December Health & Safety Newsletter
- Angela Morland
- Dec 15, 2024
- 4 min read
Welcome to This Month's Newsletter!
This edition features important updates, including extended remediation deadlines for earthquake-prone buildings, WorkSafe’s refreshed leptospirosis guidance, and improvements to the HASANZ Register to help businesses connect with qualified professionals. We’ve also included Site Safe’s top podcast picks for boosting workplace wellbeing.
This month’s WorkSafe guidance spotlight focuses on managing work site traffic, offering practical advice to identify and control risks associated with vehicles and mobile plant.
Don’t forget to check out this month’s Toolbox Talks topics to keep your team engaged with practical safety tips.
Health & Safety Industry Updates
Stay on top of the latest changes in health and safety regulations and industry news. Here’s what you need to know this month:
Earthquake-Prone Building Deadline Extended
Building owners now have four extra years to remediate earthquake-prone buildings, thanks to recent law changes. This extension gives owners and councils more time to address compliance while managing seismic risks. The changes also include stricter rules for building warrants of fitness, helping to improve overall building safety.
Learn more about the new deadlines here:
WorkSafe Updates Leptospirosis Guidance Leptospirosis is New Zealand’s most common work-related infectious disease, often contracted from contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. WorkSafe has updated its guidance to make it easier to follow and more accessible.
New resources include a quick guide, online learning modules, and a one-page info sheet for workers. These updates aim to help reduce risks, especially in rural and farming areas, and reflect the latest health and safety laws.
Access the updated leptospirosis guidance here:
HASANZ Register – Update Your Profile
HASANZ is making improvements to its register and is asking health and safety professionals to confirm or update their “Based In” location. This ensures businesses can easily find qualified professionals in their area.
Don’t miss this chance to make your profile more visible!
Top Podcasts for Workplace Wellbeing
Looking for fresh ideas to boost safety and wellbeing at work? Site Safe has shared a list of their top health and safety podcasts. From mental health to leadership, these podcasts are a great way to stay informed and inspired.
WorkSafe Guidance
This Month's Highlighted Topic
Managing Work Site Traffic
Each month, we highlight a key safety topic based on WorkSafe New Zealand’s latest guidance. This month, we're focusing on managing work site traffic to reduce risks associated with vehicles and mobile plant.
Summary of the guidance:Work site traffic is a major source of harm to workers and visitors if not properly managed. WorkSafe’s updated guidelines offer practical advice on identifying risks, creating traffic management plans, and implementing control measures such as safe work site design, vehicle maintenance, and clear communication. These steps are essential to meet duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Key takeaway for businesses:Work sites must have robust traffic management plans tailored to their specific needs, including separating people and vehicles, maintaining vehicles, and training workers. PCBUs should collaborate, especially on shared sites, to ensure all risks are identified and addressed. Dynamic sites like construction zones and static sites like warehouses require different approaches, so a customised plan is crucial.
Read more about this guidance on the WorkSafe website here:
Toolbox Talks – This Month’s Highlights
We send out fortnightly Toolbox Talks on SaferMe to keep your team informed and engaged with workplace safety. Here’s what we covered this month:
Interested in receiving Toolbox Talks? Contact us to sign up for SaferMe and get our ongoing safety support.
What is the SaferMe App?
The SaferMe App is a simple and effective way to keep all your health and safety manuals and documents in one place. Here’s what it can do for you:
Access Documents Anywhere, Anytime: You can view your health and safety documents wherever you are – in the office, on-site, or at home.
Stay Compliant: Ensure your business stays compliant with health and safety regulations by having easy access to the latest policies and procedures.
Better Communication: Share important health and safety updates instantly with your team.
Track and Report: Easily keep track of incidents and generate reports.
Risk Register & Site Sign in: Easily manage these records in your business.
Looking for Expert Health & Safety Support?
We provide customised health and safety management through our support package. With this, you’ll gain access to SaferMe, where we handle compliance, update your documents, and deliver fortnightly Toolbox Talks to keep your team informed.
Learn more about our SaferMe support packages, including monthly and yearly pricing, in our detailed info document.
Ready to get started? Fill out our signup form today!
Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s newsletter. We hope you find the information useful and relevant to your business. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Until next month, stay safe and take care!
Comments