Health and safety is a core part of any business but incidents and injuries on the job can still happen. According to WorkSafe New Zealand’s 2022 – 2023 data, the construction industry had 6,240 injuries which resulted in more than a week off work. In that same year, there were 11 deaths. Construction and trades make up a significant portion of incidents and injuries at work and when you think about not only the cost of life but the time off, loss of productivity and money spent on rehabilitation it adds up to a pretty staggered sum.
From 2022 – 2023 there were 586 Notifiable incidents and 604 Notifiable injuries or work-related illnesses. With numbers like this, we need to help you find a way to improve the health and safety culture so you can make sure it’s safe and profitable as well.
The signs of poor health and safety
If you’re concerned that your health and safety policies and procedures aren’t being followed or maybe not quite up to scratch, there are a number of things you can keep your eyes peeled for:
So, how do you get your crew on board?
When it comes down to it, creating a culture of site safety isn’t as easy as putting new procedures in place and calling it a job well done – it’s up to you to involve and motivate your crew to be proactive and take safety into their own hands.
Some steps you can take include:
Communication
It seems like an obvious one but poor communication can really affect your efforts to create a safety culture. Having regular open communication with your crew about why you’re talking about all things safety is the best way to help them understand the importance.
The more transparent and clear you are, the more likely they will be to action any new initiatives. Make sure that your crew has easy access to your current health and safety guidelines so they can stay in the know about any changes.
Support your staff
If you are taking steps to improve your site safety culture, make sure you factor in both physical and mental health awareness in all that you do for your staff. By providing resources and establishing an environment where your crew feels respected and safe to open up and express themselves you’ll be able to create a support system where you can look after each other’s wellbeing and mental health.
Training
Ensuring that your crew are trained up on all the correct licenses, procedures and health and safety practices is a surefire way to make sure that they are fully knowledgeable on procedures. With the right training in place, you can have confidence that they know how to safely perform their jobs.
Be a leader
If your crew see you leading by example and taking health and safety seriously, they are more likely to as well. So lead from the front and be the one to start those open conversations about what’s going on on-site.
Reporting
You need to set the tone with your crew that reporting incidents isn’t something they need to feel anxious or uncomfortable about doing. Make it clear that reporting is a way of finding out what caused the accident or injury and what can be done to make sure it won’t happen again. By making proper reporting a core element of your crew’s job responsibilities it can become second nature to them.
Make it a team effort
Site safety impacts everyone, so it makes sense that your crew should have a hand in shaping their site’s culture. The more input they have, the more likely they are to follow precautions.
By having regular health and safety chats with your crew, you can give them the opportunity to voice their own safety concerns and opinions. By having open conversations and allowing input from your crew you’re giving them the ability to implement safety measures that affect their own jobs, ultimately making them more likely to follow processes and encourage others to do the same.
If you have any questions reach out to the HazardCo Team today
The HazardCo App has a new Plant/Machinery Pre-Start tool! It’s a quick and easy way to do pre-start checks on various plant and machinery such as scissor lists, boom lifts and excavators. Just whip out your app, follow the guided prompts and you’ll know all your reports are saved for safe keeping.
This is a great new tool for those of you currently filling in the log book that stays with the machine, causing lots of painful admin work to gather and compile the information for your own records.
Why conduct pre-start checks?
Pre-start checks are a simple way to check your plant and machinery is up to scratch before it’s used. Whether it’s hired or owned equipment, a quick check will help you to find any potential issues that could impact on the safety of your team or the performance of the machinery. By referring to the manufacturer’s instructions and best practices, workers can make sure the machinery they have is in a safe condition to be used, and if not, the App gives you an easy way to communicate the issues happening on the ground to the right people. When done well pre-start checks go a long way to preventing incidents and equipment failures.
When to use the Plant/MachineryPre-Start tool
The Plant/Machinery Pre-Start tool should be used before the operation of any plant or machinery. You can find it in the main menu of the HazardCo App. Once a pre-start check is completed, the report is automatically saved to the Reports section in the Hub and the App for easy access in the future.
Bennefits for workers: The Plant/Machinery Pre-Start tool provides an easy way to follow pre-start procedures. It helps you to communicate any issues that need to go up the chain and make sure information isn’t lost or misunderstood.
