We have started aligning our identified risks(business unit) with our reported incidents/ events and or injuries. And this is also used in reporting at all levels of HS meetings. Trying to "socialize" the Risks of our Business Unit with all staff, from frontline to GM. Generating discussion

My thinking:
When an audit happens, the site will put their best foot forward which might, and I say might, not be the actual state of work at any given time. Yes, this is needed and I have seen, having recently moved to Australia(Brisbane) in CC Infrastructure, those on the frontline are really eager to understand what is being audited and take on board what is talked about at the audits(we have an internal compliance/ audit team) and I tag along to my sites to support my frontline staff(Civil Construction) - Improvement Opportunities are needed and we have seen the sites and staff come a long way since January with having the correct documents needed onsite for High Risk work(SWMS, Pre-starts and Risk Assessments, etc) - but the understanding that they need to make it site specific and not generic was a challenge, understanding that they are "allowed" to touch and and change paper work(generic stuff) on site to be more site specific and my team being present at the audits, has built more confidence. We had member of the public report us to WHSQ that our mobile plant was too close to the road, we did not know an inspector went out and watched the work being done for an hour, the inspector then presented himself(did not have his white card on him.....) and then looked at the documentation - and the site passed with flying colours, this I dont think would have been the case 12months earlier. Sorry If I have been rambling on and totally missed the point :)
Oh and we were compliant with the proximity of the mobile plant to the road too :)

I have come across this where I currently work too - not the RDC bit but that our Facilities/ Property management team are of the opinion that because it is not regulated, it is not needed......We have also tried informing them that testing at least gives an indication, if something were to happen, of a timeline from when something could have gone wrong and also in the HSWA Act 2015 Article 36 that
" A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of—
(a) workers who work for the PCBU, while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking; and"

This has not convinced them as yet - a document has been drawn up by me to present to the HSSG - but nothing has come of that either......

Hi - love to see all the tools provided to staff to keep them safe. I am attending training with our district nurses end of this month so that I can be sure that what we currently have(and is not being used) is what supports our staff when needed. One must also understand that any app used has a raft of information that supports it, for example: is only the 24hour service contacted, does a manager also get informed, how this done, are the contact numbers kept up to date or are we contacting a former employee who has left the business(happened when I worked for Corrections as HS Regional advisor), creating a safety awareness culture. GPS tracking, is it only available when requested, or do managers have access? Do our staff understand that it is used purely for their safety and not as a micro management tool, do our managers understand that this is safety tool and not a micro management tool, etc etc etc I am glad to be involved with this and to see what can be done to keep our staff in the community safe :)

I agree with MattD2 - we had this discussion when I worked in Public transport - Where the working force was of a certain age and many if not all on some form of medication. Making staff aware that their GP's should find alternative(if possible) medication or that medication needs to be taken at a time that it cannot hamper their driving ability. I also agree that the culture in HS should be that we all report if using medication that can affect our daily tasks or at least have a discussion with a supervisor/ team leader about it - but this swings both ways, the person who this is being reported to, must have the maturity to have a discussion without bias about it

Christelle Fouche is an awesome trainer(and auditor)

@Leanne
I agree, it is all about impairment and our random tests pick-up 5 different drugs(prescript/ over the counter) which cause impairment and we also test post incident. Random testing is needed not just for Cannabis but over the counter as well as prescribed medication(drugs). We have just had a month of awareness of prescribed drugs and what the effects are and letting our staff understand that when prescribed medication, to make sure that the doctor knows what their job is and to either prescribe alternative or state if they can actually perform their duties while taking this medication. We all know that a range of over the counter medication(drugs) cause more harm as this is not regulated and therefore random testing is still essential.

Hi - we have a yearly programme with monthly themes across our business. This will have a "Need to Know" for the business as well as Toolbox topics - works well for us :)

All good and well - I do know that many a business in Wellington have offered the option to employees to scooter/ walk or cycle to meetings within close proximity. At my husbands work they have now received E-bikes, the foldable ones - No training or safety brief, at the very least - 2nd day......employee falls of and fractures wrist, cannot drive a car, and this car usage is his main task. Their HS was not even consulted :)

I too have heard that contractors need to have a list of names of their staff working on sites, and that this is "okay" as they(trades) have all been asked and they have agreed to this being available - the alternative is that they are not allowed on site - how is that not bullying some-one to give their private information to a third party?

Thank you, we were looking for some info as hubby is getting a full electric car from work and a charging station is to be installed at our property

I agree with Steve H - what happened to the retractable strap that was always used, the same band used at banks or any other place to direct queue flows - a trolly is a bit of overkill to show that a checkout is closed for use. It us human nature to flee from danger and in the most direct way, therefore going through any checkout in the immediate area to get our would have been on most of the shoppers minds. We all know that training can only "guide" so much but when the sh1t actually hits the fan, we all act differently............................

I started my HS career in 2011, not entirely by choice but I needed to do something else in my life at that moment. I took over from a person who knew absolutely nothing about HS so I enrolled at SIT for the Occ HS Diploma. I found NZISM which was a saviour. I moved onto another HS role a few years later and had the privilege of working with @Mike Cosman, that was one of the highlights in my HS career and I still follow him diligently. Another person who has always been my "go to" is Phil Lewis-Farrell, always encouraging me and there whenever I need advice, also met Phil through NZISM. The latest person in my HS career that made a huge impact on my HS thinking is Jo(Joanne) van den Berg, she was my manager at The Dept of Corrections and has now moved onto Frucor Suntory, a great manager and even greater person

On the "Immigrant" side of things, an Immigrant can either come in on an Essentials Skills work visa, where the employer has to show that no NZ'er can do or have the desired skills, that is one type of visa, there is also the Work to Residensie where the salary needs to be $79k pa otherwise a visa will not even be issued and you need to be employed by this company for at least 2years.
On the issue of Kiwis new to HS in terms of experience, other than Sherralynne, another friend of mine has studied her Diploma in HS, initiated various services to gain experience, all unpaid BUT still cant find a HS position where she will be given a chance as those hiring dont seem to take her efforts into consideration as it was not her paid job. She has been trying for 3 years if not more......and for her it has not been for lack of trying. I understand their frustration, because then you will see/ hear that a company recruits from overseas which takes longer and I do think that Kiwis feel "shafted"....

Police can still stop off at a dairy and drive in air-con cars. That is the biggest difference to any other workplace environment, the corrections officers are "stuck" at their work site for 8hours, my husband used to be one, granted, before they were issued with vests

and if Corrections did nothing for their staff that too would be "frowned" upon. The vests that the Corrections Officers wear prevents their bodies to recoup from heat as this traps the heat. They don't sit in air-con offices and as said somewhere above most of the prisons are quite big and maybe if one has "walked a mile in their shoes"(and uniform with vest) one can make a more informed conclusion. Also in terms if the the controls that were in place, would that not maybe have left staff having to "cover" for those who were uncomfortable which adds to stress as a result of being short staffed etc. Another point is that there are various tasks within the prison and not all are escorting tasks, there are kitchens, laundry, industries, farming just to name a few and in all these situations the staff member will have to wear a vest as they are still working with prisoners. I also assume that a business case is done for a reason and not just bought at any Whitcoulls off the shelf. Your reference to staff working on a furnace, they would some sort of barrier, be it in the coveralls, and if they were getting too hot they can step into their great smoko room or go outside whereas Corrections officers don't have that privilege as a prison does not stop for anyone