In two separate events, two workers fell unconscious and later died as a likely result of acute exposure to organic solvents, highlighting the serious health and safety risks of using organic solvents in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation and lack of personal protective equipment One incident occurred when a worker was applying a UV treatment to windows. Continue →

Workplace exposure to metals and pesticides is linked to a heightened risk of heart disease, reveals research published online in the journal Heart Researchers based their findings on survey responses and medical test results for 7404 Hispanic/Latino workers aged 18 to 74 from Miami, Chicago, San Diego, and New York City. Continue →

A new study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has reviewed the risks to workers when opening fumigated shipping containers   The study identifies significant gaps in preventive measures and makes recommendations that should be implemented to improve the safety and health of workers. Continue →

Asbestos removal is still not being managed effectively almost 50 years after construction businesses were first made aware of the risks of the cancer-causing material, says WorkSafe New Zealand “Asbestos is New Zealand’s number one killer in the workplace with around 170 people dying every year from asbestos-related diseases,” WorkSafe Deputy General Manager, Investigations and Specialist Services, Simon Humphries, notes. Continue →

Businesses must now take greater responsibility for managing asbestos in their place of work On 4 April, the two-year window for industry, the regulator and training partners to implement changes created by the Health and Safety (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 expired. Continue →

Low-level lead exposure may be responsible for around 30 per cent of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease in the US each year, according to an international paper published in The Lancet Public Health  Researchers monitored the lead levels in more than 14,000 people over 20 years and found that even low-level lead exposure (between 1-5 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood) increases the risk of premature death. Continue →

BRANZ has launched the new industry guidelines for assessing and managing asbestos in soil. Continue →

WorkSafe accepts enforceable undertaking from Zespri, while the court delivers Tasman Tanning a $380K fine for a repeat offence. Continue →

Hazardous substances are widely used across New Zealand workplaces, so it’s important to know the risks and how to protect people from harm. Continue →

At the moment there are no Certified Audit Bodies (CAB) auditing to the WorkSafe scheme for asbestos which comes into force in April 2018. Continue →

A new system for managing hazardous substances in New Zealand will come into force in December 2017. Continue →

Sub-optimal demolition work of three residential buildings placed workers and neighbours at significant risk of asbestos exposure and landed the home owner with a large clean-up bill, WorkSafe says. Continue →

New Zealand’s system for managing hazardous substances is changing to reflect the government’s health and safety reform, Environmental Protection Authority Senior Policy Advisor Tania van Maanen explains The rules around managing risks to workers using hazardous substances will be transferred from the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) and regulations implemented by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSW) and regulations implemented by WorkSafe New Zealand. Continue →