Just over a year ago I posted a note on LinkedIn and on here to gauge interest in the development of a New Zealand community of practice to share ideas, successes, and lessons around new safety approaches being trialled, with a particular emphasis on the practical aspects and experience in implementation.
I had so many people comment on the posts and express interest, and so along with the help of WorkSafe NZ, the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum, NZISM and HASANZ we got together to plan a path forward.
The Community of Safety Innovation was formed a few months later, and with around 30 keen health and safety, risk and work design professionals all onboard we held our first workshop in November.
The aim was to re-think traditional work problems using innovation processes, and to share ideas and build the country’s innovation capability.
After the initial workshop we placed everyone into one of three teams to support their learning around innovation processes (thanks to WorkSafe’s innovation team!) and then helped them to regularly connect with each other to share their progress on innovation projects in their own organisations.
It’s been great to watch the sharing of knowledge, ideas, suggestions, outcomes (both positive and less successful) from this small group and to see some new projects take shape.
To date innovation projects underway within the Community include a partnership to develop a solution to long-term vibration exposure; a new way of learning from events; redefining health and safety philosophy, and an ‘undercover boss’ trial, among others.
In just over six months that group has doubled and today we’re really pleased to officially launch the Community and expand the number of people involved.
Interested people will have the opportunity to go through a workshop and online modules led by WorkSafe’s Chief Advisor of Safety Innovation, Daniel Hummerdal, which will then open up some additional platforms and content.
So, if you have an interest in health and safety, risk, work design, wellbeing or innovation and enjoy challenging the status quo, take a look at our website https://www.nzism.org/csi/ or go to the Community of Safety Innovation group on LinkedIn and get in touch.