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While many industries seem to have recovered post-pandemic, the construction sector is still battling tough conditions.

It’s important to keep on top of your business processes to reduce headaches later down the track. Whether it’s your invoicing, your insurance, or your health and safety, neglecting these things can really hurt later on. Some businesses are choosing to take this time to invest in their current systems and processes, to help them to build a more resilient business that can respond to the market.

Scaled back? 

If your business has scaled back a bit, such as cutting back on help, switching to smaller renovation projects, or you plan to really tighten the belt on the budget for a while, we’re here to remind you to prioritise your H&S. As long as you or your team are on the tools, you need to manage health and safety effectively. This means:

 

HazardCo is the simplest, best way to nail health and safety 

The HazardCo system helps you to manage your health and safety in the simplest way possible, so you’ll feel confident you are keeping your team and your business safe. The system is designed especially for home builders, and comes with all the reports and templates you need, loaded up with advice provided by experts

Key benefits include:

 

The Key Takeaway

Health and safety should never take a back seat. It’s still as crucial as it’s ever been and HazardCo’s here to keep you out of strife.

Get a free 7-day trial of the HazardCo health and safety system.

Nail guns are used frequently on construction jobs, including in residential construction. Like all power tools, nail guns can cause serious injury. Nail gun injuries can happen due to accidental discharges whilst moving, carrying, and repositioning. Injury can also happen when fired nails strike other nails or timber knots causing them to ricochet. Incidents also occur when workers accidentally place themselves into positions where they are directly exposed to the projectile path of a nail gun.

The risk of a nail gun injury is greatly increased when using a contact trigger (bump fire or multishot) compared to using a full sequential trigger (single-shot). Most injuries occur when the nail gun is set to ‘bump fire’ mode, resulting in penetrating wounds to the operator or nearby workers.

It’s important you review the type of nail gun trigger system and the extent of information, instruction and training given to workers, particularly inexperienced and young workers.

Tips for managing the risks on site

There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of injuries. We have put together a few suggestions below and we encourage you to consult with your workers about how you can work together to ensure safe nail gun use on-site:

Note: Bump-fire nail guns potentially may be used to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries (e.g. strains and sprains) for jobs that involve high volume production and repetitive tasks. In these circumstances, ensure only highly experienced and skilled workers use these types of nail guns and implement other additional control measures to reduce the risk of injury.

If you have any questions please reach out to the HazardCo Team 

If you perform an activity that is carried out in isolation from other workers without close or direct supervision there is a high chance you or your team will be considered lone workers. While working alongside your team may not be an option, looking out for your staff should be a top priority.

People are classed as lone workers if they: 

If this sounds like your workforce, then you need to consider the following:

Security

Naturally, lone workers need to be more aware of risks or threats to the safety of themselves or the equipment/material they are working with. 

Self-isolation

Working on your own can be lonely. With no co-workers or customers to interact with or bounce off, people can become isolated. 

Make sure you arrange regular catch-ups to check-in with your team. This could be a simple phone call once a day, group messages or video calls. Don’t underestimate the power of human interaction in these times. 

Organisation isolation

Remote or lone workers require the exact same level of training, development opportunities or important information, as other employees. 

In times like this, keep the lines of communication open with everyone. Just because they aren’t next to you on-site, doesn’t mean they should be less informed. 

Technological isolation

Set your team up for success. Ensure all lone workers have the technology and equipment they need to carry out their jobs as usual. 

Physical safety

Employee safety should be your highest priority. Whether they’re working on-site or in an office or remotely, all risks should be considered and managed accordingly. 

Protect your team by ensuring they have access to the following: 

 

Communication is key

Whether you have multiple staff working remotely or only a handful, set up a buddy system. It may sound basic, but this is a simple and easy way to not only increase the safety of your team but increase the lines of communication and engagement. 

Have team members check in with each other on a daily basis, share their location, daily workload, and encourage a bit of banter. By doing this, you raise the likelihood that if something does go wrong, it is picked up in a reasonable time. 

