The Rebuild Supplement 138

THE CANTERBURY REBUILD SAFETY & TRADE SUPPLEMENT

• CLEARING THE AIR SURROUNDING THE HSWA • WHAT CHANGES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT MEAN FOR YOU • NEW SAFETY EXCELLENCE AWARD ANNOUNCED • WHAT THE COLD DOES TO US WHILE WE WORK

DRIVEWAYS – TENNIS COURTS – CAR PARKS – SUBDIVISIONS

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NEWS

Clearing the air Calm down - that's the message from WorkSafe chief executive, Gordon MacDonald with the implementation of the new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) which come into effect on April 4.

"In recent media coverage there has been ill-informed comment about the impact of this legislation which has been a mixture of overreaction, misinformation and scare-mongering.”

Gordon says there have been clear health and safety workplace duties for more than 20 years, many of which are being carried over to the new legislation.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) does not mean a whole new list of risks has to be managed – risk management has always been part of workplace health and safety. The new aspects in HSWA clarify duties and are designed to better protect workers in New Zealand's workplaces.

“That makes it all the more disappointing to hear wild claims about sports events likely to be

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cancelled, principals putting houses into trusts and bowling clubs being forced to take down coat racks,”he says.

The information campaign will continue to ramp up, including formal guidance, online tools, case studies and fact sheets in the coming months.

“If a claim about the impact of the new law sounds far-fetched – then it almost certainly is.

Some people do not understand the law, are being given very dodgy advice or are being willfully ignorant of its requirements.”

“It is vital we don’t get side-tracked by doomsday scenarios that simply won’t occur under the new law. We must keep focused on what’s important.

Gordon says rather than the new law focusing on petty issues, it tackles significant areas where there is a need for improvement to help keep Kiwi workers health and safe. These include: • Everyone has a role to play from a director to a worker. HSWA recognizes that businesses and their directors have more influence and control than workers • Companies are required to involve their workers in health and safety matters - that's making sure that the frontline, where the dangers lie, is fully represented in business decision-making.

WorkSafe is providing information through the website (www.worksafe.govt.nz) and through a wide variety of industry sector groups and organisations such as the Ministry of Education.

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T H E R E B U I L D S A F E T Y & T R A D E S U P P L E M E N T – M AY 2 0 1 6

Many people commented on how they enjoyed seeing the WorkSafe inspectors in an educating and friendly role. With many more requests for the van to visit sites than WorkSafe could accommodate, it will be back running again for a week in March 2017.

“Between picking up a paper on Sunday morning containing these sorts of claims, and heading off to work on a Monday morning, approximately 60 New Zealanders suffer injuries or worse in the workplace. That’s what the country needs to focus on sorting out,”Gordon says.

On the road WorkSafe New Zealand ran its successful occupational health van once again for a week in March, with an overwhelming number of requests.

The van visited more than 30 sites in just four days, reaching about 500 workers – mainly on residential sites.

WorkSafe’s Donna Burt and the team delivered 15 toolbox talks and had a great response.

EDITORIAL: Jonathon Taylor PRODUCTION: Jarred Shakespeare PRINTING: Inkwise

Tradies attending a WorkSafe toolbox talk

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NEW H&S ACT

Take the lead on health and safety The new Health and Safety at Work Act came into force on April 4. WorkSafe New Zealand’s Marcus Nalter explains some of the changes from the 1992 law it replaces.

Construction is big business. It is a $30 billion dollar industry that generates about six percent of New Zealand’s economic activity and employs almost 200,000 people.

But it is also small business – 87 percent of construction companies employ fewer than 10 people. For many of those businesses the owner will be the director, the chief executive, chief financial officer, site foreman, company secretary and probably orders the morning tea every second day.

When it comes to health and safety everyone needs to play their part – from the company owner to the casual labourer. And with the new Health and Safety at Work at Act now in force, there has never been a better time to turn your mind to health and safety.

Health and Safety is everyone’s business There needs to be leadership at all levels – and that starts at the top with directors and chief executives.

Under the new law they have to do‘due diligence’ for health and safety in much the same way as they are expected to for financial reporting.

Directors are not expected to be personally on site

ensuring that workplace risks, such as working at height and asbestos are properly managed, but they need to ensure that their business is well set up to handle health and safety.

