After a fatal incident involving a transport trailer ramp, new guidance has been released which WorkSafe says is “plugging a critical gap” for businesses which shift heavy machinery WorkSafe’s investigation into the 2019 death found that Sean Smyth was killed when a trailer ramp fell on him at work in Te Kuiti, resulting in an Enforceable Undertaking (EU) where Smyth’s employer Inframax Construction committed funds to a range of mandatory health and safety improvements. Continue →

Workplace stress has been treated by many organisations as a personal issue instead of a business-critical risk that merits executive oversight according to a new report from Walking on Earth and published in the Harvard Business Review. 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 →

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 →

Obscured by the announcement of a ‘road cone hotline’ were a suite of significant health and safety reforms which a collective of unions say fail to support small businesses, despite others calling it a good result of quality consultation The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions – Te Kauae Kaimahi (NZCTU) and Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) are both criticising the Government’s focus on a new ‘road cone hotline’, when there have been far more significant changes announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden. Continue →

WorkSafe New Zealand is adding up to 60 new recruits to its inspectorate this year and has just opened its first intake WorkSafe is investing an extra $2.7 million annually into growing its inspectorate. Continue →

Meeting for a coffee is not just about the drink itself – it has become a Kiwi ritual that can spark creativity, build trust, break down barriers, and offer a much-needed mini-escape Whether it’s a casual catch-up or a meaningful work meeting, coffee can be the catalyst for deeper connections and fresh ideas. Continue →

A global safety charity is calling for more regular, tailored health and safety training and better reporting tools following some sobering figures from a new report The figures come from the latest edition of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll, and are explored further in its latest report: Engineering safer workplaces: Global trends in occupational safety and health.  Continue →

Though the change proposal would disestablish 180 roles, WorkSafe says it is aiming to increase frontline services over time WorkSafe New Zealand opened consultation for its staff on its organisational change proposal on 23 October. Continue →

Duncan Cotterill Associate Sean Brennan examines a series of decisions issued by the District Court in relation to a PCBU’s responsibility for the health and safety of “other persons” Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), those conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) have an obligation to ensure the health and safety of workers, and to ensure the health and safety of “other persons” is not put at risk by the PCBU’s work activity. Continue →

A recent Employment Court ruling has highlighted the importance of open justice while hinting at potential changes ahead, say Duncan Cotterill Associate Caitlin Sargison and Solicitor Gene Park Traditionally, the principle of open justice means that all details of decisions in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court are made public unless there’s a strong reason to keep them private. Continue →

WorkSafe has published what it calls ‘priority plans’ to guide targeted engagement and enforcement activities as part of the agency’s much-needed strategic reset WorkSafe says it will deliver enforcement, engagement, and permitting activities across priority areas to maximise its influence and achieve better, more equitable outcomes. Continue →

While mental health in the construction is improving overall, more support is needed for the sector’s most vulnerable workers MATES in Construction, a not-for-profit organisation which supports positive well-being in the industry, surveyed more than 2000 workers, with 85% of workers reporting good mental health in 2023. Continue →

Much like airbags and seatbelts, in-cab cameras and shaking seats have become a safety non-negotiable in all of Hilton Haulage’s trucks A three-month trial of Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras in six of its truck and trailer combinations identified instances of driver fatigue, leading the company to implement the technology across their entire fleet of over 200 vehicles. Continue →

Industry leaders are calling recent commentary on temporary traffic management uninformed and unhelpful, as they work to transition from a ‘one size fits all’ model to a more risk-based approach Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group (TTM ISG) Chair Dave Tilton says the industry is already making progress in ensuring temporary traffic management is fit for purpose through the transition from the compliance-based Code of practice for temporary traffic management (CoPTTM) to the more risk-based approach described in the New Zealand guide to temporary traffic management (NZGTTM). Continue →

The Employment Court has ruled that Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles’ employer breached its contractual obligations to protect her health and safety in the wake of harassment she experienced as a result of her work The judgment comes around two-and-a-half years after Wiles and then University of Auckland employee Professor Shaun Hendy initially filed their claim with the Employment Relations Authority in January 2022. Continue →

Historically safety documents and certificates have been hard copy paperwork that sparkies need to lug from one premise to the next, which really isn’t practical when safety assessments need to be logged right away on every job, says Fergus founder Dan Pollard Digital safety certificates have helped tradies move from easy-to-lose, paper documentation to a simpler, more efficient digital format. Continue →

Work-related suicide is a significant yet underexamined issue, but a new WorkSafe report aims to shed light on its prevalence In three sections, the report looks at how work factors may contribute to suicidality. Continue →

Independent research released by Kordia shows just how detrimental cyber-attacks are on some of New Zealand’s largest businesses Of the surveyed businesses, all with 100 or more employees, that were hit by a cyber-attack in 2023, more than one in three (36%) said their business operations were disrupted, and 29% said personal data was stolen or accessed. Continue →

WorkSafe has dropped charges against Mercury NZ following a health and safety incident, now that the company has committed $1.15 million to resolving the issue A self-drive vehicle to enhance worker safety will be trialled by one of the country’s largest electricity providers, as part of a new agreement with WorkSafe New Zealand. Continue →