Features & Current Events
IN THIS ISSUE: SUMMER 2017
Risk, crisis and change communication advice- Changes afoot for Hazardous substances,
- A momentous year for health and safety
- Climbing successfully with ropes and ladders
- Improvements to asbestos disease diagnosis
- One in five employees a victim of workplace bullying
- Resilience key to enjoying jobs and life
- H&S systems key to staying in business
- When your hearing is gone it’s gone forever
New Registered Inspector Programme for MEWPs
Large variances in the quality of inspections and the abilities of inspectors have driven the Elevating Work Platform Association of New Zealand Inc. Continue →
Health and safety enforcement measures a live wire
When the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) came into force in April 2016, there was much discussion about the new enforcement measures introduced to ensure duty holders complied with their obligations, Graeme Tanner and Joseph Williams note
The HSWA signalled a clear legislative intent to ensure duty holders under the HSWA were held accountable where acts or omissions in a workplace caused, or created an undue risk of, harm. Continue →
See-through polycarbonate offers ultimate safety
Polycarbonate is recognised globally as one of the toughest transparent protective materials available, used in everything from bullet-resistant laminates to the canopies of the F22 Raptor jet fighter. Continue →
AI tech deployed after chemical burn incident
Following a WorkSafe investigation into an incident where an Ecostore worker suffered chemical burns to his eyes, the business is investing over $323,000 into improving its health and safety practices as part of an enforceable undertaking
AI technology with real time hazard alerts is central to a new safety commitment WorkSafe New Zealand has accepted from the well-known household brand, Ecostore. Continue →
Everything you need to know about silicosis
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 Continue →
On-the-ground observations could have prevented conveyor belt death
Safety practices out of touch with the reality of the job had overlooked an obvious risk which claimed a worker’s life, a WorkSafe investigation finds
Wesley Tomich was cleaning around a conveyor belt as it was still operational at Ballance Agri-Nutrients in Mt Maunganui in July 2023. Continue →
Two workplace fatalities on farms over Easter
WorkSafe is reminding farm workers to be safe when it comes to operating vehicles, after it says two farmers died this Easter weekend while using vehicles on farm
Farm vehicle incidents are the second highest cause of workplace deaths in New Zealand. Continue →
What to think about when picking the right PPE
The specific hazards that may be encountered on the job are among the factors you should carefully consider before choosing personal protective equipment (PPE)
PPE is an essential component of any tradesperson’s toolkit. Continue →
New Zealand introduces its first Fluid Power Engineering Certification
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
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 →