That’s more than just checking that there’s a health and safety policy; they need to know that it is working and have good reporting systems so that they are fully informed about health and safety performance.

For larger construction firms that might mean the board sets up health and safety subcommittee – as recommended by the Financial Market Authority. Lawyers Chapman Tripp suggest that boards should make health and safety a standing item on their agendas and should consider the health and safety implications of decisions on timeframes, budgets and bonuses.

Health and safety is not something you do once and then file away on a shelf – there needs to be ongoing vigilance.

It’s not just one-way traffic though - workers also need to take responsibility themselves for acting in a safe and healthy way. This means wearing the right gear (and reminding a mate who isn’t), following proper health and safety processes and taking five to plan how to do a task safely when a situation changes.

Worker engagement – and participation The new law also introduces a requirement on all businesses to engage with workers on health and safety matters. It doesn’t set in stone what form

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T H E R E B U I L D S A F E T Y & T R A D E S U P P L E M E N T – M AY 2 0 1 6

that engagement must take. That will vary from industry to industry and workplace to workplace.

But the law is clear – if it relates to health and safety then there needs to be meaningful discussion with workers.

not. The law doesn’t change the way to put up a scaffold or set up an exclusion zone around a crane, but the Health and Safety at Work Act does require businesses to take identifying and managing risks seriously.

As well as asking workers for feedback on specific questions, all businesses need to have clear, well known ways for workers to raise suggestions or issues on a day-to-day basis. Many construction companies already start the day with a toolbox talk - that’s one simple way to get everyone involved in discussing health and safety, spotting issues and suggesting solutions.

To be clear that doesn’t mean you are expected to eliminate all risks at any cost. That’s not possible, particularly in an industry that involves heavy machinery, power tools and working at height. But you need to have good processes for identifying risks and putting in place sensible controls.

Get ready While the law has changed, the fundamentals of keeping people safe on a building site have

To find out more about the Health and Safety at Work Act, including details about worker engagement and participation, visit the WorkSafe website at http://www. business.govt.nz/worksafe/hswa.

Working with hazardous substances Hazard and risk management is about identifying and controlling a risk.

There’s no one size fits all when it comes to working safely with hazardous substances. What you need to do will always depend on what substances you have and how much you’ve got.

This can be elimination or minimisation of the risk so far as reasonably practicable. The Hazardous Substances Toolbox (www.hazardoussubstances. govt.nz) has been created by Worksafe to help employers who own or manage small industrial businesses work safely with hazardous substances.

Preparing an inventory is your first step - if you are unsure about this it is best to find a company that has the experience to assist you and some of these companies can take over your whole inventory, even storing your HSNO.

The Toolbox also helps you to increase your compliance with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) and offers some key health and safety principles from the Health and Safety in Employment legislation.

The Toolbox is a multi-media package and some of the tools are available online only, other parts are available in print only, while others are available both online and in print. The Toolbox takes you through the 5 Steps to Safety and provides you with the tools to complete each step.

The Practical Guide to working safely with hazardous substances provides you with the supporting reference material for working through the 5 Steps to Safety. It provides information about using and storing hazardous substances safely and explains the key HSNO controls.

It’s important to note that some of the controls needed at your workplace are based on the total amount of hazardous substances used and stored there. So, you need to complete your entire inventory before using the HSNO Calculator which is on the Worksafe website.

Most small businesses will only need one inventory for closed substances. You will need a second inventory if some of your hazardous substances are in open vats, baths, pots or tanks.

This is because there are greater risks when you have hazardous substances in open containers and the rules are slightly different.

For more information visit: www.hazardoussubstances.govt.nz

Hazardous Goods made easy

With the new Health and Safety at Work Act in place – it makes sense to get the experts to handle your hazardous goods.

Chemfreight offers a specialist storage and distribution service for hazardous chemicals and general goods.

Chemical Freight Services Ltd (Chemfreight) is a modern, nationwide Hazardous Goods Storage and Distribution company specialising primarily in packaged chemicals, both raw materials and finished goods.

Started in 1989, Chemfreight was the brainchild of Harry Price. Having worked in the chemical industry for a number of years, he saw an opportunity and industry need for the specialist third party storage and distribution of hazardous goods.