Benefits for workers: This tool is a quicker and easier way to maintain evidence of your crews safe work practises on site. Anyone on site can use the app to complete a Plant/Machinerypre-start, you’ll be able to see it’s been done, and you won’t need to find and scan physical log books anymore!
Read the step by step instructions
HazardCo understands that on-site first aid is about more than just sending someone on a course every few years. As an employer or contractor on-site, you have a legal and moral obligation to make sure your team has access to first aid equipment and facilities, as well as access to trained first aiders.
To determine the necessary level of first aid for your workplace, assess the site by considering:
Don’t forget to involve your workers in the process, and if you are working with multiple trades, or are the main contractor, you should share information and work together cooperatively.
Having a kit on a construction site is essential to quickly address injuries and medical emergencies. Great first aid kits can be sourced from many places – a basic kit should at least include equipment to manage:
Basic first aid kits are not always enough given the nature of construction work and increased risk of eye injury, cuts, falls etc, so you’ll need to consider what other equipment to add e.g. eye pads, eyewash, additional dressings and bandages.
Include your team and see if they think your first aid kit is sufficient for the sites hazards and team size. Make sure they know who the trained first aider is and where the first aid kit is kept! Make sure your first aid kit is clearly labeled and is made from a material that can protect the contents from dust, moisture and contamination.
Lastly, assign someone to be in charge of replenishing the kit. Make sure this happens regularly and keep a list of what’s supposed to be in the kit to make topping it up easier. At the same time, check training is up to date for your first aiders, and if your team size has changed, whether you still have enough team members trained in first aid.
Keeping first aid up to date is the right thing to do by your team, so make sure you’ve got things covered and that you’re all prepared if any sort of injury takes place.
If you have any questions please get in touch with the HazardCo Team
WorkSafe recently published a report on Workplace harm and risk in New Zealand. The whopping 106-page report is packed with valuable information on the current state of safety and highlights areas that need improvement to create a safer environment for everyone.
Our certified Health and Safety Advisor Evette has pulled out all the stuff you need to know and provided advice on the safety areas you should focus on to make the biggest impact.
Most work-related fatalities and serious injuries happen in just a few industries. Unfortunately, construction makes the list, as does agriculture, forestry & fishing, manufacturing, and transport.
Over the past two decades, there has been a significant decline in the rate of fatalities and serious non-fatal injuries, with the fatality rate dropping by more than half. However, the pace of improvement has slowed down in the last ten years.
Between 2017 and 2021, New Zealand’s work-related fatality rate was still 40% higher than Australia’s, even after taking into account economic activity and employment differences. Although the comparison with Australia is worrying, it shows us there is potential to improve our fatality rates in NZ.
This graph shows the number of injuries that resulted in more than a week off work from 2022 to 2023. The injury rate accounts for the number of people working in the industry, rather than the total number of injuries.
Construction has the highest rate of all sectors. In other words, a construction worker heading out the door for the day has a higher chance of injury than someone working in a factory, driving a truck, working on a farm, or any other industry.
When we look at workplace injuries, we can group them into five main categories:
WorkSafe found that most serious injuries and deaths occur in just a few industries. To make these workplaces safer, it’s important to have strong safety measures in place. This means better safety rules (and enforcing them), providing proper training and resources for workers, and building a culture that values safety..
Here are some ways you can proactively create a safety culture on your site today:
Lead by example: Take the initiative in promoting safety. Regularly demonstrate safe practices and make safety a priority in your daily tasks. Your actions will encourage others to follow suit.
Encourage open communication: Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable discussing safety concerns. Encourage team members to share their thoughts and ideas on how to improve safety on-site.
Regular safety meetings: Schedule regular safety meetings to discuss any potential hazards, recent incidents, and preventive measures. Use these meetings as a platform to reinforce the importance of communication and teamwork.
Encourage reporting: Make it easy and non-intimidating for workers to report safety issues or concerns. Let them know their input is valued and will be acted upon.
Collaborate on solutions: Involve workers and contractors in finding solutions to safety challenges. By working together, you can come up with practical and effective ways to improve safety on-site.
Set clear expectations: Clearly communicate safety expectations and procedures to all workers and contractors. Ensure everyone knows their role in maintaining a safe work environment.
