Choosing the right safety knife
Introducing safety knives into the workplace is one of the easiest ways to reduce cut injuries, but with so many options available, where do you start? Continue →
Author Curreen
Company fined $450k after removing machine guarding
Failure to ensure simple safety measures, such as machine guarding and supervision are in place, has left a worker with severe injuries after his arm got caught in a machine used to shred tyres
Waste Management NZ Limited specialises in waste and environmental services and has sites across the country. Continue →
Management of Agrichemicals – have your say
The draft new Standard for the Management of Agrichemicals is now available for public comment until the end of January 2021
NZS 8409:2004 (Management of agrichemicals) provides practical and specific guidance on the safe, responsible and effective management of agrichemicals, including plant protection products (such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides), veterinary medicines, and agricultural use of detergents and sanitizers. Continue →
$15k fine for unlicensed asbestos removal
This was a completely botched asbestos removal job which put workers at risk, says WorkSafe’s Principal Advisor Asbestos Rob Birse
Glenn Warwick Sibley operated a business specialising in the repair and maintenance of buildings. Continue →
Who should be first in line for Covid vaccine?
As the world pins its hopes on Pfizer’s announcement this week of an effective vaccine, Macquarie University researchers have unveiled a strategy addressing the question of who should be vaccinated first
With thousands of scientists around the world racing to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, policy makers may need to decide who is at the front of the vaccination queue if initial supplies are limited. Continue →
Double extortion ransomware a new threat to businesses
After a company had its data locked up and held for ransom, they failed to pay the multimillion-dollar demand, prompting the hackers to start leaking the stolen data online
Adam Janofsky – The Record by Recorded Future
This so-called double extortion ransomware attack threw a wrench in the conventional wisdom for how to minimize the impact of these incidents. Continue →
Scaffold worker suffers chemical burns
Two companies have been fined over $400,000 after their failure to communicate had workers on scaffolding above an open tank of caustic soda
Perry Metal Protection Limited run a steel galvanising business and Total Access Limited provide access equipment including scaffolding. Continue →
Employers warned against charging recruitment costs
Four businesses have been ordered to pay penalties after charging new workers for costs related to their employment
This follows a case brought to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA), by the Labour Inspectorate against four Christchurch grocery stores. Continue →
Trainee fatality caused by lack of supervision
The Defence Force has been fined $288,750 after not following health and safety guidelines, resulting in the death of a trainee diver during an advanced diving course
In March 2019 a group of trainees was taking part in an 18 week advanced diving course. Continue →
Hand injuries at work: causes and prevention
Hand injuries at work account for over 20% of all workplace injuries, according to the U.S. Continue →
Botched electrical job shocks workers
Close to $100,000 in fines were handed out after three workers suffered electric shocks in two separate incidents at the same worksite
Thor Electrical was engaged by a construction company to complete electrical work at a commercial property site in Henderson, Auckland. Continue →
Positive response from COVID-19 vaccine trial
A COVID-19 vaccine based on an inactivated version of coronavirus has been shown to be safe and able to cause an immune response in more than 600 healthy adult patients, The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has found
All participants in the early stage trial in China developed antibodies, and no one developed a severe reaction in the month after getting the jab. Continue →
How cannabis legalisation would effect your workplace
Will cannabis be legalised and what does this mean for employers? Continue →
How to cover remote work blind spots
83% of C-level executives expect the changes they made in people, processes and applications as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic to become permanent, but this sudden shift has created security blind spots, according to data from a Radware report
According to the report, C-Suite Perspectives: Accelerated Cloud Migration but Lagging Security, pandemic-driven changes affected various aspects of business, 44% of executives surveyed reported a negative impact on budgets, 43% reported a workforce reduction, while 37% reported reduced real estate footprints. Continue →
Simple ways to protect against cyberattacks
Online criminal groups are exploiting the fear brought about by the novel coronavirus to target people and organisations
Although New Zealand has been quite successful at crushing the Covid-19 curve, the crisis is forcing individuals and businesses to embrace new practices such as remote working and social distancing . Continue →
Stop electrical fires and stay ahead of regulations with new AFDD tech
With the rise of remote working, many Kiwis are using more electricity-dependent devices at home, often plugged into unattended multi-plugs, which can place a greater burden on switchboards and increase the risk of electrical fires
There are approximately 5,000 building fires in New Zealand every year, with about 1,000 being electricity-oriented. Continue →
Young worker’s career cut short by unsafe machinery
A company has been ordered to pay out over $250,000 after a worker lost three fingers and part of his palm as the result of a traumatic amputation in unguarded machinery, just seven weeks into his first job
In February 2018 the worker was operating a large finger-jointing machine when it became jammed. Continue →
Government to restrict vaping despite plummeting cigarette use
Revelations that cigarette sales are falling faster than ever, with vaping a major factor, is again raising concerns that the Government’s move to restrict vaping flavours and potentially cap nicotine levels in vaping products will only slow such success
The End Smoking NZ charity has analysed tobacco company returns published by the Ministry of Health, showing 2,132 million cigarettes were sold last year in New Zealand – 410 million fewer than just two years ago. Continue →
How likely are you to be infected?
A recent US study by the University of Colorado Boulder lets you measure the risk of airborne Coronavirus in our workplaces, schools and on public transport, National Geographic reports
Amid the pandemic, once normal activities are peppered with questions and concerns. Continue →
New responsibilities under Level Two and Three
Construction protocols for working under Alert Level 2 and 3 have been updated in light of new COVID-19 restrictions. Continue →