Articles on Safety Systems, Safety Training, OHS Advice, ACC Implementation
Safety through employee engagement
Ever wondered why some workplaces pulse with energy,
consensus and teamwork while others are dysfunctional,
dangerous and inefficient? It’s not the employees.
We generally get what we deserve in terms of behaviour.
It’s the leadership, so the good news is, it’s
in your hands. [ more ]
First
Aid for Workplaces – A Good Practice Guide – September
2009
The Department of Labour has now issued a final set
of First Aid Guidelines following withdrawal of the
Factories and Commercial Premises (First Aid) Regulations
1985. It introduces the concept of risk assessment
in determining what facilities and personnel you require.
So why replace something mandatory with Guidelines?
And what’s all that about risk assessment? [ more ]
Passed
the audit, got the T-shirt, all turned pear shaped?
It’s all too common to find an employer who put
time and money into passing a safety audit has let
it all drop before the next audit. Sometimes, it happens
immediately, sometimes it’s a slow death, but
almost every time, the excuses are far easier than
the truth. So what causes it, and what can be done
to get it right? [ more ]
Recession:
An opportunity to review the costs of safety and get
more for less
Don’t be tempted to slash and burn your safety
system to beat the recession. Instead, look carefully
where you spend your dollar, do the simple things well
and come out the other side with a better, more cost
effective system. [ more
]
Want
to be a good safety leader?
When we are talking about something as intangible as
safety behaviour, can we realistically expect the average
manager to know what to do to achieve the required result?
We believe management is not the same as leadership.
Shouldn’t ALL managers know the difference? [
more ]
What
works with safety systems? Less may be more
Do systems and procedures lead us to effective safety
systems? Do we need more “clutter” and audits,
or is there another way? Some research, particularly
in the area of traffic safety clearly suggests there
is another way [ more
]
Cultivating
wimps – time to stop wrapping kids in cotton wool?
We report on recent news items from the UK, where, in
parallel with what their ongoing promotion of sensible
risk, still other public figures are pushing to release
kids from being stifled by health and safety and politically
correct schooling. [ more
]
Current
thinking on stress – two opinions that may surprise
you
We analyse two recently published views on stress –
and find that there is increasing evidence and professional
opinion that current conventional thinking may be flawed.
[ more ]
How
about a little risk in our lives?
Do we use health and safety as an excuse sometimes for
not managing risk. Our article follows on from previous
trends reported from the UK to put a more realistic
perspective on risk, safety and enjoyment of life. [
more ]
Does
back pain prevention training work?
For years, we thought part of the answer to back injuries
was training in best lifting techniques. Now, a Finnish
study suggests it could be all a waste of time. [ more
]
Which
two elements are the keys to good safety management?
What would you keep if you were only allowed two safety
management activities? What makes safety work more than
anything else? More than Hazard Management, more than
accident reporting, more than fancy manuals and safety
systems? [ more
]
Can
a computer based safety management system make a difference?
Let’s face it, there are advantages and disadvantages
to both, but this is the 21st century [ more
]
Should
Health and Safety rule our lives?
It was heartening to see, (August 2006), no
less an authority than Bill Callaghan, Chair of the
United Kingdom's Health and Safety Commission (HSC),
recently getting stuck into the political correctness
surrounding health and safety. He launched some principles
of "sensible risk management" in a discussion paper.
[ more
]
European
Court of Justice may have indirect impact on NZ's "all
practicable steps"
Also in the UK, the Government may be forced
by the European Court of Justice to amend the use of
the term "so far as is reasonably practicable " in the
Health and Safety at Work Act. The term is essentially
the same meaning as our New Zealand HSE Act's "all practicable
steps", which allows a defence when further safety
measures would have been disproportionate to the risk.
[
more
]
Who
has liability for Labour Hire Employees?
A recent interpretation by the Full Bench
of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, regarding
the relative liabilities of the employer may well be
of interest to us in New Zealand. In a nutshell, the
Bench determined that the liability lies not just with
the company doing the hiring. [ more
]
What
makes a Good Hazard Management System?
The core generator
of a safety system is hazard management: Identification,
assessment and control. It may seem obvious, but that's
the part we must do well, because, if we don't, we
get superficial, wasteful systems. In New Zealand,
we are encouraged to create "Hazard Registers". So,
what makes a poor Hazard Register and what makes a
good one.? [ more
]
First
quarter 2005: It's time to refresh your safety system
You've
had a holiday, recharged your batteries and put out
the first few "fires" of the year. Among a number
of systems for which you are responsible is the safety
system. Is it still effective? Even if you are one
of those rare employers who have successfully integrated
safety into the fabric of the organisation, it will
need refreshing and rejuvenating. [
more ]
Four
great ways to keep abreast of safety developments:
We profile four
easily accessible resources for people who are keen
to stay in touch with occupational health and safety
discussions, news, events and trends. [ more
]
Risk
assessment: A Waste of Time?
Do you use risk assessment tools to give managers and
supervisors a better ability to weigh up the factors
in safety decisions? Is this any use to anyone but
the safety coordinator? Would you give a golfer
an angle, distance and velocity calculator to go out
on the course with? If you did, would they use it?
Of course not. It's not intuitive enough and it takes
too long to set up.
Same with risk assessment. [ more
]
Shutting
the Doors over Christmas
Some precautions are very simple, such
as moving jumbo bins away from buildings (amateur arsonists
love them, particularly when full of cardboard or similar).
You should consider what other combustible materials are stored against or near your buildings. It is imperative to remove pallets, for example, because they can be easily lit when dry and burn rapidly. You might also like to consider dense trees and vegetation near the property.