Develop an Emergency Plan

Use the Emergency Plan template in your HazardCo Hub to design a plan for how you can get help quickly to your workers in an emergency. Make sure that this plan is tested and all workers who need to know have been informed of the plan. The idea of having the plan is to cover how (or where) you can get help to your workers should an incident occur. As an employer ensure that you hold up-to-date emergency contact details for your workers. 

The biggest tip we can give you is to look out for your team as if they were still with you on-site, or in the office. 

As a plumber, you know your business runs better when you’ve got a good process to manage your jobs. But keeping your job management in top form can be a hard task when you’re on the tools everyday.

Time is money, so the less time you spend making calls to confirm service details or buying materials, the more billable hours you have to complete work. To run your business in a more efficient and profitable way you need to be making the most of your time, instead of getting bogged down by admin.

 

Here’s how a job management app can streamline your daily processes to bring maximum benefit to your business: 

No more hunting for documents

If your team is using paper quotes or sending ad hoc emails, you’ll be wasting precious time every week trying to find this information when you need it. An app-based job management solution stores all of the information you need in one place so you can find all the details you need, when you need them.

Know exactly where your team is

Do you find you’re frequently making calls to your team to stay on top of what they’re working on and what jobs have been completed? On the flip side, do you find your team calling throughout the day wondering where they should be and when?

Remove the need for these calls with a job management app that shares all job information automatically between you and your team members. Simply log on and you’ll see exactly where your team is, what jobs have been completed, and any other info that you need for the day. All in one convenient place.

Never double up again

A top-tier job management solution cuts down on double data entry and saves you time transferring data between quotes, accounting systems, timesheets, and payroll. By housing all of your information in one central location, all of your data populates where it needs to be so you can say goodbye to unnecessary manual data entry.

Create happier customers

From staying current on all projects to collecting invoices, keeping on top of your customer data is a huge part of your business. A job management solution does more than just keep your contact list in order, it also connects all the information you need to run your business such as current quotes or invoices and past jobs. That way, you can keep your customer history in order, as well as being able to easily check in on outstanding items. 

The time you save when you partner with a leading job management system will not only benefit your efficiency but also increase your bottom line. Ultimately, it helps you direct your time and energy to where it’s needed most. Luckily for you, we have just the guys in mind.

Introducing FieldPulse

FieldPulse is a job management tool with a bucketload of slick features. They give plumbers the tools they need for customer management, quoting, scheduling, and invoicing. You’ll even be able to search the entire Reece product catalogue with live pricing information and submit purchase orders directly to Reece without having to leave FieldPulse.

With FieldPulse’s system, you can save yourself 10+ hours of admin a week. Plus, FieldPulse members have seen a 60 percent increase in customer enquiries converting into paying customers resulting in an average of five new jobs being scheduled each week. Sounds good? Yeah, we thought so.

Sounds like a plan?

As a HazardCo member, you’ll receive 20% off a month-to-month Fieldpulse membership. Sign up for a yearly membership and receive 25% off!

Get on top of your health and safety with HazardCo and keep track of job management in FieldPulse. It’s a win-win!

Get a free trial of Fieldpulse.

As part of our ongoing partnership with Buildxact, we’ve recently built a connection between our two systems to help residential building companies and renovators further simplify their business processes. 

Buildxact is a Software-as-a-Service company specialising in residential construction management systems. Buildxact is headquartered in Melbourne Australia and is used extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand.  

We share a common goal of wanting to simplify home construction by offering easy-to-use digital tools. We are excited to bring together two leading systems and help our members work more efficiently. Our shared vision is to empower builders by helping them to transition to digital systems and reduce their paperwork burden.  

There has been strong market demand to build a connection between HazardCo and Buildxact. The first version of this connection automatically uploads important health and safety documents created using the HazardCo system directly to Buildxact. By storing project documents, such as estimates, quote letters, invoices, alongside safety documents like SWMS or safety induction notes in one easily accessible location, builders can save time. We are continuing to work with our members to get their feedback on these tools and discover what other functionality would be valuable.

