As working from home remains common, so does fatigue from virtual meetings, but new research points to one quick fix that might help On many videoconferencing platforms users can set virtual backgrounds. Continue →

Ahead of Fieldays kicking off in Hamilton, a farm manager has been sentenced for health and safety failures resulting in the death of his farmhand A quad bike rollover which cost a Tararua farmhand his life could have been avoided if the farm manager had kept the bike in good working order, WorkSafe New Zealand says. Continue →

The surge is consistent with rising wastewater statistics and confirms that meth supply remains readily available nationwide, having serious implications for workplace safety and productivity, warns The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) Chief Executive Glenn Dobson New national data shows methamphetamine is growing and making up a disproportionate share of non-negative workplace drug test results. Continue →

Industry-leading online pre-qualification system, SiteWise, is celebrating its 10th  anniversary, marking a decade of commitment to health and safety excellence. Continue →

A gas detection system installed at a power station in Kawerau is being hailed by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) as an exemplar of its kind The way that the gas detection system at Eastland Generation’s Tarawera One power station in Kawerau is installed provides superior coverage of high-risk areas on-site, resulting in the highest likelihood of a leak being detected, says FENZ National Flammable Liquids & Bulk Fuel Advisor, Denis O’Donoghue. Continue →

New Zealanders are being called on to double check their lifejackets before going out on the water, due to a fault found in an inflator mechanism which may result in jackets not inflating as expected The call comes from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Maritime New Zealand, who say there are more than 21,000 affected units throughout New Zealand. 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 →

An unlicensed asbestos remover has been sentenced for pocketing more than $20,000 by misrepresenting his employer, which cannot confirm whether the removals were done safely or where the asbestos was disposed of Barrie John Crockett was in a project management role at Demasol Limited. Continue →

As winter creeps closer, WorkSafe is reminding businesses to take heed of the risks when operating at height after the sentencing of a Wellington business whose worker fell six metres 38-year-old Josh Bowles had only been in his job for two months and had no experience or training in working at height when he fell from a slippery rooftop in central Wellington in April 2023. Continue →

A PCBU means a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking. Most New Zealand businesses, whether large corporates, sole traders, or self-employed, are classed as PCBUs. Continue →