Evaluate and improve: Continuously assess your safety communication practices. Identify areas where communication might be lacking and take steps to strengthen it.
When we all understand the biggest causes of work-related harm, we can work together to create a future where every worker in New Zealand has a safe and healthy place to work.
For more information, you can check out our Fostering a Culture of Safety blog or download our Simple Guide to Toolbox Meetings.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) wants to hear about your experiences with the work health and safety system – how you think it’s working now, what you think works well, and what you think should change. We will be submitting our feedback and we encourage you to share your experiences too! https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/work-health-and-safety
Good health and safety processes and systems lay the foundation for success with any project but are even more important with bigger builds and multi-dwelling residential projects.
This blog will dive into managing health and safety in complex construction projects and look at how to set up effective systems to lay a solid foundation for your next big project.
At HazardCo, we keep a close eye on industry trends to make sure our content and tools are relevant and useful. Over the last 12 months, there has been a significant increase in council consents for multi-dwelling residential projects. There are now more consents issued for multi-dwelling projects than stand-alone builds.
Multi-dwelling projects are bigger, more complex, and have more layers of overlapping duties, creating a need for a solid health and safety plan from the very start of the build. We also consistently see that businesses that set up good processes and systems within their business and who have a strong safety culture, do better than their competitors who don’t invest in these areas..
In talking to our customers, we’ve encountered several myths about multi-dwelling projects:
In multi-dwelling projects, overlapping duties are unavoidable. All businesses involved must consult, cooperate, and coordinate with each other. Good communication and sharing information is critical to managing these overlapping responsibilities and creating a safe site.
To incorporate consultation, coordination, and cooperation into your construction business, start by planning each stage of the work and think about how it affects your contractors, other businesses and the public. In this process, you need to identify the risks that need to be managed and talk to who is impacted about how to handle them. With your contractors decide who’s best to manage each risk and make sure everyone knows their roles, responsibilities, and what’s expected of them.
Compared to standalone residential projects, multi-dwelling builds involve more contractors, equipment and activities on a smaller site, which increases risks. Key considerations include:
Contractor management and the logistics of contractors on site is a major challenge on multi-dwelling projects. Successful contractor management starts before they even enter on to a site, and involves checking contractors have the right qualifications, health and safety processes, and a good track record. Pre-planning and continuous monitoring of your contractors, when they are on site, is essential to prevent injuries and ensure smooth project execution.
If you would like to know more about contractor management, check out our Simple Guide To Contractor Management
Key high-risk areas in multi-dwelling projects create another unique challenge for these projects and can include the following:
Businesses that have good processes and systems in place do better across the board and they are more likely to complete projects on time and on budget. This creates happy clients and a better reputation in the industry.
Successful multi-dwelling projects often include:
The shift towards multi-dwelling residential projects brings new health and safety challenges. By debunking myths, understanding overlapping duties, managing contractors effectively, and focusing on high-risk areas, you can make your sites safer! Remember, health and safety planning is not just a regulatory requirement but a vital part of protecting the crew on site.
If you have a new project in the pipeline, let’s work together to keep your sites safe and successful. We have specifically designed Project Pro to meet the complex needs of multi-dwelling residential builds which includes extra support from our advisory team. Get in touch today!
Whether you’re carrying out extensions, renovations, flood remedial work, large landscaping jobs, or you are engaging contractors or have the clients living/working on-site, HazardCo can help.
First, you will need to think about how you will manage health and safety on-site and how you will communicate this with other people involved, such as the homeowner, or other contractors on-site. This will make sure that everyone is on top of the site hazards and practicing good health and safety during your project.
A HazardCo Project contains site-specific resources for that job, including:
You can also open up the App for all your contractors when they are on-site by upgrading to Project Plus – talk to the team for more information.
If you meet any of the following requirements a Project could be needed.
The Team Pack Plus is designed for those who move regularly from job to job and are not usually managing larger projects. These are great for managing client inductions and safety procedures while on the go. Our Team Pack includes:
We recommend that you use the HazardCo App and Hub to manage your on-site health and safety. At the beginning of each day, complete a Risk Assessment on the HazardCo App. This will help identify that the work area is safe and make sure that you have the correct controls in place. Due to the nature of renovation work it is important that you consider noise and dust (examples; asbestos, silica and wood) and how you control these risks. A Task Analysis (TA) should be completed for all high-risk work. You can find out more information on completing Task Analyses by clicking here.