The integration between HazardCo and Buildxact comes at no additional cost to builders who are already using both systems.

An estimate being created using BuildXact:

At HazardCo, the safety and well-being of every person on the job site is our top priority. By connecting our leading health and safety system with Buildxact’s residential construction management system, we are providing builders with an integrated solution that enables them to complete their projects efficiently while ensuring a safe working environment.

Learn more about Buildxact and the integration here

Angle grinders are versatile hand-held tools that are used regularly in the residential construction industry.

Serious incidents can occur when using grinders on-site. The most common causes of injury to operators and nearby workers from angle grinders are:

 

What are some control measures to reduce the risk of injury? 

Here are some control measures to consider when it comes to managing the risks associated with grinders: 

 

Before use

Before using an angle grinder, check that:

 

During use

Follow these suggested safe practices when an angle grinder is in use:

 

If you’ve got a question about safe grinder use or any other health and safety matter, the HazardCo Advisory Team is here to help. Give them a call on 0800 555 339.

The Health and Safety at Work (Health and Safety Representatives and Committees) Amendment Bill has recently been passed. These changes increase workers’ access to health and safety representatives, and health and safety committees.

Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) are a well-established example of worker participation and can also support worker engagement. HSRs provide workers with a formal, visible way to have a say in work health and safety.

These H&S law changes mean that:

The Act does not make H&S representatives or committees mandatory for businesses. But it is a requirement to have worker participation practices so workers are engaged with health and safety. Businesses will only be required to initiate an election for representatives or establish a committee when they are requested by workers.

If you do have workers wanting to be HSR’s or start a committee then: 

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), a business must support its workers in their role as Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs).

HSWA requires businesses to support HSRs by:

 

Our H&S Training partners BeSafe and Safety n Action have H&S Representative courses available to help you navigate these requirements. As a HazardCo member, you get access to a 10% discount on all courses. 

It could be a good time to run a toolbox talk with your workers and ask if they want to be a HSR or start a committee. Give us a call on 0800 555 339 if you have any questions about HSRs or Committees.

Musculoskeletal disorders account for 27% of work-related ill-health in NZ

The musculoskeletal system is made up of the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage of the human body. Maintaining good musculoskeletal health through prevention and early treatment can make for a long healthy career if you work in the construction industry.

Common injuries for construction workers can range from sprains, strains, and contusions (bruising) which can be caused by heavy lifting, repetitive movement, poor body posture, forcefulness or muscle effort, or the vibrations from continuous use of hand tools. Symptoms of a workplace injury can range from any kind of pain and discomfort located in and around the neck, shoulders, wrists, back, and knees.

When should I seek help if I suspect an injury?
As soon as you detect any pain or discomfort, inform your employer. It may mean adjusting your work for the day so as not to worsen the pain. You can seek medical treatment from a Habit Health physiotherapist if the pain or discomfort is preventing you from working or if you have any concerns. These health experts specialise in a range of areas and can tend to your unique needs before your injury gets worse.

How can physiotherapy help?
Provide support to get back on the tools quicker after injury. They can also assist with creating a return to work process, so employers know if and when workers will return to work. Including working with you to understand what work can be done, whilst you return to full mobility.

Musculoskeletal physiotherapy aims to help the patient recover from their condition more quickly through regular treatment sessions and to develop coping strategies to aid the patient during the recovery process and prevent secondary problems from occurring. This is achieved by manual therapy, education, exercise rehabilitation, and finding alternative ways to accomplish your goals and live your best life. The ultimate goal of your unique treatment plan is to bring your body function back to optimal so you can continue carrying out duties on-site and the activities you love in your personal time.

What can I do to prevent injury?
Prevention and early intervention are key to maintaining a healthy musculoskeletal system so you can carry out your day-to-day duties on-site as well as personal activities you love to do in your own time. Ensure you keep fit and healthy; regular exercise, a good diet, and sleep can assist in keeping your body ready to take on work and recover faster. 

