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Why gloves are not enough
Risk & Compliance

Why gloves are not enough

A workplace knife slip can still cut legs and arms, prompting safety managers to pair gloves with safer tools and training.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Mon, 22nd Mar 2021
City Rail Link incident highlights risk of buried power cables
Management

City Rail Link incident highlights risk of buried power cables

Power was cut to a neighbourhood in Auckland’s CBD after a worker struck an 11kv cable, exposing gaps in permit-to-dig checks.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Fri, 19th Mar 2021
Four common knife misconceptions
Health and Safety

Four common knife misconceptions

Cut injuries can still strike even workplaces with no recent incidents, Martor Australia says, as safety knives are often overlooked.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Mon, 1st Mar 2021
Types of work safety equipment
Risk & Compliance

Types of work safety equipment

Proper PPE can prevent injuries and lost wages, while also saving employers time and money after workplace accidents.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Mon, 22nd Feb 2021
Fatal oversight costs company $375k
New Zealand law

Fatal oversight costs company $375k

Lax hazard checks before manual tree felling led to a worker’s death, with Sullivan Contractors fined and ordered to pay GBP £365,225 in reparations.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Thu, 3rd Dec 2020
Management of Agrichemicals – have your say
Robotics

Management of Agrichemicals – have your say

New rules could change spray planning, training and storage for farmers and contractors after a draft agrichemicals standard opened for comment.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Thu, 19th Nov 2020
$15k fine for unlicensed asbestos removal
New Zealand law

$15k fine for unlicensed asbestos removal

WorkSafe said workers were exposed to dangerous fibres after friable asbestos was stripped from a Queenstown property without a licence or safety plan.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Tue, 17th Nov 2020
Scaffold worker suffers chemical burns
Health and Safety

Scaffold worker suffers chemical burns

A communication failure left scaffold workers exposed to caustic soda vapour, causing chemical burns and triggering more than GBP £300,000 in fines.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Fri, 6th Nov 2020
Young worker’s career cut short by unsafe machinery
New Zealand law

Young worker’s career cut short by unsafe machinery

A New Plymouth court has ordered more than USD $250,000 in penalties and reparation after a young worker lost three fingers in unguarded machinery.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Wed, 23rd Sep 2020
Rules for managing remote workers
Virtual Private Networks

Rules for managing remote workers

Working from home can trigger fresh obligations on contracts, safety, privacy and security, with employers footing extra costs.

By Georgie Hughes • 3 min read • Sun, 20th Sep 2020
Hellers pays $200K for worker’s lost fingers
Labour

Hellers pays $200K for worker’s lost fingers

A Christchurch meat plant has been fined and ordered to pay reparation after a worker lost four fingers in a cleaning accident.

By Georgie Hughes • 2 min read • Thu, 17th Sep 2020
How to prevent workplace cuts and lacerations
Management

How to prevent workplace cuts and lacerations

Workplace injuries may fall sharply if staff are trained, alert and equipped with cut-resistant gloves, according to safety guidance.

By Georgie Hughes • 4 min read • Thu, 10th Sep 2020
$100K fine for powerline accident
Law

$100K fine for powerline accident

A Rotorua logging firm’s failure to assess live powerlines left a worker with life-changing burns and triggered the penalty.

By Georgie Hughes • 2 min read • Tue, 8th Sep 2020
How likely are you to be infected?
Schools

How likely are you to be infected?

A new University of Colorado Boulder model suggests crowded, poorly ventilated spaces raise coronavirus risk, especially without masks.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Sun, 23rd Aug 2020
Emergency preparedness saves lives in the workplace
Disaster Recovery

Emergency preparedness saves lives in the workplace

Prepared workplaces can cut fatal delays, with alarms, drills and first aid skills helping staff respond within minutes.

By Georgie Hughes • 5 min read • Tue, 18th Aug 2020
Ask these 15 questions before starting your next project
Management

Ask these 15 questions before starting your next project

Careful questioning can expose risks, priorities and hidden obstacles before work begins, helping teams avoid costly missteps.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Fri, 31st Jul 2020
A quick guide to industrial safety supplies
Health and Safety

A quick guide to industrial safety supplies

With 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries reported in 2018, employers are being urged to stock gear that cuts risks and protects staff.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Sun, 26th Jul 2020
Dangers of slopes results in fatality
Labour

Dangers of slopes results in fatality

Businesses working on steep terrain face renewed scrutiny after a forestry rollover in Wellington killed a worker and left a company fined NZD $60,000.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Fri, 24th Jul 2020

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