It makes sense to check your security alarm. Apart from theft, many fires are started by burglars and other intruders. If you have display windows, consider the threat of smash and grab. Keep high value items out of reach or display incomplete or part sets.
Vehicles such as fork lifts are sometimes used to "break out" with bulk goods once entry has been made elsewhere. Immobilise them or otherwise make them unavailable. More tips and checklists >>
Get
your head around HSNO by
Simon Lawrence
This April, hazardous substances
control will cease to be under the Dangerous Goods
Act /Regulations and be transferred to the HSNO Act/Regulations.
There will be a change in emphasis towards controlling
the full life cycle of a substance. Locations where
substances are stored, used or manufactured will need
to be approved by independent Test Certifiers, who
will also be responsible for certifying specified employees
as Approved Handlers. [ more ]
ACC's
WSE scheme - new details of the actual audit
by Simon Lawrence
The Nov 2004 newsletter alerted you to the fact that
ACC now have a carrot and stick approach. The carrot
was the two incentive schemes for having an audited
standard of OHS management. The stick is a standard
that they are politely imposing on employers with less
than ideal claims histories - the WSE Scheme. Failure
to come into line may result in a 50% premium loading.
We have a copy of the audit and here is what it wants.
[ more ]
Does
anyone care about road safety? By
Wayne Price, foreword Simon Lawrence
Wayne is a man with a mission. If anyone can make a
difference, he can. He has the credentials and the
motivation and he has a plan to deliver driver safety
training to all drivers, particularly young and "at risk".
He has done a lot of hard work. He already has a driving
school but the real vision involves a lot more. The
dream is a multipurpose complex next to a piece of disused
runway at Ardmore. The runway has been made available
but Wayne needs the cash to build the facilities. [
more ]
The
Employee Participation Game by
Simon Lawrence
Well, our Stress Questionnaire
last year was so popular that we thought we would do
something in the same vein. Anyone who has read the
employee participation sections in the HSE Amendment
Act will have been through an experience something like
- "OK, but what do I actually have to do?"
This game leads you through it. Lighthearted but accurate
- we think! [ click here
to start the game ]
Trained
Safety Reps - Not Really by
Simon Lawrence
The HSE Amendment Act provides
for far more employee participation than ever before.
If an employee attends a paid course that is Approved
under the Act, they become a Trained Safety Rep,
with the right to issue you a Hazard Notice and
send a copy to OSH.
OSH can use this as the required Prior Warning to issue you with a spot fine. Enlightened employers will welcome the increased responsibilities but what about competence? Currently, employees can sleep through the two day course and still get the "badge". Is this right? [ more ]
ACC
Is Coming To Get You by
Simon Lawrence
The ACC is an insurer.
Insurers don't like bad risks. Having offered the
carrot of the Partnership Programme and Workplace
Safety Management Practices Programme, they are
now preparing a long heralded big stick for poor performers,
the Workplace Safety Evaluation (WSE) will be
a cuddly lamb with teeth. [ more
]
New
Zealand Safety Council Forges Ahead with Professional
Standards Process by
Dave Calvert
The New Zealand Safety
Council
has now signed a joint venture agreement
with QSA International and has drafted a professional
standards framework for Registered Safety Professionals
(RSPs), who will be appointed by a local Committee
under the approval of the QSA. This long
awaited move aims to bring into being a register of New Zealand safety
professionals who can demonstrate competence and professionalism
in their field and provide clients with a level
of confidence. [ more
]
Stress
questionnaire by Simon Lawrence
Not really an article, this one, but having studied
the research on stress, we had a go at a questionnaire.
Take it with a pinch of salt but it is a serious
attempt nevertheless [ more }
A
Detailed Analysis of the HSE Amendment Act
by Simon Lawrence
The Act was passed in December
2002 and will come into effect on May 5th
2003. This legislation has caused considerable
interest, primarily due to the fact that stress
and fatigue have been formally recognized as
workplace health and safety issues. [ more
]
A
Summary of the OSH Briefing on Stress and Fatigue
by Simon Lawrence
In 1998, OSH published this
briefing and at the time, it probably had little direct
impact. Now, with the HSE Amendment Act looming (see
above), we really have to put some prevention measures
into place. The briefing, which represents a digest
of available research, has been put into the New Zealand
context. [ more
]
Raising
Professional Standards - Recent Developments
by Dave Calvert
Occupational health and safety
standards are tightening progressively. Legislation
and standards introduced in recent years have included
ACC Audits, NZS/AS 4801 and the HSE Amendment Act.
Both OSH and ACC are talking seriously about introducing
punitive audits for poor performers. More than ever,
there is a need for professional standards for OHS
industry advisors, auditors, trainers and their products.
The New Zealand safety Council sees this as a prime
objective. [ more
]
Taking
Comfort from Stress
by Simon Lawrence
Should we get distressed about stress?
In our feature article, we dig beneath the surface
of Workplace Stress and find some familiar and easy
to manage concepts underneath. In fact, we find
it possible to visualise some real opportunities in
these murky waters. By demystifying stress, we can
see that by using common sense, we can address a whole
lot of human behavioural issues that have been bugging
the workplace since the year dot. [ more
]
Learning
(from
the) Japanese by
Simon Lawrence
Kaizen is more than a
set of tools and techniques. In the 1970's and 1980's
the gurus went to Japan to learn the roots of their
phenomenal success. We brought back packages like
Quality Circles, TQM, SQC and JIT. What they
failed to understand, or deliberately ignored, was
the underlying concept of continuous improvement
- never 'arriving'. This is Kaizen. [ more
]
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