CHASNZ Work Should Not Hurt information is a great resource with many different methods to prevent injury in the first place. Check them out here.

Try these simple exercises to help you warm up before you start your shift and continue throughout the day.

Habit Health’s Early Intervention Physiotherapy program
The RESOLVE Early Intervention Physiotherapy Program provides proactive support for your team, helping them get on top of pain, discomfort, or minor injuries quickly.

The program enables your employees to access a physiotherapist quickly to treat musculoskeletal issues. Early intervention can improve your employee’s health and well-being and help them to return to full fitness sooner.  It can also reduce workplace costs resulting from pain, discomfort, or injury, and related absenteeism.

Inductions are mandatory on all construction sites and are essential for both yours and your team’s safety. We want to make sure you get home safe at the end of the day, so prioritising your H&S is a must.

Why should I be carrying out site inductions?

A site induction is necessary to inform workers of the dangers and risks associated with their work at the start of each project. No two projects are alike, and each has its own set of teams, tasks, work types, environments, risks, activities, and layout.

It’s important for everyone on-site to have a clear understanding of the risks involved. Site inductions are designed to protect people, so it’s crucial we all do them.

How do I carry out a site induction?

At times, a supervisor may not be available on-site to perform an induction. That’s why we’ve made it easy for everyone to conduct an induction on-site. The HazardCo app allows you to complete a site induction easily and digitally, and it be accessible to your entire team.

Our site induction process includes a QR code that can be scanned on-site, acknowledging and reading the site-specific safety plan. With all the necessary information in one place, workers will know what the site/task-specific arrangements and regulations are.

Conducting site inductions properly can save time, stress, and lives. Get in touch with the HazardCo Team to see how we can help you.

If you’re a HazardCo member, click here to find out more on scanning on-site and completing an induction.

If you’re not, click here for a 7-day free trial.

Dry sandblasting, grinding, cutting, sanding, polishing, and drilling of silica-containing materials like concrete, rock, glass, asphalt, cement and engineered stone are considered hazardous tasks in construction. This is because you create silica dust that is too small to settle that floats around undetected in the air that can be breathed in by you and those around you. 

Am I protected if I’m wearing a respirator? 

The tiny silica dust particles can penetrate your respirator if you aren’t careful. Make sure your respirator has been fit-tested and isn’t worn over a beard. You must also have the correct filters, as Silica dust is 100 times smaller than sand and can penetrate some filters. 

Prevention sounds like a better option! What steps can I take?

Step 1: Understand what happens when you inhale silica dust.

 

Step 2: Know the silica content of your construction materials and substitute for less hazardous materials!

 

Are there symptoms to look out for?

Damage to the lungs from silica dust and symptoms of disease may not appear for many years. Workers may not show any symptoms, even at the point of initial diagnosis, which is why prevention and health monitoring is critical. Often workers are diagnosed during routine health monitoring, as chest X-rays may show scar tissue formation even if you are without symptoms. Silicosis symptoms may include a dry cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, fever, chest pain, and unexplained weight loss. Silicosis also increases your risk for other conditions like lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, kidney disease, and some auto-immune diseases. 

What if I’m experiencing some of these symptoms?

Tell your doctor about your current or previous exposure to silica dust. To rule out silicosis, respiratory questionnaires, lung function tests, chest X-rays, and CT scans may be required.

Why is health monitoring important?

Early detection of silicosis, before symptoms develop, can motivate you to stop further exposure, and improve your health outcome.

How do I organise health monitoring?

If you were exposed to silica dust currently or in the past, even if you wore respirators and even if you have no symptoms, you need routine health monitoring. Talk to your employer. Tell your doctor about your exposure. Engineered stone workers must see specialist occupational health doctors. Early detection is most important! 

More Information on how to protect yourself from the risk of inhaling silica dust:

It is important to understand that there are very likely specific requirements you need to meet to ensure you are appropriately managing the risks. WorkSafe has plenty of information available to learn more. We have provided a few key links below for you:

You can also contact our friendly team if you have any questions.

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