Starting from a small warehouse and utility, the company has worked tirelessly to establish what has become arguably New Zealand’s leading Hazardous Goods storage and distribution company.

Twenty six years on, with fully compliant state-of-the-art facilities in both East Tamaki, Auckland and Hornby, Christchurch, Chemfreight is continually growing and looking for improvements in all facets of its operations.

With over 100 mainly long term clients, staff take seriously their obligations to helping clients meet ever-changing Dangerous Goods legislation and compliancy in the supplying of raw materials to manufacturers nationwide.

With a healthy blend of both experience and youth, Chemfreight invests greatly in its staff, training and regulatory systems in order to meet compliancy in both our warehousing and transport operations.

With IT systems developed specifically for the storage and distribution of chemicals, Chemfreight is continually improving these systems to meet ongoing changes in compliancy regulations, while also allowing for the passing of information in real time through B2B technology between clients and Chemfreight.

Approximately 15 years ago through client demand, Chemfreight took a side step into “Toll Blending” and formed another division called Chemblend. Starting life as a one-man operation, this has very quickly grown into a very busy nine person operation and due to ongoing demand Chemfreight has expanded this side of the operation.

Chemfreight offers the ability to blend/decant, store and distribute hazardous and non-hazardous goods on behalf of its clients. Through a hands on approach and leading from the front Harry has surrounded himself with a team of experienced, passionate people who are continually striving to take Chemfreight to the ”next level” and beyond.

Please direct enquiries to: • Harry Price, Managing Director, phone 09 272 5522 • Jono Franssen, Christchurch Manager, phone 03 344 0135

SITESAFE NEWS

New safety excellence award Site Safe and the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) is pleased to announced a new health and safety award as part of the 2016 NZIOB Awards for Excellence.

The new award will be the Site Safe Safety Excellence Award and will be open to anyone in the built environment who is in a position to influence best practice Health & Safety (H&S) initiatives, innovations and behaviours.

As part of the new arrangement, entry for the safety excellence award will be free for both NZIOB and Site Safe members.

Site Safe chief executive Alison Molloy says they are excited about partnering with NZIOB. “We see this as an amazing opportunity to showcase excellence in the sector with such a prestigious event. The new safety excellence award is a way to recognise individuals and celebrate their efforts in health and safety, and we look forward to the collaboration with the industry.”

that recognises the construction lifecycle, the Site Safe Safety Excellence Award is open to all construction and property practitioners.”

The NZIOB Awards for Excellence are unique in that they the only New Zealand building industry national awards that recognise the individual. The awards celebrate an individual’s professional excellence in the building and construction process, as opposed to recognising the completed project or structure.

SITESAFE WINTER PROTECTION

Preparing

By Mark Walklin

It’s interesting how we all recognise the discomfit of the cold, yet rarely do we consider its effects on us while we work.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Clothing and other PPE should be appropriate to the weather conditions, and the level and duration of the task.

The effects of the cold can range from increased risk of injury, reduced work rate and quality, and greater potential for damage to plant and equipment.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) states that protective clothing is necessary for all work carried out in less than 40C, taking into consideration the effect of wind chill.

Entries are sought from the full range of construction and property professionals, from the property owner, to design practitioners (i.e. safety in design), to contractors.

Studies have shown that exposure to even moderately cold temperatures can increase the likelihood of workplace incidents.This is because the body’s response to cold causes a decrease in manual dexterity, fingertip sensitivity and muscle strength decrease.

Particular PPE you could pay attention too are:

The NZIOB Awards aim to celebrate the people behind the building projects. The awards are open to anyone in the industry and entries are judged by a panel of respected experts from the building industry.

Even single digit temperatures can have a wide range of potential harmful effects.

Also, the degree of coldness can be underestimated if other factors such as wind chill are not considered.

For more information or to enter the award please visit http://nziobawards.org.nz/

The cold can also affect the ability to concentrate on the task at hand. It can increase irritability and frustration, and may even incline people towards taking shortcuts to get

NZIOB chief executive Malcolm Fleming says “NZIOB is pleased to be partnering with Site Safe in promoting health & safety throughout the design, documentation, and delivery stages of the construction process. In adopting an entry criteria

How can you help prevent yourself and your employees from the adverse effects of harsh winter conditions? Consider the following points when protecting yourself and your employees from severe winter conditions:

Layers Clothing should be worn in multiple layers; the air between the layers of clothing provides better insulation. Layering also allows easier adjustment as temperature changes. Being too hot is just as challenging as being too cold.

