RECENT NEWS

I’ve been to a few training sessions recently where people are talking about work as it is done. Traditionally, health and safety has been based on fear, problems, and, sometimes, blame. Health and safety has had an image of being the “fun police”, not about people. It would be fair to say that putting rules in place and insisting on compliance is the starting point for most companies, especially those who are just starting the health and safety journey. There is a place for

Recently WorkSafe NZ announced that there had been seven workers killed at work, in a three-week period. At least two were forklift related; one involved a swing lift. It would be very easy to say that each of these people were in a place they shouldn’t have been, and that would probably be true. But, it is just the smallest part of the answer. It’s like saying wearing a hi viz vest will save your life. It will make you more visible, but it won’t make the injury less if you

People talk a lot about the work–life balance, but what does it mean? Life cannot be divided up into equal parcels of time, or commitment; half my life will be spent working and half my life will be my own. The world is not that simplistic. We all need to work, unless we are lucky enough to have won Lotto. Sometimes our work will dominate our lives. For me, this year has been a lot about work. Safewise has been busy with the demand created by the implementation of the Health

Safeguard Magazine (May/June 2016) outlined the workplace death toll from January to the end of April 2016. This has been confirmed by WorkSafe NZ but does not include road, air or maritime deaths. These are counted under different categories. So far there have been 19 workplace fatalities. Nineteen people who are not going home to their families. Families and friends of 19 people who will always have a gap in their lives. Who are they? They are all men, although two are chi

Let’s talk about some of the urban myths that are being taken as the truth. There has been a lot of panic about the new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, and it hasn’t been helped by the scaremongering tactics that are being employed by some people. Unfortunately, some of those people are so-called health and safety consultants. If you are intending to use a contractor you should check their skills, experience and qualifications. There are some people taking advantage of th

I know this isn’t a work problem for most of you, but it is near to our hearts. We all grew up climbing trees; it’s a rite of passage. There is no need to stop kids climbing trees. However, look at the trees. Make sure they are strong, and cut down any rotten trees. Decide if the branches are strong enough to support the weight of the kids. Look at the ground under the tree. If there is a kerb, concrete or brickwork, consider changing it. It’s okay to tell the kids which tree