New Otago University research reveals that New Zealand’s construction workers are more than two times more likely to die by suicide than the rest of the workforce, but one group has achieved global recognition in trying to turn things around While construction workers make up about 9.5% of all workers, the study found that between 17.3% (2010/11) and 29.7% (2018/2019) of those who died by suicide in New Zealand were employed in the sector. Continue →

A company and its director have been dealt hefty fines and reparation costs following an incident with an unsafe metal press that ended in amputation WorkSafe is warning company directors that if they are not making sure their company’s operations are safe and healthy, they face enforcement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Continue →

Programmes aimed at supporting employees’ health and wellbeing can also benefit their social relationships and reduce bullying, according to a new study Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA), working in collaboration with insurance and investments company Vitality, found that the more employees engage with health and wellbeing programmes (HWPs) the better the quality of co-worker relationships, the less they experience bullying over time, and the better their longer-term wellbeing and job satisfaction. Continue →

Following a successful pilot in Canterbury, the Infrastructure Skills Centre comes to Manawatū in November to give people the skills they need to start a successful career in infrastructure construction The course begins on 1 November.  Continue →

With the rise of remote working, many Kiwis are using more electricity-dependent devices at home, often plugged into unattended multi-plugs, which can place a greater burden on switchboards and increase the risk of electrical fires There are approximately 5,000 building fires in New Zealand every year, with about 1,000 being electricity-oriented. Continue →

Experts are urging the Ministry of Health to improve its mask wearing guidelines, calling current practices sub-optimal for reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission A new rapid evidence brief Improving mask use to stop Covid-19 transmission from Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland, synthesises the most up-to-date  international research on the three main types of face masks – medical, cloth and N95 respirators. Continue →

Public consultation is now open on an application to reassess the use of hydrogen cyanamide, an active ingredient in sprays commonly used by kiwifruit growers Hydrogen cyanamide is banned in Europe, and its re-registration is currently under review in the United States. Continue →

A Rolleston-based pest bait manufacturing organisation has been fined $275,000 over an incident in which a worker was poisoned in May 2019 and nearly lost his life Pest Control Research Limited Partnership (PCR) manufactures pest control products including baits containing sodium fluoroacetate (more commonly known as 1080) as the toxic active ingredient. Continue →

Two parties were fined a total of $63,000 after twice disregarding WorkSafe notices about unsafe work from a height, and putting workers at risk of serious harm The Judge also imposed a Project Order under section 155 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, which require both parties to prepare and present at least three safety seminars and produce an article outlining the incident and the lessons learned from it for publication in an industry magazine. Continue →

The introduction of game changing 360-degree rotating telehandlers looks set to disrupt the infrastructure, civil and construction industries The days of needing on site a mobile crane, a boom lift or other types of elevated work platforms, a forklift and an excavator are numbered – one machine can do it all. Continue →