A worker is lucky to have avoided serious injury or death after trying to cut the top off of an oil drum WorkSafe was recently notified of a serious incident involving hot work being performed on an oil drum that resulted in a worker needing hospital treatment. Continue →

A study in the UK has found workplace exposure to pesticides is linked to a heightened risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the umbrella term for a group of respiratory diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing problems, Thorax reports Workplace exposures are important preventable causes of COPD, with recent estimates indicating that around 14% of all such cases are related to work, say the researchers. 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 →

As well as being flammable, WorkSafe reminds businesses of the other dangers surrounding petrol and its toxicity after a fuel siphoning incident earlier this month On Tuesday 7 July 2021, a worker in West Auckland ingested an unknown quantity of unleaded fuel while priming a siphon to transfer fuel from one portable generator to another. Continue →

New Zealand has implemented a new classification system for hazardous substances, affecting the rules for importers, manufacturers and suppliers On 30 April 2021, New Zealand adopted a new classification system for hazardous substances under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO). Continue →

This was a completely botched asbestos removal job which put workers at risk, says WorkSafe’s Principal Advisor Asbestos Rob Birse Glenn Warwick Sibley operated a business specialising in the repair and maintenance of buildings. Continue →

Tiny needle-like fibres that can become airborne if bedrock is disturbed has the potential to cause an asbestos-type disease, scientists warn The fibres come from a mineral called erionite which originates in silica-rich volcanic rock commonly found in many parts of the world and especially throughout the Auckland region. Continue →

Despite being aware of the presence of asbestos, the company cut corners and carried out unsafe demolition work, says WorkSafe’s Principal Advisor for Asbestos Robert Birse Motueka company Bays Boating Limited were fined $108,000 at the Nelson District Court today following a WorkSafe prosecution for the unsafe removal of asbestos. Continue →

AWS takes a closer look at a 2019 study on welding fume and lung cancer, from a New Zealand and Australian perspective In 2017 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified welding fume from ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’, as was its position from 1989, to ‘carcinogenic to humans’. Continue →

A company was fined $150,000 after a botched home demolition job triggered a gas leak, trapped a neighbour in her property and left workers at risk of exposure to asbestos During the incident in December 2017 Quick Earth Moving Limited used two large diggers to pull down a house in Point Chevalier and immediately ran into issues. Continue →

The EU has estimated exposure to carcinogens to be its leading cause of work-related deaths, responsible for nearly 80,000 deaths a year. Continue →

Inhalation of dust at work may result in serious lung disease, often not recognised or diagnosed until many years later. Continue →

WorkSafe says an uncontrolled LPG release at a gas production station in Taranaki could have had deadly consequences for the six workers on site, leading to the sentencing of three different companies The November 2016 incident saw approximately 140 litres of LPG unexpectedly discharged from a trailer mounted calibrating unit. Continue →

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 →