Author Curreen

Injury
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Lack of proper training and instruction is always a recipe for disaster, no matter what the situation, WorkSafe National Investigations Manager Hayden Mander says   NZDF has been sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and must pay out over $450,000 after a training exercise went wrong. Continue →
Management
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People who can self-reflect and regulate their moral behaviour are more likely to bounce back after a failure rather than deviate from their ‘moral compass’ and misbehave, according to new research It is well known that people do not always act in accordance with their own standards regards what is right and wrong. Continue →
Access
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Key principles and ways to reduce likely risks when using Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) in public areas and near roads has been published by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) The use of powered access to provide an effective means of access to work at height is constantly increasing worldwide as the productivity and safety benefits are recognised by businesses and employers alike, IPAF Head of Safety & Technical Brian Parker says. Continue →
Fire Protection
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WorkSafe is putting out a safety alert after a design fault with several brands of combination heat/light/fan units has been identified as a fire hazard WorkSafe has noted a number of recent fires involving older combination bathroom heat/light/fan units (manufactured before 2008) and advises users with these units to visually check for signs of damage. Continue →
Management
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Despite statutory obligations that work site health and safety representatives be elected by their colleagues, the majority appear to be appointed by their employers, Besafe General Manager Jason Braithwaite says As the voice of the workers, they have statutory power to direct a worker who is in their work group to cease work that is not safe. Continue →
Chemicals
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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 →
PPE
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While they’re good marketing and may meet current Government guidelines, a health and safety company is warning employers to avoid issuing staff with branded cloth masks Employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff on-site, and issuing PPE equipment that is not fit for purpose could have serious implications, Besafe Training General Manager Jason Braithwaite says. Continue →
Management
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Phase Three of the Government’s Omicron response has kicked in, changing the self-isolation and testing requirements for close contacts Close contacts are only required to isolate if they are in the same household as an infected case, and Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are set to become the primary testing method. Continue →
Injury
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WorkSafe New Zealand is reminding businesses they must assess the capabilities of their workers in a safe and controlled environment after a life-altering incident left a teenage girl paraplegic On her first day working for Blackadder Racing in January 2019 the victim was asked to ride a thoroughbred racehorse. Continue →
Management
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The Government has announced its five step plan for the borders to re-open, meaning employers can once again start planning for skilled workers to enter the country, Civil Contractors Chief Executive Alan Pollard says While this will be a phased re-opening of the border, the good news is it will enable us to start bringing in skilled and experienced people from off-shore once again. Continue →
Management
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Business can be put in a tight spot if staff need to self-isolate, but a worker who is a close contact of a Covid19 case can continue to work in certain cases, provided they are vaccinated and displaying no symptoms The close contact exemption scheme is aimed at keeping critical supply chains running. Continue →
Chemicals
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Crisis preparation and management standards are falling short in almost a third of businesses, a Chemtrec global study reveals The study asked respondents from organizations across the chemical industry anonymously to rank their organization’s emergency preparedness levels.   The survey shows that almost a third of businesses (28%) under-prioritize their chemical emergency response and crisis management, with 63% being coordinated by management or department teams rather than at a C-suite level (19%) and less than 3% of organizations employ a full-time crisis management professional.   In ranking their organization’s preparedness for a crisis out of 10, where 10 is the most prepared, 17% gave their companies a score of five or lower.   Amidst a series of environmental crises such as the Colonial Pipeline spill, the biggest in the last decade, which resulted in a pipeline shutdown and subsequent gas shortages across several US states, emergency preparedness and crisis management is coming under greater scrutiny.   Chemtrec surveyed crisis leaders across their broad customer base, including chemical producers, logistics partners and end users, to determine the level of crisis readiness globally.   The company particularly wanted to identify the level of coordination between business continuity and crisis management systems. Continue →
Hazardous Materials & Substances
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A study in the UK has found workplace exposure to pesticides is linked to a heightened risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the umbrella term for a group of respiratory diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing problems, Thorax reports Workplace exposures are important preventable causes of COPD, with recent estimates indicating that around 14% of all such cases are related to work, say the researchers. Continue →
Injury
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A company has been fined $595,000 after a court found it responsible for the death of two of its customers due to multiple health and safety failures What was supposed to be a 50th birthday celebration turned to tragedy, when two British tourists lost their lives in March 2019 while on a bespoke tour operated by Prestige Adventure. Continue →
Management
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Construction in most of New Zealand has been operating under the Orange setting of the Covid-19 protection framework – SiteSafe and CHASNZ have worked with the industry to develop protocols for operating under the Red setting Site Entry Keep a record of who is on site, and when, every day as you may be required to track back for contact tracing. Continue →
Management
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Involving young people in the workplace is a great way to provide them with experience – however, there may be new or different risks that PCBUs need to manage Health and safety for young workers is not about excluding young people from the industry; it’s about identifying risk, assessing how likely that risk is to occur and managing it effectively. Continue →
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