No business wants to have a work-related death or a serious work-related injury on their hands, but unfortunately, New Zealand’s workplace health & safety record is far from gleaming.
In 2020, 61 people died from injuries while working or as a result of someone else’s work activity (down from 110 in 2019) and WorkSafe estimates there are between 750 and 900 wider work-related health deaths a year. On top of that, 5,000-6,000 people are hospitalised each year due to work-related ill-health and there are around 30,000 injuries that result in more than a week away from work.
Many of the causes of workplace accidents and work-related disease are preventable, and businesses are responsible (under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and related regulations) for ensuring the health and safety of workers and others, including the public, “so far as is reasonably practicable”.
Failure to do so can lead to WorkSafe charges, large fines, or even criminal prosecution.
Not only is there a legal and moral imperative to keep your workforce safe and healthy, it makes sound commercial and reputational sense as well.
Our resident Health and Safety Association of New Zealand-certified expert, Tammy White, says that knowing what to avoid can be just as important as understanding what to aim for.
So here are the 3 top health & safety mistakes Tammy sees businesses making.
1: Not identifying the risks properly
Many employers fail to identify and manage their risks in a way that genuinely protects their workforce, visitors, and their wider business.
You need to be meticulous in identifying and managing the risks, many of which may be unique to your business. And remember, risks aren’t always obvious. There are many “invisible” risks and hazards that also need to be factored in, e.g. dusts, mists, fatigue, stress, or unsafe behaviours.
Many of the illnesses, injuries, and near misses that come to the attention of WorkSafe are a result of businesses not adequately identifying their risks and subsequently not designing the workplace and work practices to mitigate them.
Think about the whole of your supply chain. As we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to be serious about the health and safety of not only your immediate workforce, but also customers and others interacting with the business.
2: Failure to provide adequate training or supervision
Many businesses fail to provide enough information about the hazards and risks within their business and how they are managed. Simply documenting your health & safety procedures, plans, and policies doesn’t eliminate the risks.
Good health and safety systems need to be practiced every day, not occasionally or after something goes wrong.
It’s vital that all your workers understand the systems and processes and can execute them. New and inexperienced employees should be supervised to assess competency.
Regular, ongoing training keeps health & safety top of everyone’s mind and events like refresher courses are good at keeping complacency at bay.
3: Productivity takes priority
This is a tricky one as we all know that in business, especially smaller enterprises, we’re often stretched. You’re running closer to the line, margins are that bit tighter, and it’s harder to quickly upscale your resources when things get busy.
Nobody wants to turn down work when it’s there, but you do need to make sure health & safety continues to stay in focus. Many businesses plough on regardless, without stopping to assess the changes in risks posed to their workers, customers, and others in the supply chain.
COVID-19 has proven that new and very serious workplace risks can occur at any time and you have to be ready and able to adapt.
It’s also important to keep talking to your people and keep them engaged and involved, especially at busy or challenging times. They understand the hazards on the shop floor better than anyone, so don’t forget to ask them what you can collectively do to ensure jobs can be done safely.
