WELCOME
Things have started to pick up now here at Safewise, our regular safety meetings with our management clients along with audits, reviews and new systems have our consultants and support team off to a busy start for 2020. It's hot! February is the hottest month of the year for us so it is important that we watch out for heatstroke and remember that people's sleep is most likely affected. Heat can affect people's concentration which can lead to mistakes or accidents. Here are a couple of tips to help manage working in the heat:
Regardless of working inside or out, remember to up your fluid intake and take regular breaks.
Use air conditioners where possible to reduce temperature and top generate air flow.
When working outside, employees should be provided with ultraviolet protection, such as, sunscreen, sunglasses, wide brimmed hats and loose fitting and long sleeved clothing (preferably cotton).
Take breaks in cool, shady areas away from the direct sun.​

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION
The world has been stunned at the sudden and massive spread of the Coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large and diverse family of viruses which includes the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). In January, officials identified a new coronavirus called Novel Coronavirus also known as 2019-nCOV. Symptoms include fever, coughing and difficulty breathing. Difficulty breathing can be a sign of pneumonia and requires immediate medical attention. We don’t yet know how long symptoms take to show after a person has been infected, but current World Health Organisation) WHO assessments suggest that it is 2–10 days. 2019-nCoV is most likely spread through:
a cough or sneeze
close personal contact
contact with an object or surface with viral particles on it (then touching your mouth, nose or eyes).
The Ministry of Health has a dedicated 0800 number for health advice and information regarding Novel Coronavirus. The number is 0800 358 5453 - it is free to call and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. *this information has been sourced from the Ministry of Health website. Visit https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov if you would like more information or to follow the regular updates. This includes actions you can be taking if you or a family member may have been exposed to the Coronavirus.
CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT
A few weeks ago, WorkSafe issued a media release reminding businesses to ensure any contractor that you are using is competent to perform the task they are contracted to complete.
This message was prompted after a Auckland company, contracted a business to perform forestry-type work. The workers who were completing the tree felling were not qualified and had no experience in carrying out jobs of this size. Unfortunately, an accident occurred where one of the workers was seriously injured when a tree fell on him. The Auckland based company who hired the contractor to perform the task was ordered to pay $35,000 in reparation but escaped a fine. Each of our health and safety systems has a contractor management section along with the required forms to ensure you're meeting your obligations under the Health and Safety At Work Act 2015. If you have any queries or would like some assistance regarding your contractor management, feel free to contact us on 0800 SAFEWISE or click the link below to send Sara an email.
MEET THE TEAM
Michelle Oosthuizen Office Manager - BA

Michelle is a very energetic and hardworking team member with a wide range of experience. In 2011 she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Development and Management and went on to work for the provincial government in the Northern Cape in South Africa. There she started in a Human Resource graduate programme and went on to become the Executive Assistant to the Head of Department for the Department of Social Development, Northern Cape Provincial Government.
​In 2013, Michelle relocated and found herself working in a training company for trades, where she increasingly played a role in the health and safety practices by supporting the health and safety practitioners, learners and other staff members. She joined Safewise in May 2018 where her commitment and work ethic has already made a difference.
​She has always looked after her own health by leading an active lifestyle and knows what a big difference good health and safety practices makes not just at work, but at home as well.