Safety Blogger - The Work Safety Blog

Hotlap with John McIntyre at Pukekohe Park Raceway

2010-04-30T08:08:00.001+12:00

Last Friday I had the great opportunity to get a ride in a Ford V8. my Driver was John McIntyre and it was great fun. We clocked 227 kilometres per hour. It was just great. Below are some Pictures of that day.

Below is the link for the remaining Photos that we took on that.

Hotlaps At Pukekohe Raceway

Bullying At Workplace

2010-04-22T08:21:00.000+12:00

Research on workplace bullying released today by Massey University sounds a warning to employers that they need robust practices and procedures to deal with workplace bullying issues, says Department of Labour Head of Employment Relations, Lesley Haines.

The research, Understanding Stress and Bullying in New Zealand Workplaceswas two-thirds funded by the Department and was carried out by a research team led by Professor Tim Bentley.

The researchers looked at the incidence of workplace bullying in four sectors – health, education, travel and hospitality. They surveyed employers and employees and found that workplace bullying in these sectors is high by international standards.

However, they have warned against extrapolating the results to say that bullying is widespread across all New Zealand workplaces.

“Despite this, employers should not be complacent,” says Ms Haines. “They have a duty under the Health and Safety in Employment Act to provide a healthy and safe workplace. This includes having a workplace in which bullying is not tolerated.

“Most importantly, employers should have clear and well understood systems to deal with bullying complaints, and which includes the provision of an impartial investigation of any complaints.”

Ms Haines says the Department has resources available to help employers and others deal with bullying. “We are developing a fact sheet that provides guidance in dealing with bullying issues. The Department also provides assistance with individual cases through its Health and Safety Inspectors and Mediation Services.

“If an employee feels they are unable to make a complaint to their employer, they may want to get support from family or friends, discuss the matter with their union, or seek assistance from the Department.”

Ms Haines says the Department will work with each of the four sectors covered by the report to raise awareness of the issues raised by the research findings. The fact sheet and other guidance material will be provided to employers and their staff to help address bullying themselves.

For the detailed report go to: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10638499

Safety Shockers - Blocked exits

2010-03-29T13:50:00.001+13:00

What do you do when there is an emergency???

Shocker of the Week

2010-03-29T13:38:00.000+13:00

These guys need some decent safety gear. They also need someone to tell them how to do it properly and safely.

Not So Fun Facts About Influenza

2010-03-29T13:22:00.000+13:00

The flu spreads easily from person to person. The influenza virus is transferred in droplets of moisture expelled through breathing, coughing and sneezing.
The virus can also be spread when a person touches any droplets which contain the influenza virus and then touches their own mouth or nose before washing their hands.
Influenza infection can lead to hospitalisation in all age groups, particularly if you have an ongoing medical condition or if you are 65 years and older.
Approximately 4o0 deaths each year in New Zealand are related to influenza infection.

This season’s ‘flu’ could be worse because of the new influenza virus commonly known as Swine Flu.

Swine Flu (officially known as Pandemic Influenza [H1N1] 09) has been in the news a lot because it is a new type of ‘flu’ we have not been exposed to before.

The good news is that in New Zealand, the 2010 seasonal influenza vaccine also contains protection against Swine Flu.

The best protection is to wash hands after using toilet, sanitising the equipment you use and covering your face when coughing and sneezing.

Do a favour to your fellow staff members, if you do not feel well stay at home and visit your local GP as a precaution.

Keeping Safe with Chemicals This Year

2010-03-21T08:29:00.000+13:00

A bit of time spent in indentifying the chemicals used and stored on the premises will save money and lives. More than 100,000 hazardous substances are used in over 150,000 workplaces in the New Zealand.Many of these chemicals are common and used so often they’re taken for granted. But exposure to some of these, including LPG, petrol, solvents and ammonia, can cause harm if not handled correctly.
To make things easier, the Department of Labour and ERMA New Zealand have developed a simple, step-by-step guide to help businesses keep themselves and others safe.

Chemical Safety in the Workplace is a hands-on workbook that anyone can fill in. It applies to a wide range of industries from panel beating and electroplating to timber treatments and warehousing.

When completed, the workbook provides a full list (inventory) of the chemicals stored and used in the workplace, including where they are located, how much is being held, what risks they pose and, where controls are lacking, what corrective action needs to be taken.

“The time for excuses is over. In the event that something does go wrong, a good quality emergency response plan will protect a business and emergency responders. Putting up signage and having fire extinguishers can limit the damage. "

To be safe with chemicals in 2010, download a copy of the workbook at http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/resources/hs-workb.html.

Can someone sell these guys some Safety Gear

2010-03-19T09:14:00.000+13:00

Can someone sell these guys some Safety Gear

EXOFIT NEX - Get Into the Best!

