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Michael Curreen

Former IndustrialDay team member

Read the latest stories by Michael Curreen across the IndustrialDay network.

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Kiwi Stories

Written by Michael

WorkSafe consulting on more job cuts
Management

WorkSafe consulting on more job cuts

Consultation could leave WorkSafe with about 20 fewer staff, as it shifts resources towards frontline inspections and enforcement.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Tue, 22nd Oct 2024
HSWA: who are those ‘other persons’?
Management

HSWA: who are those ‘other persons’?

Courts are widening health and safety duties to cover consultants whose advice can put workers and the public at risk.

By Michael Curreen • 7 min read • Tue, 15th Oct 2024
Keeping employment disputes private
Data Protection

Keeping employment disputes private

Publication of employment disputes may matter more for future job prospects as the Employment Court weighs privacy against open justice.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Tue, 8th Oct 2024
What to think about when picking the right PPE
Health and Safety

What to think about when picking the right PPE

Choosing PPE without matching it to jobsite hazards can leave tradespeople exposed to injury, chemicals and fines.

By Michael Curreen • 6 min read • Wed, 2nd Oct 2024
Is your virtual background making you unproductive?
Hybrid & Remote Work

Is your virtual background making you unproductive?

Video virtual backgrounds are linked to higher fatigue in work calls, with nature scenes offering a simple way to ease the strain.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Tue, 24th Sep 2024
New WorkSafe strategy targets high-risk work
Management

New WorkSafe strategy targets high-risk work

The plan will concentrate inspections and permits on sectors where work-related harm is highest, including construction, forestry and farming.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Tue, 17th Sep 2024
Trucking business uses AI tech to combat fatigue
Supply Chain

Trucking business uses AI tech to combat fatigue

AI cameras uncovered microsleeps across Hilton Haulage's fleet, prompting a full rollout to protect drivers from fatigue-related crashes.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Mon, 2nd Sep 2024
Deadly roller door collapse a result of ‘poor workmanship’
New Zealand law

Deadly roller door collapse a result of ‘poor workmanship’

WorkSafe has fined and ordered reparations after a faulty roller door installation killed a pastor at an Auckland church.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Mon, 26th Aug 2024
Consultants on notice after landmark sentencing
Health and Safety

Consultants on notice after landmark sentencing

A New Plymouth consultancy has been fined NZD $70,000 after a worker's traumatic brain injury exposed consultants to liability under safety law.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Mon, 19th Aug 2024
Restrictions proposed around pesticide use
Environmental Protection Authority

Restrictions proposed around pesticide use

Workers could face tighter protection from pesticide residues, as WorkSafe consults on new exclusion periods and updated guidance.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Tue, 13th Aug 2024
Four deaths in three weeks – something has to change
Northland

Four deaths in three weeks – something has to change

Four farm deaths in as many weeks have prompted WorkSafe to warn rural workers to reassess quad bike risks before lambing and calving.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Fri, 9th Aug 2024
Five myths on smoke alarms ahead of new rules
Internet of Things

Five myths on smoke alarms ahead of new rules

Homes face tougher fire-safety rules from 1 November, with builders and owners urged to fit compliant interconnected smoke alarms before winter.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Thu, 1st Aug 2024
How AI is making forklifts safer following terrible incident
Artificial Intelligence

How AI is making forklifts safer following terrible incident

WorkSafe has backed a half-million-dollar safety overhaul after a kiwifruit worker lost a leg in a forklift incident.

By Michael Curreen • 5 min read • Thu, 18th Jul 2024
What does the Siouxsie Wiles case mean for health and safety?
Physical Security

What does the Siouxsie Wiles case mean for health and safety?

Employers may now have to do more to protect staff from online abuse after a court found a university breached health and safety duties.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Tue, 9th Jul 2024
WorkSafe gets its third CEO in a year
Inland Revenue Department

WorkSafe gets its third CEO in a year

The regulator’s leadership churn eases after Sharon Thompson, bringing FMA and Inland Revenue experience, is named Chief Executive.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Tue, 25th Jun 2024
How job management software magnifies worker safety
Software-as-a-Service

How job management software magnifies worker safety

Digital checklists are helping electricians log hazards on site faster, reducing paperwork and making safety compliance easier to track.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Thu, 20th Jun 2024
Manufacturing sector pays out half a million in penalties
Health and Safety

Manufacturing sector pays out half a million in penalties

Workers have lost fingers in three preventable machine incidents, prompting more than GBP £500,000 in penalties across the manufacturing sector.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Tue, 4th Jun 2024
Another trainee killed on the job
New Zealand law

Another trainee killed on the job

WorkSafe says apprentices remain exposed to deadly risks unless employers improve supervision and repair procedures after a second fatal sentencing this year.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Sun, 26th May 2024
Serious forklift injury the result of poor maintenance
Health and Safety

Serious forklift injury the result of poor maintenance

A poorly serviced forklift on a slope left a worker with a broken back and punctured lung, prompting a $240,000 fine.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Thu, 23rd May 2024