Articles

Reviewing your H&S Documents

Contractor Pre-Qualification and the Document Review Process Recently, a client sent a copy of their results from their contractor pre-qualification review, and queried me on the following question from the final review report. Question - Do you have a process/procedure to periodically review the work instructions, standard operating procedures, or specific safety...

Using Hasmate for Food Safety

The Hasmate online program was designed to be used by all industries, no matter what size. Here are some specific ways the Hasmate program can be used for those in food manufacturing, and other food related businesses. Using Assets Being able to prove that all equipment and machinery used in food production is...

Business Sustainability for SMEs

This is a perplexing and challenging question for many New Zealand SME businesses in this age of COVID-19, and all the other external pressures of just making a business function effectively. To get a handle on what this means, I recently came across this article that may throw some light on...

Onsite Monitoring and Inspection Checklists

Over the past 6 months, I have been approached by a number of construction and civil engineering companies to assist them in lifting their scoring in their prequalification assessments. One of the common areas of low marking has been in the area of onsite monitoring (equipment, health, environment, etc.). Here is...

Using a Software Solution for Health and Safety Management

For all New Zealand businesses, taxation, GST, ACC payments, and employment agreements are a non-negotiable responsibility of business owners. The introduction of the health and safety legislation in 2015 became a more robust, non-negotiable, no excuse compliance issue that has made many businesses think twice about ignoring it. This is now...

Primary Duty of Care – reviewing your health and safety systems

"Primary duty of care” (Section 36 of the Health and Safety at Work Act) is, in my opinion, one of the key sections that all businesses should take note of, understand its application, and apply to their businesses. Many business owners don’t know it exists, let alone understand its implications if...

COVID-19 = a duty of care by all

Recently, there was a case in Napier of an Air New Zealand traveller refusing to wear a face mask, as required by government and the airline safety rules. This raises an interesting and challenging question, as to the ability of a business to enforce the wearing of face masks for...