Duncan Cotterill Associate Sean Brennan examines a series of decisions issued by the District Court in relation to a PCBU’s responsibility for the health and safety of “other persons” Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), those conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) have an obligation to ensure the health and safety of workers, and to ensure the health and safety of “other persons” is not put at risk by the PCBU’s work activity. Continue →

A recent Employment Court ruling has highlighted the importance of open justice while hinting at potential changes ahead, say Duncan Cotterill Associate Caitlin Sargison and Solicitor Gene Park Traditionally, the principle of open justice means that all details of decisions in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court are made public unless there’s a strong reason to keep them private. Continue →

WorkSafe has published what it calls ‘priority plans’ to guide targeted engagement and enforcement activities as part of the agency’s much-needed strategic reset WorkSafe says it will deliver enforcement, engagement, and permitting activities across priority areas to maximise its influence and achieve better, more equitable outcomes. Continue →

While mental health in the construction is improving overall, more support is needed for the sector’s most vulnerable workers MATES in Construction, a not-for-profit organisation which supports positive well-being in the industry, surveyed more than 2000 workers, with 85% of workers reporting good mental health in 2023. Continue →

Much like airbags and seatbelts, in-cab cameras and shaking seats have become a safety non-negotiable in all of Hilton Haulage’s trucks A three-month trial of Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras in six of its truck and trailer combinations identified instances of driver fatigue, leading the company to implement the technology across their entire fleet of over 200 vehicles. 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 →

The Employment Court has ruled that Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles’ employer breached its contractual obligations to protect her health and safety in the wake of harassment she experienced as a result of her work The judgment comes around two-and-a-half years after Wiles and then University of Auckland employee Professor Shaun Hendy initially filed their claim with the Employment Relations Authority in January 2022. Continue →

Historically safety documents and certificates have been hard copy paperwork that sparkies need to lug from one premise to the next, which really isn’t practical when safety assessments need to be logged right away on every job, says Fergus founder Dan Pollard Digital safety certificates have helped tradies move from easy-to-lose, paper documentation to a simpler, more efficient digital format. Continue →

Work-related suicide is a significant yet underexamined issue, but a new WorkSafe report aims to shed light on its prevalence In three sections, the report looks at how work factors may contribute to suicidality. Continue →

Independent research released by Kordia shows just how detrimental cyber-attacks are on some of New Zealand’s largest businesses Of the surveyed businesses, all with 100 or more employees, that were hit by a cyber-attack in 2023, more than one in three (36%) said their business operations were disrupted, and 29% said personal data was stolen or accessed. Continue →

WorkSafe has dropped charges against Mercury NZ following a health and safety incident, now that the company has committed $1.15 million to resolving the issue A self-drive vehicle to enhance worker safety will be trialled by one of the country’s largest electricity providers, as part of a new agreement with WorkSafe New Zealand. Continue →

Civil Contractors New Zealand Technical Manager Michelle Farrell observes a real-life scenario of temporary traffic management and how it aims to reduce risk, but in some ways achieves the opposite The activity is footpath construction on two corners of a no exit street, off a side street, off a very busy Auckland urban road. Continue →

Outdated perceptions of leadership persist across society despite being repeatedly debunked, University of Queensland research finds Professor Alex Haslam from the university’s School of Psychology led research into ideas about leadership which are still popular despite being harmful for individuals, groups, and organisations. Continue →

With the labour market becoming more competitive, employers are turning to anthropologists to create an optimum environment for employee attraction and retention, says corporate anthropologist Michael Henderson Historically, New Zealand has lagged behind international trends in the use of human scientists from this field, but this is now changing – with demand growing rapidly since the pandemic. Continue →

Stratford Logging’s operator has been sentenced for repeatedly and unapologetically cutting corners to save a dollar Kevin Howard Stratford, who operates Stratford Logging, was convicted in the Nelson District Court and fined $56,000. Continue →

For many people, career advancement does not always mean climbing the corporate ladder, a Randstad report finds To be seen as aspirational places to work, Randstad Chief Executive Sander van ‘t Noordende says employers need to embrace the idea of working in much closer partnership with talent, not only by developing their careers but also by building equitable workplaces where workers feel they belong. Continue →

A world-first innovative hydraulic safety function block has been successfully trialled in New Zealand, with the potential to improve machine safety across several industries Safety engineering team TEG Risk has taken the helm in collaboration with Fluid Power Solutions to spearhead a pioneering safety solution for Sanford, a New Zealand-based fisheries operator. Continue →

Safe Work Australia has published a model Code of Practice which will serve New Zealand operators well The model code provides practical guidance for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) on how to eliminate or minimise the risk of sexual and gender-based harassment at work so far as is reasonably practicable. Continue →

Funding has been awarded to further develop an ‘AI guardian angel’ that makes roadworks safer for workers and road users RUSH, a pioneering New Zealand technology company, together with Downer’s Transport & Infrastructure, has been awarded funding in the second round of the Waka Kotahi Hoe ki angitū – Innovation Fund to further develop the technology. Continue →

The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against two construction companies and two directors for alleged bid rigging of publicly funded construction contracts The charges follow a Commission investigation into allegations that the companies and their directors colluded to rig bids for infrastructure projects in Auckland.  Continue →