Preparing for a Pandemic
What is a pandemic? A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that becomes very widespread across the human population and affects a whole region, continent or the world. By nature, pandemics are unpredictable in when they will occur or how severe they will be. An influenza pandemic is the most probable event to affect […]
Pre-Employment Health Testing Puts Your Business Ahead
Before starting a new role, employers may require their candidates to under go a pre-employment health test, also referred to as health screening or a medical check. These tests determine whether or not a person is suitable for a particular role. What is Involved in a Pre-Employment Health Test? Pre-employment health checks generally take up […]
Tips for a Safe and Healthy Summer
Whether you’re travelling overseas, planning a staycation or working a summer job, it’s a wise time to think about how you can keep safe and healthy during the holiday season! Check out our top summer tips below: Protect yourself from the sun – Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in New Zealand with over 350 […]
The Body and Mind Benefits of an Ergonomic Workstation
Prolonged sitting and staring at a computer screen can cause serious harm to a worker’s health and wellbeing. On top of this, working at an incorrect workstation set-up can worsen the situation and result in long-term health problems. The Benefits of Ergonomics Ergonomic workstations are a crucial part of minimising health and wellbeing risks. The […]
Hits and Misses At Work
Under the new health and safety regime, the organisation (or PCBU) needs to have a system for recording and reporting hazards and risks, along with notifiable events. At times the latter will include reports of things that might have happened (see Section 24). But why record incidents if nobody actually got hurt? In 1931 H.W. Heinrich posited what […]
Manual Handling – What’s the Risk?
Lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling heavy loads while at work poses serious risks to workers and can lead to problems such as: back injuries occupational overuse syndrome injuries as a result of falls or slips acute injuries such as sprains or strains. Preventing manual handling injuries Employers can prevent injuries associated with manual handling by […]
How Can You Become a Health and Safety Rep at Work?
Worker participation is vital in keeping organisations healthy and safe. A way to achieve this is through appointing a Health and Safety Representative (HSR) in your workplace. An HSR is an employee who is elected to represent the members of their work group regarding health and safety matters. Moreover, HSRs act as a means for […]
What’s the Best Approach to Battling Workplace Bullying?
Workplace bullying is defined as repeated and unacceptable behaviour directed towards a worker/group of workers. Different forms of bullying include, but are not limited to, verbal or physical abuse, humiliation, threats of violence and sabotaging or ignoring others. Wellbeing is contingent upon eliminating bullying from the workplace. It is crucial that employers understand the serious […]
Reliable Health and Safety Governance
What is Governance? The governance of an organisation involves a set of values, processes and practices implemented by the PCBU (the organisation) and Officers (directors and boards). These values, processes and practices must ensure the organisation are complying with all laws and regulations and carrying out their due diligence by doing what is reasonably practicable […]
Notifying WorkSafe NZ
What is a notifiable event? A notifiable event is any of the following events that arise from work: a death a notifiable illness or injury or a notifiable incident. Previously, the Employment Act stated “serious harm” as the key term when it came to deciding whether an event had to be reported to a regulator […]
