RECENT NEWS

Most people don't think much about machinery guards. They're just... there. Until one isn't. It's easy to trust a machine that's been doing the same job for years without incident. A conveyor runs smoothly. A saw starts when it should. A PTO shaft spins exactly as expected. The trouble is that machinery only needs one missing guard, one damaged component, or one missed check for things to go badly wrong. A recent WorkSafe prosecution involving an unguarded PTO shaft serves a

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

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

Pressure is part of modern working life in New Zealand. Tight deadlines, shifting priorities, weather disruptions, staff shortages and increasing client expectations are familiar to many of us. In some industries, pressure is not the exception; it is the baseline. However, while pressure itself is not inherently dangerous, unmanaged and sustained pressure can become a workplace hazard. Understanding where that line sits is increasingly important for businesses, especially as