Fibres Materials such as polypropylene and polyesters are much better than cotton. Cotton tends to dampen faster and increase the chill effect by robbing body heat. Many technical fabrics are available today draw moisture away from the skin.

Outer layers Jackets should be rain and wind-proof, and allow for easy opening and removal. They should also be

Don’t Let The Flu Get You! Can you afford your staff to be struck down by the flu? We talk to Jo Maxwell about the importance of workplace flu vaccinations.

Health and safety: the state of the nation Only 45 percent of nearly 800 respondents are confident no one will be harmed or made unwell by the activities at their workplaces, according to Safeguard’s first State of the Nation survey.

Business owners and senior managers were more confident (59 percent) while health and safety professionals were notably less confident (37 percent).

Safeguard used channels provided by business groups and unions, as well as its own networks, to survey nearly 800 business owners, health and safety reps, and health and safety professionals.

Respondents were much more optimistic (78 percent) that New Zealand’s overall health and safety performance is improving. However there was a marked difference between“health” and“safety”. While two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents felt that the safety of workers is taken seriously in New Zealand, only 43 percent felt the same about workers’health and wellbeing.

The health and safety regulator WorkSafe New Zealand was given a pass mark, with more than

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half of respondents (57 percent) saying it is performing well. Feelings were stronger among the 600 respondents who had had at least one personal contact with WorkSafe during the last 12 months, and 69 percent had found their contact to be satisfactory or very satisfactory.

Safeguard editor Peter Bateman says the survey provides a useful snapshot of how people in three key groups feel about health and safety in the country overall and in their own workplaces.

“Given all the scaremongering stories which have accompanied the new Health and Safety at Work Act, it is pleasing to see 40 percent of respondents feel health and safety is an opportunity to improve their business rather than just to comply with the law.

Influenza is a significant public health issue in New Zealand, yet many of us do nothing to protect ourselves against it, placing an immense strain on the workplace. The cost saving of vaccinating staff is easy to see when compared to the cost of lost time, revenue and productivity.

Seeing first hand the negative impact influenza can have on a business when one, then another, and then another is away sick, saw Maxwell Health’s managing director and qualified nurse, Jo Maxwell become one of the first in New Zealand to be certified to carry out flu vaccinations in the workplace.

And now, more than 15 years later, her team are recognised as being New Zealand’s number one workplace provider of flu vaccinations, responsible for delivering almost 22 percent of the total flu vaccinations given to Kiwi’s nationwide in 2015 - protecting over 30,000 New Zealanders.

Whether it is their team of nurses being onsite, day or night, to vaccinate, or the supply of vouchers for staff to visit one of over a hundred nominated medical centres nationwide, their flexibility, professionalism and friendly staff are what set them apart.

“Organisations which take a serious look at the risks their work creates are able not only to eliminate or minimise those risks, but also to obtain significant improvements in staff engagement, innovation and productivity.”

To book your workplace in, or for more information, contact Maxwell Health today:

The survey will be run again next year to monitor the impact of the new legislation.

0800 376 600

T H E R E B U I L D S A F E T Y & T R A D E S U P P L E M E N T – M AY 2 0 1 6

www.maxwellhealth.co.nz

SITESAFE WINTER PROTECTION

for winter able to close off and open at the waist, neck and wrists to help control heat and excess sweating.

Always make outer layers high visibility.

Hat A Merino wool or polypropylene cap worn under a hard hat can reduce excessive heat loss. Heavy or thick‘beanies’should be avoided as they will affect the fit and effectiveness of a hard hat.

Hand protection According to MBIE, when manual handling needs to take place for more than 10-20 minutes at temperatures below 160C, special precautions need to be put in place, such providing warm air blowers or insulated handles on tools.

Gloves are also an option however these can become bulky and affect a worker’s manual dexterity. Any comfit or manual handling issues may result in the worker removing the PPE, so try to fix these concerns so safety does not become compromised.

Maintenance

Studies have shown that exposure to even moderately cold temperatures can increase the likelihood of workplace incidents.

