RECENT NEWS

Most employers understand how to manage physical hazards. If a floor is slippery, it can be cleaned. If machinery is dangerous, guarding can be installed. If noise levels are high, hearing protection can be provided. Psychosocial risks can be more challenging because they are often less visible. Workload pressures, conflicting priorities, poor communication, workplace conflict, and unclear expectations can all affect people's wellbeing and ability to perform their work safely

What Effective Workplace Health and Safety Communication Looks Like Instead "Use common sense." "Be careful." Most of us have heard these phrases at work. Many of us have probably said them ourselves. The trouble is that while they sound sensible, they are not particularly effective workplace health and safety controls. When we rely on common sense or tell workers to "be careful", we leave a lot open to interpretation. What seems obvious to one person may be completely unfami

When it comes to workplace health and safety, most business owners know they are responsible for managing risks and protecting the people affected by their work. What is often less clear is when to seek outside help. Sometimes all you need is a second opinion, a documentation review, or guidance on a specific issue. Other times, ongoing support provides the expertise and consistency needed to keep health and safety moving in the right direction. If you are unsure which option

Recent News Request a Consultation H&S Bill Passes Third Reading The Health and Safety Amendment Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament. Labour is promising to repeal it should it enter government. However, Workplace Relations and Safety minister Brooke van Velden said the bill would restore "clarity, common sense, and focus" to New Zealand's work health and safety system, by focusing on critical risk. Those of you who know Safewise well will know that we do not beli

By Sara Crawford. Winter can bring extra challenges for many workplaces, particularly where workers are outdoors, moving between sites, working early starts, or exposed to cold, wet or windy conditions. Even when temperatures are not extreme, winter weather can affect concentration, visibility, energy levels and overall wellbeing. This can increase the likelihood of mistakes, slips, trips, manual handling injuries, equipment damage and workers taking shortcuts to get the job

For many New Zealand businesses, contractor prequalification is becoming a standard requirement rather than an optional extra. Whether you are tendering for work, managing contractors, or trying to streamline your own processes, choosing the right prequal system can feel confusing. Tōtika, SiteWise, and IMPAC PREQUAL all take slightly different approaches, and the best option will depend on how your business operates and who you are working with. In this guide, we step throug

As we reach the middle of the year, many New Zealand businesses naturally shift into reflection and planning mode. With Matariki encouraging renewal and forward thinking, it is the perfect time to reset your approach to health and safety management. Rather than treating workplace health and safety as a compliance exercise, a mid-year review gives you the opportunity to check whether your system is actually working for your team. Keep reading for seven practical questions to h

Most businesses treat health & safety as a one-off “We’ve got our policies sorted.” “We did that last year.” These are things we hear often from NZ business owners and managers when health and safety comes up. On the surface, it makes sense. You’ve created documents, completed a risk assessment, and inducted your staff. It feels like a job that has been ticked off the list. But this is where a common misunderstanding comes in. Health and safety is often treated like a checkli

Why “health & safety” feels confusing for many NZ businesses If you run a business in New Zealand, you have probably been told you “need health and safety”. What that actually means, however, is often far less clear. For many business owners and office or operations managers, health and safety feels like a mix of paperwork, policies, templates and vague obligations. You might have a folder of documents, or something a previous manager put together years ago, but still feel un