Hazardous materials & substances stories
More than a third of farm safety checks found hazardous substances management needed improvement, WorkSafe says.
Asbestos still claims about 220 lives a year in New Zealand, making proper identification on older worksites crucial to prevent exposure.
Poorly controlled dust can trigger serious lung disease, but WorkSafe says the right industrial vacuum can keep it contained.
Buildings erected before 2000 are most at risk, as WorkSafe's new guide aims to help surveyors spot asbestos and prevent unsafe exposure.
Two workers have described flashbacks, burns and lasting trauma after being overcome by hydrogen sulphide at a Greymouth waste site.
Customers may have been exposed to unsafe asbestos handling after a project manager used a firm's name to pocket NZD $21,938.75.
The safeguard deal follows eye burns to a worker and will see Ecostore spend more than GBP £160,000 on AI alerts, training and PPE.
Workers could face tighter protection from pesticide residues, as WorkSafe consults on new exclusion periods and updated guidance.
Worker exposure to silica will be tighter from July, as Australia rolls out new rules backing the engineered stone ban and broader material controls.
Calls are growing for New Zealand to follow Australia and ban the material, as experts warn silica dust can cause fatal lung disease.
Preventable asbestos disease still kills about 220 people a year, prompting WorkSafe to warn tradies and businesses after fresh prosecutions.
Recent rail incidents have heightened calls for clearer US rules and closer industry-government cooperation on hazardous materials safety.
A nationwide ban could soon hit Australian worksites after regulators warned the stone is linked to silicosis in younger workers.
Suppliers must now verify competent persons in writing before selling certain hazardous chemicals, as regulators step up compliance checks.
WorkSafe says the deception meant Aimex’s earlier sentencing lacked full context after a near-identical exposure a week before was concealed.
Businesses face fines of up to GBP £3,000 as regulators consult on new penalties for lower-level hazardous substances breaches.
Customers could face higher prices as New Zealand’s only national stone fabricator drops engineered stone with more than 40 percent silica.
WorkSafe says exposure to cancer-causing agents remains widespread, with 57.5% of workers probably affected, raising work-related death risks.
Water-damaged homes can expose residents to spores that trigger asthma, respiratory infections and other health problems.
Workers face contamination risks from flood silt, with WorkSafe warning of germs, chemicals and asbestos during clean-up.
