Silicosis is an incurable and debilitating lung disease primarily caused by occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica – early symptoms include breathing difficulties, wheezing and chest tightness, writes Michelle Llamas of ConsumerNotice.org Silicosis may take years to manifest but can be fatal. Continue →

If a worker is harmed, health and safety consultants can be held just as liable as the businesses they advise A traumatic brain injury suffered by a Taranaki worker has led to the first sentencing of a consultancy under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Continue →

Industry leaders are calling recent commentary on temporary traffic management uninformed and unhelpful, as they work to transition from a ‘one size fits all’ model to a more risk-based approach Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group (TTM ISG) Chair Dave Tilton says the industry is already making progress in ensuring temporary traffic management is fit for purpose through the transition from the compliance-based Code of practice for temporary traffic management (CoPTTM) to the more risk-based approach described in the New Zealand guide to temporary traffic management (NZGTTM). Continue →

For the first time, New Zealand has a dedicated certification for fluid power engineering, providing new training and career path options to those in the hydraulics and pneumatics industries Gisborne Hydraulic Services – Mohammed Farook (Fluid Power Apprentice), Tasj Paulson (Owner Gisborne Hydraulic Services), Ben Julian (National Manager ATNZ) The Certificate in Fluid Power Engineering Fundamentals (Level 3) approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is the result of sustained effort by several key people in the industry and of a newly formed New Zealand Fluid Power Association. Continue →

From 1 November this year, new Building Code rules come into effect around smoke alarms – both builders and homeowners need to be thinking ahead and, in some cases, starting to address the changes, says Jared Dinneen, NZ Country Leader, Home & Distribution Schneider Electric New Zealand Mid-winter is peak house fire season. Continue →

WorkSafe NZ is stressing the requirement for employers to provide and ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) is used after Northland business was found guilty and sentenced in relation to a casual worker in who suffered a significant eye injury The victim and a supervisor were repairing orchard fencing in April 2021 when a high-tensile wire snapped, striking the 20-year-old’s left eye. Continue →

Changes could be on the way after a report revealed gaps in how we monitor chemicals in the environment and how we interpret their impact on living things The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is proposing changes to the way New Zealand manages chemicals to make sure their environmental impacts are not overlooked. Continue →

WorkSafe is consulting on a proposal to restrict access to areas where pesticides have been used for a period of time it is calling a ‘restricted entry interval’ A restricted entry interval (REI) is the period of time, after a pesticide has been applied to an area, during which residues of the pesticide are likely to be present and could affect the health of workers re-entering the area. Continue →

Large variances in the quality of inspections and the abilities of inspectors have driven the Elevating Work Platform Association of New Zealand Inc. Continue →

OFSEC EVENT 2024 is designed to meet the needs of the local, regional and international markets by linking practitioners, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers from the fire, safety, HSE and security industry, with key decision makers from the government and private sectors, making it a definitive networking platform, where new projects and partnerships are initiated and visionary objectives are implemented. Continue →