Clothes and equipment should be kept clean and dry.

Footwear Modern safety footwear is generally well padded, insulated and made from materials such as leather which allows the boots to‘breath’.

Socks One pair of thick socks, or two pairs – one inner sock of polypropylenes, nylon or thin wool (ie. merino) and a larger thick sock for the outer - is suitable for cold conditions. However, caution must be applied particularly if the wearer has diabetes or circulation problems as the thickness of fabric will cause tighter fitting of the safety boots.

Face and eye protection In extremely harsh conditions, face and eye protection is appropriate. Make sure the lenses are separated from the nose and mouth to prevent fogging and frosting.

Food, shelter and wellbeing Food and liquid intake are essential to maintain body heat and prevent dehydration. More energy is exerted when working in cold conditions as the body is working hard to keep warm.

MBIE states that if continuous work is carried out in temperatures below 0°C, heated warming shelters such as cabins or‘smoko’rooms should be available. A strict timetable for breaks should be allowed to let employees warm up and change into dry clothes.

A business could also look into investing in flu shots for their employees as a potential sickness prevention strategy.

to cold exposure. Workers should be informed about PPE, safe work practices, and emergency procedures in case of injury. While working in the cold, a buddy system should be used. Look out for one another and be alert for the symptoms of hypothermia.

Mark Walklin is a Safety Advisor for Site Safe NZ Inc and is based out of Wanganui; covering the Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki regions.

Equipment

Site Safe NZ Inc is a not for profit, industry led organisation, that promotes a culture of safety in the New Zealand construction and related industries. If you would like to know more about Site Safe and how our organisation can assist you, or talk to one of our Safety Advisors, then please contact us on 0800 SITE SAFE or visit www.sitesafe.org.nz

The risk of cold injury can be minimised by good equipment choice and design. Plant, equipment and tools should be designed so that they can be operated without having to remove items of PPE. The more complex or fiddly the activity is, the greater the likelihood that PPE will be discarded during the process.

Training

If a worker cannot be adequately protected from the effects of cold, then work must be suspended, or work regimes modified, to remove the risk of harm.

Workers and supervisors should be trained in recognising the symptoms of adverse effect

It’s not about working harder – it’s about working smarter.

Mark belongs to a nation wide network of Site Safe Safety Advisors that help promote, advocate and educate the New Zealand construction industry.

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SITE SECURITY

Beyond the perimeter Ensuring business continuity through a multi-technology approach Perimeter security is often considered in isolation to the wider business environment, seen primarily as an effective method to deter, detect or delay intruders or escapees. But those who stop there could be missing a vital opportunity in business continuity planning.

Steve Bell, chief technology officer for security developer Gallagher, says a multi-technology approach to perimeter security can play a fundamental role in meeting ongoing operational requirements.

“Perimeter security is the first point of access control to a site, where businesses have the unique opportunity to ensure compliance and best practice at all levels,” Steve says.

By combining perimeter security solutions with electronic access control, you can determine not only who, where and when, but most importantly - why?

Why is this person here, are they in line with our internal policies and compliances, and are they authorised to be where they are?

Sharing information at the physical access point about inductions, required permits or licenses helps protect people, saves down time and prevents stoppages due to inadvertent site access, damage and injury.

Having the capability to prevent harm to people or equipment through a multi-technology perimeter solution is hugely valuable.”

“Shutting down operations due to accidents, or intentional damage, is extremely costly to any business. Having the capability to prevent harm to people or equipment through a multi-technology perimeter solution is hugely valuable.”

Gallagher leads the way in layered, highly integrated perimeter solutions, with a range of customised electric fencing, taut wire and disturbance options.

Their electric fencing system is one of the safest forms of perimeter protection available, designed to comply with international safety standards and deter potential intruders without causing injury.

Taut wire technologies, such as tension and disturbance sensors, provide perimeter detection suited to a wide range of security applications.

They act as a strong deterrent and immediately send notifications of any disturbances on the perimeter.

Gallagher is recognised as an award winning industry leader in the design and development of safe, effective perimeter security systems.

With a strong focus on safety and innovation, Gallagher aims to redefine what’s possible for their customers and the security industry as a whole.

Visit https://security.gallagher.com for more information.