The National Foundation for the Deaf is calling for registrations for its annual online fundraising event on the 4 August called ‘The Silent Leadership Challenge’. Continue →

Rebecca and Nathan Keoghan are the fifth generation of Nathan’s family to farm their land seven km from Westport. Continue →

Have you or your team achieved great health and safety in construction? Continue →

Occupation may be a major factor in vitamin D deficiency, researchers say Vitamin D levels in most occupational groups are well below those considered optimal for health, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health. Continue →

Poor risk management, emergency planning, and training for confined spaces work put an electrician’s life in danger, WorkSafe says It also threatened the safety of 14 others who went to his aid in a grain silo incident, says WorkSafe Chief Inspector Keith Stewart. Continue →

Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing and wash your hands to avoid spreading germs Working when sick The simple, well-worn advice for preventing winter colds and flu from spreading has been strengthened with new research from a team of researchers from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Continue →

Safetree has teamed up with Vitae services to help forestry employers access counselling services for workers at a discounted price The arrangement means forestry businesses are eligible for special corporate rates when one of their workers uses Vitae services. Continue →

The critical importance of following industry guidelines and adequately assessing hazards and risks in the workplace was highlighted after an employee of a large drainage contractor was run over by an excavator Hydrotech Limited pleaded guilty to one charge under section 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act (1992) for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees and was fined $48,875.00. Continue →

Several of New Zealand’s largest construction companies are joining forces to improve workplace health and safety. Continue →

Office workers who use sit-stand or treadmill desks are on track to being more productive and attentive with fewer signs of workplace stress than their sedentary chair-dwelling colleagues University of Queensland School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences researcher Associate Professor Nicholas Gilson has been studying the effects activity-promoting desks have on worker productivity. Continue →

Ports of Auckland’s decision to eliminate the gas used for container fumigation has won applause from the Green Party, which wants other ports to follow suit Part of an ambition to become the most sustainable port in New Zealand, the initiative will require the total recapture of methyl bromide gas used for container fumigation by September 1, 2017, and for all cargoes by the end of the year Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson says: “Methyl bromide is a very effective pesticide and a key part of New Zealand’s biosecurity defence, but it is toxic to humans and depletes the ozone layer. Continue →

Are your employees exposed to or suffer from debilitating and frustrating carpal tunnel and OOS, asks Hasmate Director Gordon Anderson During a conversation, a friend’s son-in-law mentioned he had worked in the forest industry for eight years and had operated a log recovery excavator with a Waratah head that required  him to multifunction by working a set of toggle controls. Continue →

  Using timber blocks to support or stabilise a large piece of equipment or a heavy load has long been accepted practice, but experience has shown that it’s not the safest or most efficient option Occupational health and safety professionals know that timber, when used as a support, is a serious safety risk for workers, being unpredictable, unsafe and unnecessary. Continue →

Strangulation can cause serious injury, and in some cases death, WorkSafe NZ warns The health and safety regulator notes that there have been incidents where a young child has become entangled in a rope or cord while playing on play equipment. Continue →

A former Young Farmer of the Year stresses the importance of communication when it comes to farm safety David Kidd grew up on a farm with strong verbal communication around health and safety. Continue →

WorkSafe New Zealand has clarified the circumstances in which it is acceptable to carry passengers on single-seat quad bikes, in consultation with Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ, and DairyNZ Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015, persons conducting a business or undertaking such as farming must identify and manage risks arising from work, so far as is reasonably practicable. Continue →

New research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests that the process of dealing with emotional exhaustion can sometimes increase happiness The study examined when and how dealing with emotional exhaustion can enhance happiness in a work environment. Continue →

An Australian innovation about to enter world markets automates the hazardous, costly and never-ending task of slashing roadside grass around millions of poles, fences, safety barriers and signposts lining highways and byways Instead of whole teams of roadside workers laboriously manually trimming vegetation around the multitude of safety fence poles and advisory signs involved, the new SlasherTeck innovation uses one man on a tractor to do the job in a fraction of the time. Continue →