August Newsletter 2026 | A H&S Expert's Take on "Common Sense"
Updated: 4 days ago
WorkSafe Working at Height Update
WorkSafe's latest guidance reinforces a simple message: focus on the risk of injury from a fall, not just the height involved.
Falls from relatively low heights can still result in serious harm, so any work with the potential for a fall injury should be assessed and managed.
There is no "safe" fall height
Any fall that could cause injury should be considered and managed.
The "3 metre rule" is not a control
Do not assume lower-level work is automatically low risk.
Prioritise fall prevention
Consider guardrails, edge protection, scaffolds, MEWPs, and fall restraint systems before relying on PPE.
Consult workers
The people doing the work should be involved in choosing appropriate controls.
Coordinate when multiple PCBUs are involved
Responsibilities for access, inspections, edge protection, and emergency arrangements should be agreed before work begins.
Health & Safety Amendment Bill Passes
The health and safety amendment act has passed. Not sure what this means for your business?
Please send any questions our way using the button below! We will be attending webinars in the upcoming weeks to understand it fully, so watch this space for now.
It takes effect from 1 April 2027.
Changes to New Zealand's Driver Licensing System
The Government has announced changes to the graduated driver licensing system, including the removal of the full licence practical test, changes to learner and restricted licence requirements, and a zero-alcohol limit for all learner and restricted drivers. Most changes take effect from 25 January 2027.
Does your workplace have hidden psychosocial risks?
Are workers regularly working excessive hours?
Do staff report conflicting priorities?
Have there been concerns about bullying or interpersonal conflict?
Are roles and responsibilities clearly understood?
Is workload discussed during regular reviews?
How are we doing?
We’re always looking for ways to improve, your feedback means a lot to us!
Consultant’s Corner
By Tracey Murphy.
Phrases we do not use at Safewise and why
The Health and Safety Amendment Bill went through its third reading in Parliament in July.
The 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. This remains to be seen.
However, it was the words “common sense” which caused me concern.
We actively advise against using “common sense”. Common sense depends on your life experiences and learning. Ask any older person about someone in their late teens or early 20s and you will usually hear muttered grumbling about their lack of common sense and not like that in my day…
We prefer to talk about common experience. The training and supervision we receive. The accepted standard of performance.
The other phrase we don’t use at Safewise is “be careful”. Be careful is a fluffy expression which does not provide any action or non-action. It’s much better to give direction – “wear your hearing protection”.
With both phrases we are relying on individuals to make their own decisions based on what they know. Whilst there is probably a good outcome most of the time, it can be catastrophic.
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