Building and construction work that meets the Government definition of an essential service can continue under COVID-19 restrictions, following CHASNZ’s latest health and safety guidance COVID-19 Alert Level 4 is restricted to essential services only.  Continue →

Otago forestry workers are using new radio technology to manage 23,730 hectares of forest more safely, even enabling them to perform under Covid-19 restrictions Initially deployed to replace an outdated analogue radio network, the system delivers many additional benefits for forestry company, City Forests. Continue →

Many of New Zealand’s biggest industries have high fatality rates – in some ways these industries need to be treated like the ‘frontline’ in much the same way as our armed forces While most of us rarely give much thought to workplace deaths in New Zealand until they hit the headlines, closely examining the data for the past 10 years is a sobering exercise. Continue →

If people fail to comply with WorkSafe inspectors, they run the risk of facing legal enforcement action WorkSafe New Zealand are reminding people that they are obligated to comply with WorkSafe inspectors exercising their compliance powers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Continue →

Diesel is an organic compound, and like a slice of bread, it can go mouldy, which can pose some serious safety risks, says David Armitage from Conidia Bioscience Mould, a form of fungus, yeasts and bacteria can grow in fuel over time. Continue →

The new scheme, launched by Construction Health & Safety New Zealand, provides a uniform and easy-to-use framework for supplier health and safety pre-qualification Before Tōtika, suppliers had to pre-qualify against a variety of different schemes and standards, taking a considerable amount of time for suppliers, reducing the number tender bids received by clients and creating inefficiency in the supply chain. Continue →

You can have the best health and safety policies in the world – but unless staff actually use them, they won’t do much good This was the problem facing Steve Wilson, General Manager of Lower Hutt commercial signage company, Sign Foundry. Continue →

The DHB has called in external help and says it refuses to pay any ransom demanded while clinical services are left scrambling Hackers of Waikato District Health Board (DHB) are believed to have gained access to their systems via an email attachment opened by a staff member. Continue →

How widening the net, in search of diverse talent, is key to sustaining the industry One of the biggest challenges facing the construction industry is the shortage of people and skills throughout the sector. Continue →

If everything is running smoothly and ‘as expected’ at an automated plant, a system operations team may feel redundant, but a look below the surface tells quite a different story, says Swisslog Australia Maintenance Manager, Paul Woodward Achieving a state where everything is running smoothly is due to the hard work of not just the system operations team, but also teams of technicians and maintenance staff, from both the automation provider, and the client. Continue →

If your organisation is serious about safety, you need to be having regular ‘toolbox talks’ with your team Unlike an official safety meeting or training session, a toolbox talk is a shorter, more informal discussion, with a goal to support and reinforce your overall safety program by focusing on a specific safety issue with each talk. Continue →

New Zealand’s construction boom means contractors are busier than ever, but throw in the demands of tax time, and running a small business in the construction sector quickly becomes a juggling act, says Fergus job management software founder Dan Pollard While the end of the financial year can add to your workload, it is also an opportunity to get a detailed picture of your business and put healthy financial habits in place that will save you from repeating mistakes in the future. Continue →

Recent changes to privacy legislation have implications for contractors, who often collect and store people’s personal information, for example on site sign-in registers, Civil Contractors New Zealand explains In December 2020 an updated Privacy Act came into being. Continue →

Five excavator tip-overs in the last 18 months highlights the serious health and safety risks involved when operating heavy equipment In the last 18 months, WorkSafe have been notified of five excavator tip-overs on mine sites. Continue →

The latest BCI Horizon Scan Report looks at trends of incidents faced by organizations over the past year, the top threats, their impacts and the cost of disruptions, with COVID-19 having a big part to play Organizations have reported heightened risks and threats over the past year, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2021 BCI Horizon Scan Report, sponsored by BSI. Continue →

A year on from our first national lockdown, it appears we are working more hours for less money, says Frog Recruitment’s general manager Shannon Barlow Working longer for less is a hangover from the new way people had to learn to work during the lockdowns. Continue →

A worker was hammering a piece of reinforcement rod into the ground when it hit a 11kv electrical cable In July 2020, a worker on the City Rail Link project in Auckland’s CBD hammered a piece of reinforcement rod into a former public footpath area. Continue →

The main trunk line for New Zealand’s trains was forced to close for 24 hours after a truck hit a rail bridge near Taihape, causing the cancellation of 11 trains The incident is the latest in a string where vehicle drivers have misjudged the height of bridges and struck them, causing damage and train cancellations. Continue →

Repetition is a key to making people remember important points, so going over these important workplace safety topics will really help to reinforce the message There are a frightening number of manufacturing workplace hazards with the potential to cause incidents or injuries that are easily preventable, which is one of the reasons for companies to host regular safety meetings to discuss manufacturing safety topics and tips. Continue →

A safety manager’s job is to minimize risk in the workplace, reduce potential hazards, and prevent worker illnesses and injuries Ensuring worker and workplace safety are paramount to running a profitable business. Continue →