News

I recently read an article from WorkSafe NZ regarding managing risk (read article here) and the consequential financial impact on the company involved must be really hurting them. Could this be your business and could you wear the cost? Instead, take immediate action to manage known risks. The points to be taken from...

What are your obligations to report notifiable accidents? Firstly, understand what constitutes a reportable Notification Event (for a condensed version of Notifiable Events, contact Hasmate to discuss). Your responsibility is to report all Notifiable Events to WorkSafe NZ - phone 0800 030 040 as soon as you become aware of...

On the 1st of December 2017, the new Hazardous Substances Regulations will come into force. The emphasis of these new regulations will be on the application and management of hazardous substances in the workplace, applying risk management practices and the importance of training and informing all workers who use hazardous...

We trained hard but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of...

Getting it right the first time! It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “if I had nine hours to cut down a tree, I would spend six hours sharpening my axe”. When it comes to the employment systems in your business, have you planned for this or is it something that just happens...

As a business owner, are you aware of a private member's bill before Parliament that will place a greater obligation on your business to offer greater protection in employment to victims of domestic violence?  If not, you need to read this. The member's bill was put forward by Jan Logie of...

There has been a lot of discussion about the importance of business culture for effective health and safety management. What is not often discussed is the negative effect on a business's productivity and the financial impact. For many, the concept of health and safety, being a positive for improving the production...

If your business has been stung or ripped off by poor service, who is to blame - the service provider or yourself (for not practicing caveat emptor before hiring the service)? Caveat emptor simply means “let the buyer beware". This Latin principle means that the buyer alone is responsible for checking...

Although the following article was written in 2013,  the consequences could be the same or worse, following the introduction of the Health and Safety At Work Act 2015. The following fatality was an actual event - details have been changed for the protection of the family. Some of the information is...

What does fit for purpose mean to a business? A dictionary definition - something that is fit for purpose is good enough to do the job it was designed to do. European law dictates that goods must be fit for purpose when sold. A layman's definition: If you are prepared to pay...