Articles

Machinery Safety in NZ: Risk Assessments, SOPs & Training

What to Do When Introducing New Machinery to Your Business - A Health and Safety Guide for NZ Workplaces Bringing in new machinery is an exciting milestone for any business. It often means higher productivity, better quality, and growth opportunities. But every new machine also comes with new risks - and...

What Should A Health and Safety Budget Include? A Practical Guide for New Zealand Businesses

Every New Zealand business, regardless of size or industry, has a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) to provide a safe and healthy workplace. But meeting those responsibilities isn’t just about having policies in place - it requires proper planning, investment, and ongoing commitment. That’s where...

What Should Be Discussed in Toolbox Talks? A Practical Guide for NZ Businesses

Regular toolbox talks - also known as toolbox meetings or daily pre-start safety meetings - are one of the most effective ways to improve workplace safety and team communication. These short discussions help identify hazards, reinforce safe work practices, and keep everyone focused on working safely. But to make them truly...

What Should Be On Your Health and Safety Noticeboard

Why Your Health and Safety Noticeboard Matters Your workplace health and safety noticeboard is more than just a compliance requirement - it’s a central hub for communication, awareness, and safety culture. When used effectively, it helps employees stay informed, know their responsibilities, and feel confident about how to respond in emergencies or...

Machine Guarding

“Why should we have to have a guard on that part of the plant? Anyone with any common sense should know not to go into that area when the conveyor belt is running!” We've lost count of the number of times that we have heard this, or similar. It's this kind of...

Listening to Employees’ Health and Safety Ideas

We often hear "Why say anything or make suggestions for improvements to health and safety?  Nobody listens!" when discussing health and safety ideas and improvements with employees of businesses. If you are a health and safety auditor, this is a red flag statement, and it’s the catalyst to start to dig...

Are Changes to Health and Safety Legislation Necessary?

Sometimes specific events in life create memories in which you never forget where you were and what you were doing at the time. On the 19th of November 2010, the day that 29 miners died in the tragic Pike River Mine explosion, I was at home having a coffee with my...

Walkway Markings and Safety Barriers

Are they necessary? Recently, there have been several prosecutions relating to forklift fatalities and serious injuries, resulting from workers being struck by forklifts or being in the wrong place. A common fault that I have often seen over the years is that safe walkway markings are either disregarded, they have faded, they...