Three key machinery safety failures cost worker’s fingers
A worker’s life-changing injuries at a commercial bakery have exposed fundamental safety failures that WorkSafe says are far too common across New Zealand workplaces. Continue →
Browsing: Workplace Health & Safety
Most recognise drug problem but unsure of the solution
Substance risks in the workplace are evolving faster than internal systems. Continue →
WorkSafe finally stirs on industry supported ACOP
It is heartening to see that shortly after the 2026 Yearbook of Industrial Safety News (ISN) appeared, WorkSafe launched three draft Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP). Continue →
Employers recognise benefits but don’t know where to start
Employers see the value in employee health and well-being. The case for action is clear, but many employers still ask, “Where do we start?” Continue →
Yes minister, and selective hearing
WorkSafe New Zealand has issued a new four-year Statement of Intent 2025-2029, in part reflecting a government directive that will significantly refocus the crown agency from prosecution to support. Continue →
Cannabis, cocaine and the workplace drug landscape
Workplace drug and alcohol risks were a health and safety challenge for employers throughout 2025. Continue →
Height safety basics missed in preventable fall from pole
WorkSafe is cautioning all businesses that work at height to review their safety systems, following sentencing for a fall that nearly killed a KiwiRail employee. Continue →
Safety tech saves lives and spurs workplace Innovation
A US National Safety Council survey reports on the success of safety technologies, from risk management software and artificial intelligence to robotics, wearables and extended reality. Continue →
How to navigate AI and OSH
Researchers mapped the available evidence on the interaction between emerging technologies and OSH, which was found to be patchy, with more known about the impact of some technologies than others. Continue →
Top tips for working safely in winter
Anyone who works outside in harsh conditions knows the chilly season takes its toll. Continue →
Partnership to support healthy construction sector
Construction workers across the motu are being encouraged to consider their health and wellbeing goals for the year and access support to achieve them. Continue →
Toxic workplaces create a high risk of depression
Working long hours is a risk factor for dying from cardiovascular disease or having a stroke but poor management practices pose a greater risk for depression
A year-long study has found that full-time workers employed by organisations that do not prioritise their employees’ mental health have a threefold increased risk of being diagnosed with depression. Continue →
Hellers pays $200K for worker’s lost fingers
Meat manufacturer Hellers Limited has been sentenced for health and safety failures at the Christchurch District Court this week after a worker lost four fingers in a machine used to process meat
During the March 2019 incident while cleaning the machine a worker reached in to clear meat from between a rotating paddle and the inside wall of the machine, when his fingers became caught. Continue →
How to prevent workplace cuts and lacerations
Cuts prevention is a crucial topic about which every worker should be knowledgeable. Continue →
$100K fine for powerline accident
Logging company Mike Harris Earthmoving Limited was fined $100,000 at the Rotorua District Court after a worker suffered burns from an electric shock that left them without full use of their right hand
Any business conducting work near live powerlines must consider the risk they pose as part of its safety planning, says WorkSafe. Continue →
How to survive “Big Brother” hysteria
When implementing a lone worker safety solution your first priority is the safety of your people. Continue →
Fatal interactions between forklifts and people
A major freight distribution and logistics company has been fined more than half a million dollars after an incident involving a forklift that left a man fatally injured
Toll Networks (NZ) Limited was sentenced in the Auckland District Court after a worker was crushed to death by falling pallets that were being moved from a train wagon by forklift in September 2016. Continue →
Mining company sentenced after worker death
Critical risks in workplaces must not only be identified but also managed effectively, WorkSafe reiterates after a recent court judgement
Mining company Oceana Gold was sentenced in Tauranga District Court after the death of a worker in July 2016. Continue →
High levels of workplace exercise linked to early death
Men with a highly physical job have an 18% higher risk of early death than those with inactive work
Men with highly physical jobs appear to have a significantly higher risk of early death compared with men who have largely inactive jobs, suggests a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Continue →
How to prevent cuts
Addressing how to prevent cuts is a vital part of safety training
Lacerations are one of the most common types of workplace injuries, especially in industrial settings, but also in less hazardous environments like offices. Continue →