the hat, becoming short-tempered, reduced ability to focus and lack of behavioural control are signals that all is not well inside Mr Pullthrough – and no amount of willpower or ignoring can make that ‘elephant’ disappear.

On the contrary, the more it gets ignored, the more the ‘elephant’ grows and demands attention by following Mr Pullthrough into every aspect of his life. The signals that can indicate the presence of Mr Pullthrough’s cumulative stress

“I’m right there in the room, and no-one can even acknowledge me.”

‘elephant’ can come in physical, mental, and emotional levels.

They can be expressed through relationship and team issues as well as in problem-level consumption of food, alcohol and other substances, or through withdrawal into feelings of loneliness and being misunderstood.

The more the stress response is activated either physically or psychologically - the harder it is to shut off. If stress hormones, heart rate and blood pressure remain elevated over time, the body and mind will begin to suffer.

According to research, people like Mr Pullthrough, suffering from cumulative stress (accumulation of various stress factors from different sources), are likely to have impaired perception, ability to action, and memory capabilities.

They will be particularly likely to have accidents when their mental resources are stretched to the limit. Preoccupied with such personal issues as work-family conflict, natural disaster experiences, feeling overworked, or being dissatisfied with the physical conditions in their environment, people prone to cognitive lapses have particular difficulty focusing on what’s going on around them. And when Mr Pullthrough loses focus and concentration, he is likely to be involved in accidents and mishaps.

Three steps to working with the cumulative stress ‘elephant’: Step 1: Become aware of the signals that may indicate its presence in your life Step 2: Acknowledge its presence – there is no way you can effectively hide it under a carpet in the long-term.

Life-giving coping strategies for dealing with the stress ‘elephant’: Seek and accept social support, keep talk ing to people and building relationships, ask for and accept practical help, help others, consider checking in with the Employee Assistance Programme at www.eapservices.co.nz Engage in physical exercise to the level of your fitness, reduce sugar and caffeine intake, eat healthy and regularly.

Practice relaxation, mindfulness, have cuddles, do yoga, allow yourself to have fun and laugh.

Step 3: Take action and use life-giving coping strategies for dealing with your personal stress ‘elephant’. Your experiences are unique to you and your circumstances. Speak about the ‘elephant’ in your room, explore different ways of mitigating its impact on your life, stick with what works for you, and start ‘elephant-proofing’ your life.

Remember: Fun is not optional, it is actually essential for a healthy life. Laughter has been proven to reduce cortisol stress hormone levels.

Dr Andrea Polzer-Debruyne is senior consultant at PeopleCentric, a group of psychologists that work with organisations in a variety of industries towards increasing individual and organisational capabilities. PeopleCentric are the exclusive New Zealand distributor of the Individual Safety Attributes Test (ISAT), and support potential areas in need for improvement or coping with cumulative stress ‘elephants’ with tailored and bespoke initiatives.

www.isn.co.nz

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