At the end of each day, make sure that you tidy up the work area and make sure that everything is made safe. If the work area cannot be entered after hours due to work or health and safety risks then this should be clearly communicated to your client. We recommend that this is also documented to them via an email or text message so you have evidence that this has been communicated.
Remember to use the HazardCo App to report any incidents on your site and the task function to report hazards.
Also, remember to record your Toolbox Meetings with your team. We recommend that you complete at least 2 Toolbox Meetings per site, per month. This demonstrates good consultation and communication with your team.
If you have any questions about your renovation work, give our friendly HazardCo Team a call. As part of your membership, you have 24/7 incident support and advisory support during business hours via 0800 555 339, so don’t be shy – get in touch with us and we’ll help you make your site a safer one
Maintaining clean amenities is just as important as keeping your site nice and tidy. Employers have a duty to provide adequate workplace amenities/facilities, including toilets, that are in good working order, clean, safe and accessible.
When planning amenities on your site, consult with your workers to understand what will be needed. Getting them involved will give you the opportunity to provide information, training and instruction on things like keeping the site amenities clean and reporting any problems.
More often than not portable toilets are not maintained in a safe or hygienic way. Employers must make sure that toilets are cleaned and serviced regularly, making sure they are safe to use, just like any other on-site machinery.
Toilets should also:
Don’t forget, the toilet should be easy to access in all weather conditions and be placed on stable, flat ground to ensure it can operate properly.
Clean drinking water must be supplied to workers by installing site water taps as early as possible. If the mains have not been connected, provide workers with drinking water in containers, coolers or flasks.
Workers should have a clean and sheltered area for meals and rest breaks. A garage or a similar sheltered area can be used or a vehicle cab if there is no other reasonably practicable option, so long as basic requirements for worker rest can be met.
Not meeting these requirements can lead to a risk of infection, disease, psychosocial harm or infringements/enforcement from the Regulator. Planning is key to ensuring you and your team have what you need in place from start to finish.
As always, if you have any questions please give our team a call on 0800 555 339 or contact us.
It’s important for young people starting out in construction to understand how to stay safe at work. Young workers lack experience and might not know about all the hazards yet, which could put them in danger of getting hurt. Sometimes young people might feel like they have to impress others, or they might think they’re better at the job than they actually are, they may also forget about safety rules or be afraid to speak up if something seems unsafe. Because of this young workers have additional needs and should be supervised when working on-site.
Positive safety culture onsite comes from the top down, supervisors should be actively modeling and training young workers about safety rules, make sure they have the right gear, and encourage them to speak up if they see any problems.
There are some jobs that young workers shouldn’t do because they might not have enough experience or strength yet. Supervisors need to make sure young people can handle their tasks and keep an eye on them until they are sure they are able to do the work safely. Young workers also need to think about their own safety, listen to instructions and follow safety rules.
When everyone works together to stay safe, it helps make sure everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.
Now, let’s delve deeper into some specific measures that can be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of young workers in the construction industry:
Employing young workers in the construction industry has benefits for the young person, the company and for the industry as a whole as the next generation of builders learn and grow into future roles. By prioritising safety and investing in the well-being of young workers, employers can create a culture of safety that benefits everyone involved. Together, we can build a safer and more secure future for the next generation of construction workers.
If you have any questions, get in touch with the HazardCo team today
Tools, vehicles, and heavy equipment all create vibrations that can affect your body. This is a normal part of any tradie’s day, whether you’re picking up power tools or jumping in the truck. It’s so common that many don’t realize the potential harm these vibrations can cause. However, it’s something you should start thinking about and being aware of.
Vibrations are a natural part of working on any construction site but they do create a risk to you and your workers. Repeatedly using vibrating hand and power tools, or being around vibrating vehicles and machines can lead to serious and lasting harm to your blood vessels, nerves, and joints. Many of the most commonly used items give off some form of vibration. Here are the most common ways tradies are exposed to vibrations:
While these are the most common forms of exposure, the below should also be considered as they increase the risk of overexposure to vibrations:
We understand that for many tradies, working with vibrations is a natural and unavoidable part of the job. With that in mind, there are a few warning signs and symptoms of overexposure to keep an eye out for:
If you are continually exposed to vibrations especially in your hands and arms you can develop hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) or carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
It is up to everyone on-site to look out for each other. Consultation with your team should take place to make sure an environment can be created where excessive exposure to vibrations are eliminated when possible or minimised when they can’t be avoided.
