The introduction of AI in the workplace brings along innovative developments but also challenges and risks for workers’ safety, health and wellbeing, finds a report commissioned by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work In 2020 the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) initiated a four-year research programme on digitalisation and occupational safety and health (OSH) with the aim of supporting evidence-based policymaking by providing deeper insights into the consequences of digitalisation on workers’ health, safety and wellbeing and how these are addressed at the research, policy and practice levels, as well as by describing examples of successful practices. Continue →

Two men have pleaded guilty to misleading an investigation into incidents where workers were potentially exposed to hazardous substances WorkSafe New Zealand is warning businesses that anyone who tries to obstruct, cover up or manipulate evidence or situations will be met with serious consequences. Continue →

The pandemic brought about significant changes in the business landscape. Stories like John Davey’s may guide the way as new challenges such as AI are set to once again change the status quo Many business owners were forced to pivot their careers in response to the pandemic. Continue →

New guidance will see road work sites managed based on assessed risks, rather than the previous compliance-based approach, Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard says   The newly released New Zealand Guide to Temporary Traffic Management sets out how road work sites should be managed, replacing the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management. Continue →

As 2022 finally fades in the rear-view mirror, ending the plethora of analysis and commentary, we brace ourselves to negotiate a sadly familiar conglomeration of new and long-running challenges The major events of 2021-22, especially the dramatic impact of severe weather and our controversial prolonged Covid 19 national response affecting the social and political landscape, are largely responsible for our faltering economy. Continue →

WorkSafe is consulting on a proposed safe work instrument which outlines requirements for certificates of competence in the extractives industry The proposed Health and Safety at Work (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations – Prescribed Competency Requirements for Certificates of Competence) Safe Work Instrument 2023 will replace the gazette notices which have previously set the WorkSafe prescribed competency requirements for the extractives industry. Continue →

The Road Worker Safety Governance Group process to form a new industry steering group for road worker safety has concluded and representatives have been chosen from those that applied through a formal expression of interest process The group’s first priority will be to support the implementation of a new approach to temporary traffic management (TTM) as New Zealand transitions away from a government-led compliance-based model to an industry-led risk-based model. Continue →

The Prime Minister has announced that the adult minimum wage will be rising to $22.70 per hour from 1 April 2023, which will also effect training and starting-out wages This is an increase of $1.50 per hour from the current hourly rate of $21.20 and aligns with the 7.2% rate of Consumer Price Index inflation in the year ended December 2022. Continue →

A contractor’s work environment must be safe for everyone involved, which means having the proper first aid supplies and personnel in an emergency This article will discuss some essential tips and strategies for contractors to help them meet their first-aid obligations. Continue →

Employers who tell their employees to ‘leave their personal problems at home’ may be contributing to a more hazardous workplace by increasing the risk of serious, even fatal, accidents on site, a health and safety service provider says Stats NZ reports a significant increase in the proportion of people with poor mental well-being, up from 22 per cent in 2018 to 28 per cent in 2021. Continue →

A district council has been sentenced for its part in the death of three-year old Lachlan Jones WorkSafe New Zealand and Water Safety New Zealand are uniting to call for greater care around ponds, dams, and water bores, in light of new figures on drownings. Continue →

Delayed monitoring or inaccurate reporting can lead to potential breaches in compliance, resource consents, health and safety, and complaints from local residents, which can then cause project delays and potentially add costs Civil infrastructure company Dempsey Wood monitor levels of emissions from noise, dust and vibration in real time that until recently, required on-site manual testing. Continue →

By digitizing and automating the payment process and implementing real-time payment exchange, construction companies can decrease risk and take steps to improve profitability Construction companies can automate payment and compliance workflows. Continue →

The Government announced a new visa to facilitate the availability of specialist migrant workers to help in the recovery efforts following Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent weather events in the North Island The Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose Work Visa), will allow employers to sponsor migrants to come to New Zealand for a specific event or purpose, including working on an emergency response. Continue →

WorkSafe has released a draft fact sheet on the safe use of containers at worksites and is looking for feedback Containers are often used at worksites as temporary structures for things like additional storage, site offices, and containment areas, WorkSafe says. Continue →

This year has been earmarked as one of significant cyber risk to organisations, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says The covid pandemic provided cyber criminals with a fertile ground to execute scams and reap the riches. Continue →

Recent flooding has highlighted the need for businesses and organisations to manage risks to make sure working conditions are safe, WorkSafe says Workers have a right to be kept safe and healthy, whether they are involved in cleaning up or clocking on for a shift. Continue →

Forty years ago you might have found your first gig and then stayed there for your entire career, but times are changing and we’ve started to see stints of two to four years become much more common, SJS finds For gen-z, the average time spent in a job is just two years, while for millennials we’re looking at about four. Continue →

Workshops are bringing attention to the 125+ fatigue sleep events occur daily on NZ roads The Eyes Up NZ workshops are being delivered by vehicle safety and training provider AutoSense, who have analysed the data of 4,600 cameras installed in heavy and light vehicles on New Zealand roads and confirmed 125 verified fatigue sleep events occur while driving every day. Continue →

After two years of real-world testing to prove its safety credentials, a truck which automatically deploys traffic cones has been launched in Melbourne, Australia The truck’s inventor, Arrowes, joined with key stakeholders, including the Victorian Government and major infrastructure construction companies, to launch the truck at Holmesglen Institute’s Victorian Tunnelling Centre which is training road construction workers to operate the new truck. Continue →