2010-02-23T20:36:00.000+13:00

The new refined, improved Exofit Nex Harness. the video explains it all.

Safety Shocker - PPE Goes Green

2010-02-22T21:57:00.000+13:00

Hmm. Doesn’t see a need for eye protection, but does see a need for a chest protector.

February Swine Flu Update

2010-02-22T21:52:00.001+13:00

The overall situation in New Zealand is largely unchanged since last week. Sentinel surveillance data from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research show that visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) remained at very low levels during the week of 25-31 January 2010.

Weekly consultation rates for influenza-like illness in New Zealand, 2008-2010
Whilst the continued low influenza activity is good news, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the pandemic is not over. A possible second wave of pandemic influenza, for which we have been preparing, could occur anytime.

To help protect New Zealanders against the flu, the Ministry is currently making a monovalent (single viral strain) pandemic vaccine available through an early targeted immunisation programme. The Ministry recommends that those at highest risk of complications have this monovalent vaccine (followed by the seasonal influenza immunisation when it becomes available from early March). Those eligible to receive this monovalent pandemic vaccine are pregnant women, people under 65 years of age (including children) with certain conditions (as for seasonal influenza) or are morbidly obese, and all children aged from 6 months to their fifth birthday enrolled in designated practices that have high proportions of people who are Maori, Pacific and/or from high deprivation areas. It is being made available through clinics, and eligible people who are interested in receiving the early vaccine can get information about these clinics from their DHB.

The early immunisation will also be available to frontline healthcare workers, including staff in general practices, emergency departments, intensive care units and those who may have direct contact with at-risk patients.

Workplace Productivity - Paewai Mullins

2010-02-22T21:40:00.000+13:00

Paewai Mullins Shearing is based in Dannevirke, New Zealand.
The business has focused a lot on retaining staff, knowledge transfer and having a strong foundation of Maori goals, values and perspectives in their family business.

Health and Safety Makes Good Business Sense - A Learning Centre

2010-02-16T19:58:00.002+13:00

An employer that invests time and energy in ensuring a safe and healthy workplace for their employees can reap the benefits in a myriad of ways.
The coaching and training provided by the company will not only increase the productivity but will also increase the wellness of the workers at the workplace.

Fall Clearance Calculation

2010-02-15T19:44:00.001+13:00

Anchor on the Go™ Temporary Roof Anchor

2010-02-15T19:24:00.000+13:00

An Easy-To-Use Economical Temporary Anchor for Metal Roof Applications!

DBI-SALA, a Capital Safety brand solely dedicated to the fall protection market, has

announced the launch of their NEW Anchor on the Go™ temporary roof anchor for metal roofs.

The Anchor on the Go™ temporary roof anchor is a cost effective solution that is ideal for

use in residential, commercial and industrial applications on a variety of metal roofs. The

patented device provides a safe 15kN fall arrest rated anchor point ensuring you remain

protected from dangerous falls while complying with safety regulations. Its portability is a

plus for the tradesman, allowing them to take the anchor with them from job to job to

work confidently, efficiently and safely.

Installation is fast and simple, allowing the user to get on with the job at hand,

immediately. In a few simple steps the anchor is installed and ready for use, there is no

need to remove roof screws and no tools are required. The anchor’s bottom angle simply

slides up under the roof sheeting with the main post resting in the pan, the locking cams

are then pushed into place via the easy-grip levers providing a solid and secure

connection. The anchor is now ready for use, simply connect your fall arrest system, such

as a roof workers kit, and you are good to go. Removal is just as trouble-free; simply

complete the steps in reverse and you are ready to take Anchor on the Go™ with you to

your next job.

“Anchor on the Go™ has been developed to provide portable piece of mind in an anchor

that is strong and safe, yet is quick and easy to install,” says Greg Peterson, Systems

Manager for Capital Safety, Australia and New Zealand. “The anchor is an ideal temporary

solution for metal roof applications, and is an addition to our extensive range of anchors

that are available for almost every type of roof structure.”

Common Human Challenges

2010-02-14T16:31:00.000+13:00

Being a good salesman and now a father I have come across a few challenges that we all come across in our daily lives. Allow me to share a few of these Challenges.