Below are simple yet effective ways to either eliminate or minimise the effects.
Above all else, be aware that vibrations can be extremely harmful, especially when you’re exposed for lengthy periods of time.
Your best tool for minimising the effects of vibrations is to start a conversation with your boss, or your team, and put steps in place to look out for each other and your equipment.
Worksafe resources: https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/vibration/
Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) is essential gear for protecting you from inhaling hazardous substances. In this blog, we’ll explore the important role of RPE, whether you are dealing with airborne contaminants like asbestos, fumes, or dust, RPE is an essential protective equipment (PPE) that makes sure you can breathe safely. Join us as we deep dive into the different types of RPE, their applications, and how they can protect you from potential health risks.
Before you even get started with RPE, make sure you have other practical control measures in place first; such as local exhaust ventilation or direct dust-extracted tools with a vacuum catchment to get rid of the majority of contaminants in the air. You should also be keeping an eye on your team’s health and workplace conditions to ensure that, over time, they aren’t being made sick or getting injured by their work.
Remember, there is no such thing as a healthy dust, even if you are outside!
We’ve gone ahead and put together a quick guide of factors to consider when providing your workers with RPE.
Dust masks are basically the bottom of the list of ways to protect yourself, we would not recommend using these as they are mostly ineffective at creating a seal between you and the contaminants.
Respirators use replaceable filters to remove contaminants to clean the air for the wearer. They come in half-face and full-face versions. The cartridge filters are specific to certain types of contaminants, ask your manufacturer exactly which cartridge you should be using for the respirator you have and the contaminants you will be facing.
Remember if you have stubble or any facial hair you may not be getting the seal and the protection you think you are! So if you love your beard as much as your lungs read on to find out what you can do.
Powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs)
Are made up of headgear and fan assembly that take contaminated air, filters it, and then delivers the clean air to the user. These are also known as positive pressure systems. These not only keep you nice and cool, but offer the highest protection there is for people who have facial hair. Something to note with these is that the visors and headset can be impact rated if you need it, and don’t fog up because of the airflow
Supplied air respirators
Provide a supply of clean air to the wearer from a source such as an air compressor or cylinder. It’s important to note that the air supply needs to be checked regularly to make sure that it is safe to use – just think about what you see coming out of your air compressor when you release the valve under the air tank! The user must also be trained in how to use the system. If using these RPE’s you need to notify WorkSafe.
It’s important for your workers to visually check their RPE for signs of damage before each use to identify any issues, including whether it needs to be cleaned or decontaminated.
Make sure your team keep their RPE on while working in the hazardous area. Removing it for even a short period of time is a risk to their health.
Did you know that they come in different sizes? One size does not fit all!
If your workers are using RPE then make sure they are fit tested, this way you will know who needs what size, otherwise it may not work and give the protection your workers need.
The manufacturer of the RPE can tell you who can do this testing.
There are two checks which you need to do each time you use and RPE:
1 – check for damage visually to the sealing surfaces and straps
2 – check the valves are functioning correctly like WorkSafe images below
Image Source: Worksafe New Zealand
Keep in mind that if your worker’s safety glasses fog up while they are wearing a half-face respirator, this is a sign that there is a leak at the top of the respirator which means they are not getting full protection.
When your workers are wearing respiratory protective equipment at work, they must be clean shaven to ensure it is forming a seal and protecting them from breathing in hazardous materials. Even a small amount of stubble can prevent RPE from sealing correctly which means your workers will still be inhaling harmful materials which may cause health concerns. A clean shave goes hand in hand with the correct RPE for the job.
It’s your legal responsibility to monitor your workers’ health. Make sure that you are completing regular Site Reviews on the HazardCo App, as this will help you to identify potential hazards and put effective plans in place. Your HazardCo Support Team is available throughout the day to guide you through this – call 0800 555 339 to talk it over.
Image Source: Worksafe
