An employer’s right to discipline staff in breach of their employment agreement is now in question after a ruling from the Employment Relations Authority In October 2020, Inland Revenue employee Renee Andrews viewed a client’s confidential information without authorisation and disclosed it to colleagues. Continue →

Information from a construction industry survey will help reduce accidents and injuries on construction sites Construction accounts for 10% of the national workforce, but 15% of all ACC claims. Continue →

A total of 2333 cyber security incidents were reported in New Zealand in the first quarter this year, with phishing and credential harvesting continuing to grow as the most common forms of cyber attacks, NZTech Chief Executive Graeme Muller says New Zealand is ranked 56th in the world in cyber security according to the Portulans Institute and greater effort is urgently needed as the economy rapidly becomes more digital. Continue →

Almost every large building has systems to control and monitor power and lighting, temperature and ventilation, elevators and more, known collectively as Building Management Systems, Claroty ANZ Regional Director Lani Refiti says Historically, Building Management Systems (BMS) were siloed with their own control facilities, connected over separate dedicated networks. Continue →

Many safety managers tend to heavily focus on getting safety protocols, training, and equipment in place, but none of that is effective without employee adherence The cold, hard truth is that PPE that isn’t worn does nothing; training that isn’t paid attention to helps no one; and protocols that are not followed have weak results. Continue →

Temporary traffic management in New Zealand is in the middle of a significant change – from a proscriptive compliance-based approach to a risk-based approach, says Civil Contractors New Zealand Technical Manager Stacy Goldsworthy The industry has traditionally conformed to the requirements of the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management (COPTTM), however the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 required work activities to be assessed for risk and reasonably practical controls to be put in place to protect workers. Continue →

The opioid fentanyl has exploded overseas – here are five things businesses should do to keep on top of drugs in the workplace The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) is warning of the dangers that fentanyl brings in a safety sensitive workplace like trucking or forestry. Continue →

Focusing on permits and signs does not protect workers and often leaves actual health and safety measures forgotten in the rush to complete paperwork, Besafe Training General Manager Jason Braithwaite says   We have a culture of paper health and safety, but proper measures like assessing risk, putting in place appropriate controls and ensuring they are enforced do not get the attention they deserve. Continue →

NIWA’s Snow and Ice Network (SIN) provides information on snowfall, depth of snowpack, snow melt and climate for ten sites across New Zealand A new tool giving near real-time snow data has been made available to the public for the first time. Continue →

With security innovation years behind that of the attackers, prevention-centric approaches no longer serving businesses, and the role of boards and legislation more important than ever, Vectra AI research shows the ‘game needs to be changed’ Today’s organisations are continuing to fail by tackling complex, modern cyber threats using outdated methods amid significant changes taking place in today’s threat landscape. Continue →

The coming winter, with its rains and current economic pressures, is a time of heightened danger for Kiwi workers who are still too willing to cut corners, Besafe Training General Manager Jason Braithwaite says Supply shortages will put extreme deadlines and financial pressures on labourers and tradespeople as weather conditions begin to deteriorate ahead of winter. Continue →

Video calls are shown to reduce the production of creative ideas, compared to in-person meetings, finds a US study published in Nature During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of employees were required to work from home indefinitely and collaborate virtually using videoconferencing technologies. Continue →

There are concerns small businesses will be hit hard if the Fair Pay Agreements Bill becomes law, and it has already passed its first reading parliament, Dentons Kensington Swan reports The Fair Pay Agreements Bill introduces the Fair Pay Agreement system, a mechanism that allows for bargaining between employers and employees to set binding minimum terms and conditions across an industry or occupation. Continue →

A new international research review conducted by New Zealand health & safety software innovator, SaferMe, has shed light on the role of social relationships in the costly incident record in our construction industry SaferMe CEO & Founder Clint Van Marrewijk says the insights from the company’s research work will impact the current thinking of most businesses. Continue →

Massive changes happening in New Zealand’s labour market could take us back to the ‘bad old days’ of the 70s and 80s, when major conflict between employees and employers was commonplace, Civil Contractors Chief Executive Alan Pollard fears In addition to blanket wage reforms and increased mandatory leave, the government has announced a plan to introduce an employee income insurance scheme, designed to support workers with 80 per cent of their income for up to seven months if they lose their job through no fault of their own, for instance a redundancy, health condition or disability. Continue →

If you rush to abandon vaccine passes and a staff member catches Omicron, then goes on to develop long Covid, losing their ability to work as a result, there is a case to be made that perhaps their employer didn’t do enough to protect them, a health and safety training provider warns Besafe Training General Manager Jason Braithwaite is urging business owners to conduct workplace risk assessments before scrapping vaccine passes. Continue →

As a business owner or manager, you need to be ready for the increase in minimum wage rates on Friday, 1 April 2022 If you have not yet talked to your accountant, payroll provider or your finance/HR teams, now is the time. Continue →

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 →

Starting tomorrow, the isolation period for positive cases and household contacts drops to just 7 days, but does the risk outweigh the reward and how does this effect those previously infected? Continue →

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 →