I'm just finding it hard to understand the rational of a lot of the decisions that the government is making around the management of Covid! — MattD2

Would be a bad thing to go down that wormhole Matt, at least they can be used now.

Looks like our political masters have finally made up their mind to allow Rapid Antigen Testing :wink:

From 1 December businesses that choose to use rapid antigen tests for surveillance testing will be able to directly source approved tests from the following authorised suppliers (all are nasal swabs):

Roche Diagnostics NZ Ltd
Abbott Rapid Diagnostics
Pantonic Health (Australia) or Arrotex Pharmaceuticals (NZ) Limited
EBOS Group Ltd.

Businesses need to pay for rapid antigen tests themselves.

From 15 December, if you don’t want to buy tests directly from these authorised suppliers you’ll be able to buy them from a local distributor. The Ministry of Health is currently working through the details of supply.

The Ministry of Health recommends that businesses trial different tests before committing to buying one in bulk as there are differences in processes — Business.govt.nz

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Ok folks, here's another layer of Swiss Cheese for your control measures

From 1 December businesses that choose to use rapid antigen tests for surveillance testing will be able to directly source approved tests from the following authorised suppliers (all are nasal swabs):

Roche Diagnostics NZ Ltd
Abbott Rapid Diagnostics
Pantonic Health (Australia) or Arrotex Pharmaceuticals (NZ) Limited
EBOS Group Ltd.

Businesses need to pay for rapid antigen tests themselves.

From 15 December, if you don’t want to buy tests directly from these authorised suppliers you’ll be able to buy them from a local distributor. The Ministry of Health is currently working through the details of supply.

The Ministry of Health recommends that businesses trial different tests before committing to buying one in bulk as there are differences in processes — Business.govt.nz

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Much is made of the fact that mRNA based vaccines "appeared" to come from "nowhere", This is not the case, the concept is more than 30 years old,Robert Malone developed the basic idea in 1987, it was (in part) conceived as a potential cancer treatment and for that purpose has been undergoing human trial work since 2011,
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Equally, the word "provisional" in the vaccines Medsafe's approval is seized on to try and somehow equate with "experimental", it is not. Medsafe allows the use of all new drugs for periods of two years, this is the same approval given to normal variants of the yearly flu vaccine.

Is there the possibility of an adverse reaction/side effects from being vaccinated? There is the possibility of having an adverse reaction or side effects from any drug, so far, after about 1 Billion shots given world wide, the Pfizer vaccine has seen a very, very low number of these happening

Does the Covid Health Response Act and mandatory orders (likely on 29/11/21 for vac. cert. workplaces) supersede HSWA? — robyn moses

Yes, and NZ Bill of Rights, this has been clearly established by the judgements so far heard by ERA,and the High Court.Case name K, B, L, N & Ors v Minister of COVID-19 Response & Ors

Citation [2021] NZHC 3012 8 November 2021

Summary judgment Challenge to Order requiring Aviation Security Service employees to be vaccinated dismissed. Order was within empowering provision notwithstanding the provision made no reference to vaccination as it helped to minimise the risk of outbreak or spread of COVID-19. Order limited the applicants rights to refuse to undergo medical treatment, but this was demonstrably justified under the Bill of Rights as vaccination contributed to minimising the risk of outbreak or spread. The Minister had not failed to take into account relevant considerations, or made an irrational decision. The Court commented on the desirability of vaccination mandates being addressed by primary legislation.

Judgement:Case name K, B, L, N & Ors v Minister of COVID-19 Response & Ors Citation [2021] NZHC 3012 8 November 2021 Summary judgment Challenge to Order requiring Aviation Security Service employees to be vaccinated dismissed. Order was within empowering provision notwithstanding the provision made no reference to vaccination as it helped to minimise the risk of outbreak or spread of COVID-19. Order limited the applicants rights to refuse to undergo medical treatment, but this was demonstrably justified under the Bill of Rights as vaccination contributed to minimising the risk of outbreak or spread. The Minister had not failed to take into account relevant considerations, or made an irrational decision. The Court commented on the desirability of vaccination mandates being addressed by primary legislation. Judgement: https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/2021-NZHC-3012.pdf

Quite apart from the cost, the time taken to answer much the same questions and send off copies of documentation, insurance certificates wound me up. How did you find the process and cost for Tōtika Denise?

Fortunately for me, the "joys" of prequal systems are becoming a distant memory, who has signed up for Tōtika ? Is it living up to the promise of de-cluttering H&S Pre-qualification in NZ?