Fear & Insecurity: So may people are gripped today with the sense of fear. They fear for the future. They are afraid of loosing their jobs and providing for their families.they feel vulnerable at workplace. This vulnerability often fosters a resignation to riskless living and co-dependency with others at workplace and at home.
"I want it now": People want things and they want it now. "I want money. I want a nice, big house, I want a big car, I want the biggest, nicest and the best entertainment system. I want it all and I deserve it." Thought with hire purchases and credit cards it makes it easier to "get now and pay later". But it will eventually sink in and set it., and we are sometimes reminded painfully that our purchases outstrip our ongoing ability to produce. the demands of interest are unrelenting and unforgiving. Even working hard is not enough.
Blame and Victimism: Whenever we find a problem, we usually will find the finger-pointing of blame. Everybody is addicted to playing the victim. Blaming everyone and everything else for our problems and challenges may be the norm and may provide temporary relief from the pain, but it also chains us to these very problems. Show me someone humble enough to accept and take responsibility for his or her actions and courageous enough to take whatever initiative necessary to creatively work his or her way through or around these challenges.
Hopelessness: When we succumb to believing that we are victims of circumstances, we lose hope, we lose the drive, and we settle into resignation and stagnation. So may bright, talented people feel this and suffer the broad range of discouragement and depression that follows.
Lack of Life Balance: Life in our cell phone society is getting more complex, demanding, stressful and absolutely exhausting. For all our efforts to manage our time, do more, be more, achieve more, why is it that we find ourselves increasingly in the "thick of thin things"? I believe that balance and peace follows that person who develops a clear sens of his or hers highest priorities and who lives with focus and integrity towards them.
"What's in there for me?": Our culture teaches us that if we want something we have to look out for number one. "It says Life is a game, a race, a competition and you better win it." Of course we try to appear generous and cheer for others success, but in the heart , privately, many of us are eating our hearts out when others achieve. Many of the great things in history have been achieved with the determination of 'A' determined soul. I believe true greatness will be achieved through the abundant mind that works selflessly -with mutual respect, for mutual benefit.

Many people do not think that they face the above challenges, but they are part of our nature and our everyday life and interactions with colleagues, children, friends and family. In fact you will find that the principled solutions for the above challenges stand in stark contrast to the common practices and thinking of our popular culture. Please feel free to contribute to these challenges, so that we all can have a better balanced and peaceful life.

ATV - Fines

2010-02-14T11:00:00.000+13:00

Trevor Mark Schroder was fines $25,000 and ordered to pay $20,000 in reparations under the s6 of the HSE Act following a farming accident. The dairy farmer employed a man who drove an ATV into a wire stretched across a farm race. The man was knocked unconscious and suffered sever head injuries including scull fractures. he also has been left with permanent partial disablement.

The victim could not recall whether he was told to wear a helmet when driving the ATV. The victim was also not told a dry herd had been moved and that a poly-wire had been strung across the race.

The DoL said that the farmer failed to ensure that the man wore an helmet while driving and ATV, and did not have an effective system for ensuring hazards were identified and communicated to the employees.

Factsheet - Take A Break

2010-02-09T20:50:00.008+13:00

Did you know:
There are two peak times that fatal incidents are most likely to occur. One is late morning (between 10.30am and 12.30pm), and the other is mid afternoon (between 2.30pm and 3.30pm).

Do you schedule Breaks in your daily plan and to do list?

People can't go on performing at a high level without breaks of some sort and these breaks need to be matched to the intensity of the work.

Fatigue can lead to harm, especially in the busy summer months when activity at both work and home are likely to increase. Just taking a couple minutes to relax, have a drink of water, bite to eat and a chat with colleagues can make all the difference.

Breaks do not need to be long though. Just a couple of minutes could make all the difference.

The most productive people regularly schedule rest into their days - and they don't let anyone interrupt those times.

There are some simple things you can do while working: drink plenty of water, take breaks and if a situation looks or feels dodgy then STOP.

ATVs - Factsheet

2010-02-09T20:27:00.000+13:00

Fact that 52% of work-related fatalities reported to the Department of Labour from 2000 to 2005 involved a vehicle “off-road”. Of those incidents, the majority involved All Terrain Vehicles.

Statistics show that the summer months are when the majority of workplace injuries and fatalities happen so people need to take extra care.

Common errors

Speed – rushing and trying to do too much too quickly
Driving too fast for the conditions e.g. steep, wet and rough ground
Misjudging the ATVs capabilities and limitations
Overconfidence, complacency and a lack of concentration
Overloading, uneven loads and loads carried on slopes
Turning too sharply
Lack of knowledge , skill, ability and experience
Maintenance and the use of correct tyres

Precautions to be taken to avoid accidents on ATVs

Wear a helmet
Wear appropriate footwear
Ensure that tracks and access-ways are maintained
Establish the safe routes and areas to ride an ATV
ATVS are not designed to carry passengers
Reduce your speed to a safe an appropriate level for the conditions
Avoid steep terrain
Complete a registered training course to increase the drivers knowledge, awareness and skill level

THINK about your options and DO act in the safest way.

Orewa College Board of Trustees charged

2010-02-09T20:20:00.000+13:00

The Department of Labour has laid charges against The Orewa College Board of Trustees following an investigation into the boiler explosion at Orewa College in June 2009.

