News

Drill Press Safety

Recently, two incidents have occurred that emphasise the importance of drill press safety. The first was the entanglement of a glove (that an apprentice was wearing) on a drill bit. The employee was very lucky, as an emergency cutout button had been installed on the left-hand side of the drill press....

Do I need ISO 45001 for my business?

Recently, I was contacted by a small start-up business asking if I could assist them to implement their ISO 45001 health and safety system. Following the initial introductions, I asked the following questions: When did you start your business? Answer - 2 years ago. What type of business? Answer - transportation business. How...

Trailer Safety

Recently, there have been two court cases involving trailers uncoupling from the towing wagons. One of these incidents resulted in a fatality. As a result, we have reviewed and amended our hazard identification process and supporting safe operating procedure (SOP). I believe that for many businesses, trailers are considered a supporting piece...

Planning for Emergency Situations

The below article highlights the need and responsibility as the PCBU of a business, to ensure that if emergency procedures and equipment has been put in place, that those who have to use it know where it is located, and (more importantly) how to use it. Read article here - Enchanter...

Can WorkSafe enter my business?

A question that we are often asked is, “Can a WorkSafe NZ inspector enter my business at any time to carry out an inspection, to question my employees, to seize materials, records, or any other materials?” The answer is yes, but the key wording in section 168 below of the Health...

How to manage Hazardous Substances

Hazardous Substance registers - how do you manage them? We get asked a lot about the storage and recording of chemicals and other hazardous substances. Here are our recommendations to manage hazardous substances. Recording When it comes to the recording of hazardous goods/substances (what you have on site and use) and their controls, there...

How Effective are your Contractors’ Health and Safety Systems?

Every business has external contractors to undertake work for them - whether it be the plumber, the vinyl layer, the painter, the builder, an air conditioning servicing business, etc. My question to all businesses is: have you communicated the health and safety requirements of your business to the contractors you use;...

Silt and Silica Dust

After reading a WorkSafe article about silica dust,  I feel so lucky and privileged. Why? As a young man, I served my apprenticeship as a carpenter, and in those days, PPE was something that sounded like a disease that one would not like to catch. I still remember cutting sheets of fibrolite that...

The Importance of PPE

Chemical Sprays and PPE I want to share with you an incident that occurred due to working with a hazardous substance, that ruined the mental wellbeing of a young man. A few years ago, I called into a local garage for petrol. I was served by a young man (around 19 years...

Emergency Stop Devices

It used to be normal for workers to wear ties to work, no matter the job. Thankfully, it is not now.  There are too many stories about workers whose ties were caught in a set of rollers and other machinery, before emergency stop devices were the norm. And by now, they should...