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 →

NordLocker research finds 37 percent of companies worldwide became victims of ransomware in 2020, and though no industry is safe from cyber attacks, industrial sectors were targeted the most, says NordLocker cybersecurity expert Oliver Noble NordLocker’s analysis of 1200 companies reveals that Construction is the top industry hit by ransomware (93 victimized companies), followed by Manufacturing (86). Continue →

Just as humans can be worn down by constant stress, so too can the equipment we use, but engineering plastics authority Laurie Green says thermoplastics is the future Shock, vibration, and constantly changing loads can accelerate wear in machinery and infrastructure, consume excess energy, and ultimately cause equipment to be taken out of service prematurely. Continue →

An upcoming state-of-the-art office building in Dunedin will be the case study for new safety trials, aimed at lowering the high number of workplace accidents in the building industry The construction industry represents 8% of the workforce, but accounts for more than 16% of ACC work claims, at a cost of $158 million annually. Continue →

About 40% of the country’s workforce are required to be vaccinated under the new Covid-19 traffic light system Currently, only high-risk workplaces and those in customer-facing roles will be required to have both doses of the vaccine. Continue →

Covid Alert Levels will soon be a thing of the past, but is the new traffic light system much better and will it still keep a lid on the virus? Continue →

Paper-based systems and analogue machines are still common within the industrial sectors, but writing on a piece of paper just isn’t adequate in today’s environment, says SYSPRO Chief Product Officer, Paulo De Matos With the need for continued innovation and tighter controls, businesses are now realising the urgency to replace legacy and manual systems with technologies that will improve visibility of critical data and reduce business risks. Continue →

Rapid antigen testing, which can detect the virus in 15 minutes, has been given the green light more than a year after the Government’s own advisors called it a priority The tests will be first rolled out across Auckland hospitals and for self-isolating travellers in Auckland and Christchurch. Continue →

A five-company alliance in North America are bringing together best-in-class technologies and risk knowledge to provide construction managers with a 360-degree view of construction sites and real-time alerts regarding workers’ adherence to safety regulations Zyter, a leading digital health and IoT-enablement platform, has announced it is collaborating with Zurich, Qualcomm Technologies, Everguard and Rudolph Libbe Group (RLG) to advance the use of AI-based Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance construction safety. Continue →

Lockdowns and alert level restrictions have put the squeeze on many small businesses – Prospa offers some advice that could help In such uncertain times, many small business owners are already working hard to do what they can to protect their cash flow, their businesses, their staff and themselves. Continue →

With many small businesses scaled back or closed entirely due to Covid restrictions, savvy business owners reveal their first-hand tips for how they’re using this time to position their business for the future   Do things you’ve never had the time for… until now For Laura Heynike of Pocketspace Interiors, the lockdown and product supply interruptions could have been debilitating, particularly when the loss of income turned out to be more than double what she had expected. Continue →

The return to work under Alert Level 3 saw thousands of construction businesses breathe a sigh of relief, made possible by assurance to the government that the industry was able to do so safely by following the Covid-19 construction protocols The first lockdown last year saw vertical and commercial businesses in the construction industry combine to form a steering group, with Site Safe playing a key role, to develop the Covid-19 construction protocols. Continue →

The Victorian government has announced a two-week shutdown of the construction industry after a protest against mandatory vaccines for workers in the sector became violent The Guardian newspaper says the closure across metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong, the Surf Coast, Ballarat and Mitchell Shire was decided on Monday night after the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) building was damaged and riot police deployed in chaotic scenes in central Melbourne. Continue →

Another wave of cyber attacks has hit our banks, MetService and even the postal service – but critical services such as energy and water supply could be next, warns Vectra APJ Director of Security Engineering, Chris Fisher Cyber-attacks in New Zealand have increasingly grown in sophistication and prevalence, in part due to increased digitalisation but also wider geopolitical changes and disruptions caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Continue →

Civil Contractors New Zealand answers some of the important questions companies in the construction industry are asking Want to know about priority access to vaccines for essential workers? Continue →

It is a PCBU’s duty to ensure the health and safety of workers, including when they work remotely, WorkSafe warns Since the Covid pandemic, it has become more common for people to work from home. Continue →

Almost half of the complaints actioned by WorkSafe were allegations of businesses opening when they potentially should not have been under Covid-19 Alert Level restrictions By the morning of Friday 3 September, WorkSafe inspectors had completed 508 COVID-19 remote assessments.  Continue →

More businesses are taking a harder line on vaccine mandates, but doing so could come at a cost When Delta Air Lines week announced it would tack on a US$200 monthly surcharge for employees refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19, the news sent ripples across the business world. Continue →

The Covid-19 Delta variant is more infectious than previous strains – therefore, some additional controls for businesses are now required At Alert Level 3, work should be done remotely where possible. Continue →

Once lockdown restrictions finally ease and businesses are able to re-open, they will have seven days to take steps ensuring all visitors comply with mandatory scanning and record keeping, the University of Auckland’s Dr Andrew Chen explains Contact tracing is a key epidemiological tool that helps us identify the right people who need to isolate or get tested. Continue →