The Orewa College Board of Trustees faces two charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992:

Section 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992: ‘Failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of an employee while at work’
Section 16 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992: ‘Failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no hazard that is in the place of work harms an employee of a contractor lawfully at work’

For further details visit www.safetyassist.co.nz

Safety Checklist

2010-02-07T16:56:00.000+13:00

Beginning of a new week, let us all do a Safety walk around our workplace and see if we have a Safety Checklist.
if not then it is time to get down and do up one.

Do you have the following in Place:

Do you have a Health & Safety Policy in place?
Have you identified and assessed the significance of hazards?
Are controls in place to manage hazards?
Have all the hazards been discussed with all employees?
Is there a health & safety induction& training program in place for all employees?
Do you have employees that are trained and competent in doing their job safely?
Do you record, report and investigate accidents in your workplace?
Are potential emergency situations in your business been identified?
Are emergency procedures been implemented for those emergency situations?
Do you involve contractors/sub-contractors in your health & safety issues?
Do you monitor contractors/sub-contractors safety?
Do you have the correct PPE for your hazards and for your business requirements?
Do you have First kits and First Aiders in your workplace?

It is not too late to get a Safety Checklist started and getting it implemented at your regular staff meetings.

Have a safe week.

It is better to be seen then heard

2010-02-07T11:35:00.000+13:00

I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage, “Better to be seen and not heard?” Well in a lot of occupations that couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to safety in the workplace.

No matter how loud or boisterous a person can be, when it comes to being heard over loud machinery and equipment it’s sometimes impossible. Most workers that do work in environments such as these are usually wearing some type of protective ear plugs so no amount of screaming to get their attention is going to work.

In order to ensure safety, an employers best bet is quality high-visibility workwear for all employees. High-visibility clothing can protect a person in much the same way as a helmet protects your head or steel-toe boots protect your feet. It’s a type of personal protective equipment for the body. The highly fluorescent material and color are easily discernible from any background therefore keeping workers safe from harm.

Besides the bright colors, many of your high-viz clothing also have reflective strips making a person or object become much more visible in darkness or bad weather conditions. For example if you decide to go running at night, the reflective strip will catch the headlight of an oncoming car making the driver aware of you much sooner that he would if you weren’t wearing it. The same goes for bicyclists and motorcycle riders. Once again, it’s better to be seen...

For greater visibility during the daytime, very bright colors such as; yellow, orange and lime are used by means of fluorescent material. Emergency responders, construction workers, highway crews and railroad workers are just a few occupations where high-visibility clothing is a must.

Safety of the workers is the number one priority for any business. One way to achieve that is to acquire high-visibility workwear of quality material that is durable, comfortable and safe.

So next time you’re on a jobsite with your high-visibility attire on and someone says to you, “You stick out like a sore thumb,” consider it a compliment and remember another old adage; “It’s better to be safe than sorry!”

Portable Fire Extinguishers

2010-02-05T12:33:00.000+13:00

The location and type of Fire Extinguishers in our workplaces, is something that we can become a bit complacent about.

Today, take the time to do a quick wander around your workplace. Familiarize yourself the location and types of fire extinguishers you have, also check if they have been certified and checked in the past 6 months. . . . You won't have time to do it in an emergency!

Safety Jokes

2010-02-02T20:02:00.000+13:00

Q: How do you drive a OHS Manager completely insane?

A: Tie him to a chair, stand in front of him, and fold up a road map the wrong way.

Q: What’s the difference between God and a Safety Manager?A: God doesn’t think he’s a Safety Manager.

What's Wrong with this picture

2010-02-02T19:51:00.000+13:00

This picture was published in a newspaper showing that the worker is wearing all the correct Safety Gear.
Rather than being best practice, it displays two of the most dangerous work practices in construction:
• Working on a suspended load, and
• Working at height without fall protection.

New Zealand workforce dangerously unhealthy

2010-02-02T19:36:00.000+13:00

One in four blue collar workers are at high risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac problem in the next five years according to research carried out by workplace wellness provider, Vitality Works.

The research involved 4,284 blue and white collar workers across a range of public and private companies around the country and showed that a large proportion of the New Zealand workforce is overweight and unhealthy.

Each person was assessed by a consultation at their worksite by a health professional and measured across a range of areas including cholesterol, body mass index, blood glucose and risk of a cardiac problem.

Body mass index measurements showed that 77 per cent of males and 61 per cent of females were overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. Dr Clara Soper, operations director of Vitality Works, said that the findings were alarming for individuals and employers.

Factory and field workers are much more unhealthy than office workers. The body mass index measurements showed that 78 per cent of factory and field workers were overweight, obese, or morbidly obese compared to 63 per cent of office workers. Alarmingly, 28 per cent of factory and field workers are in serious danger of an adverse cardiac event compared to only ten per cent of those that sit behind a desk.

The female population faired better overall than the men but both sexes need to get serious about their health.