From my experience, I agree with Simon's take.

Prescribing Vitamins/Nasal Gargles etc etc could be seen as "medical treatments", dangerous territory for anyone not willing to require Vaccination I would have thought.

Increased rates of cleaning of staff rest rooms is one of the measures Irish employers are using.

This Radio New Zealand article on how the end of the Covid Pandemic could be helped by improving ventilation is food for thought

Good point Scott, in at least one instance company has been prosecuted for causing a member of the public's death when his wheel chair flipped while passing a building site where the foot path had been damaged by heavy vehicles entering a construction site.

The company failed to address what the Judge described as an obvious potential issue (in this instance both the principal contractor and the sub contractor that caused the damage were fined).

You work for an Engineering Consultancy Garth, generally similar companies have large open plan offices, with lots of desks ranged in rows, that would seem like a recipe for spreading Covid (or any other air borne disease).

Along with your already mentioned work on checking etc your offices air conditioning, have you considered installing HEPA portable filtration units? from another thread:

For a sealed up room, that can't be readily ventilated, it may be worth investigating portable filtration units with HEPA filters. Just been reading COVID-19 Outbreak and Hospital Air Quality: A Systematic Review of Evidence on Air Filtration and Re-circulation , bit of light bedtime reading :smile: — Steve H

Some times a picture does paint a thousand words

OK, apart from some isolated pockets, we're almost there, so no more Covid cartoons :razz:

We've all had coworkers like this



Some times safety can be more style than substance

I would expect the various trials of parties charged following the White Island eruption to provide tangible guidance on the "legal standing" of "waiver" Vs "disclaimer", watch that space as and when they get to court.

As will changes to the space these activities operate in, read my last post in this thread What Will White Island Mean For Your Business

I reckon this will be the last one, normal service will be resumed next week, but if you have tried it yet, come on in, the waters fine
:smile:

Still unsure that your workers must be vaccinated if they work in an area where the Government has mandated that only vaccinated workers may be employed, then this High Court Decision clears the muddy waters of Bill Of Rights conflicts etc etc.

Case name K, B, L, N & Ors v Minister of COVID-19 Response & Ors

Citation [2021] NZHC 3012 8 November 2021

Summary judgment Challenge to Order requiring Aviation Security Service employees to be vaccinated dismissed. Order was within empowering provision notwithstanding the provision made no reference to vaccination as it helped to minimise the risk of outbreak or spread of COVID-19. Order limited the applicants rights to refuse to undergo medical treatment, but this was demonstrably justified under the Bill of Rights as vaccination contributed to minimising the risk of outbreak or spread. The Minister had not failed to take into account relevant considerations, or made an irrational decision. The Court commented on the desirability of vaccination mandates being addressed by primary legislation.

Judgement: https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/2021-NZHC-3012.pdf

Hmmm, the price of Blackwoods offering is a significant investment at $2,505.74 incl. GST, wouldn't want to kit out a bunch of folk on a production line at that rate, or a mobile work force that has been known to leave stuff behind. While not in the same protective league, this one would probably provide the level of comfort sought, and the protection needed

Something like this Like the idea of including a HEPA filter

Another Friday, and we're edging ever closer to that 90% mark folks, if you haven't already, now's good

The problem I have with all the Risk Assessment models that I've seen so far, is any reference to Covid at large in a community, until cases are found, the answer is at best "I don't know". Covid may not generally at large in one community, but it only takes one infectious person to share it round, and that person may be a recently released MIQ person, or a visitor from another community where Covid is at large.

Another flaw is, vaccination takes at least five weeks to become effective, so it's not a case of I've learnt that Covid is now present, I'll adjust my response- I have to anticipate it will be. After all, insurance companies won't allow you to take out an Insurance Policy on a building that's already on fire

with contractors we seem to be even more ingrained in the command and control mentality. — MattD2

Nice summation Matt :up: Our approach to preparing an SSSP was to start with a basic generic form and flesh it out at the time of induction onto a new site. It's your workplace, you tell me about the dangers I'm going to encounter here, and how you've found they are best controlled.

Using that as a basis, we would do our thing and as we went around I would review the "draft" SSSP and add/amend as necessary (if it was going to be an ongoing job).

When we started using them back in 2009, we encountered a high degree of suspicion and reluctance from site foremen/ project managers initially when we asked them to sign off on them, but this thawed after a bit and gradually, we would be asked for them