Silicosis is an incurable and debilitating lung disease primarily caused by occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica – early symptoms include breathing difficulties, wheezing and chest tightness, writes Michelle Llamas of ConsumerNotice.org Silicosis may take years to manifest but can be fatal. Continue →

A substandard roller door installation has caught up with an Auckland business which has had to pay out more than $200,000 A powered roller grille door fell from its fixings and killed pastor Helen Verry at Church Unlimited in Glendene in January 2022. 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 →

For the first time, New Zealand has a dedicated certification for fluid power engineering, providing new training and career path options to those in the hydraulics and pneumatics industries Gisborne Hydraulic Services – Mohammed Farook (Fluid Power Apprentice), Tasj Paulson (Owner Gisborne Hydraulic Services), Ben Julian (National Manager ATNZ) The Certificate in Fluid Power Engineering Fundamentals (Level 3) approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is the result of sustained effort by several key people in the industry and of a newly formed New Zealand Fluid Power Association. Continue →

From 1 November this year, new Building Code rules come into effect around smoke alarms – both builders and homeowners need to be thinking ahead and, in some cases, starting to address the changes, says Jared Dinneen, NZ Country Leader, Home & Distribution Schneider Electric New Zealand Mid-winter is peak house fire season. Continue →

WorkSafe NZ is stressing the requirement for employers to provide and ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) is used after Northland business was found guilty and sentenced in relation to a casual worker in who suffered a significant eye injury The victim and a supervisor were repairing orchard fencing in April 2021 when a high-tensile wire snapped, striking the 20-year-old’s left eye. Continue →

Changes could be on the way after a report revealed gaps in how we monitor chemicals in the environment and how we interpret their impact on living things The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is proposing changes to the way New Zealand manages chemicals to make sure their environmental impacts are not overlooked. Continue →

WorkSafe is consulting on a proposal to restrict access to areas where pesticides have been used for a period of time it is calling a ‘restricted entry interval’ A restricted entry interval (REI) is the period of time, after a pesticide has been applied to an area, during which residues of the pesticide are likely to be present and could affect the health of workers re-entering the area. Continue →

Large variances in the quality of inspections and the abilities of inspectors have driven the Elevating Work Platform Association of New Zealand Inc. Continue →

OFSEC EVENT 2024 is designed to meet the needs of the local, regional and international markets by linking practitioners, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers from the fire, safety, HSE and security industry, with key decision makers from the government and private sectors, making it a definitive networking platform, where new projects and partnerships are initiated and visionary objectives are implemented. Continue →