Whether you’re an industrial electrician or a kindergarten teacher, health and safety is absolutely vital in the workplace. Some aspects of health and safety at work will be good common sense, but most are covered by New Zealand law in order to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible, no matter their job.
The purpose of health and safety measures
Good health and safety measures should be a given whether you’re at home, at work, commuting, or out in public such as in a restaurant or cinema. They help to minimise risks related to both physical and mental health, ensuring any site is as safe as possible for workers, visitors, and customers.These measures can include everything from requiring site visitors to wear appropriate personal protection equipment, to ensuring safe processes are followed, to training staff on how to use equipment safely, to keeping equipment up to date. The exact health and safety measures in place will vary widely depending on the workplace, but all serve the same purpose of keeping everyone on site as safe and healthy as possible.
The Health and Safety Act 2015
The Health and Safety Act 2015 is New Zealand’s key work health and safety regulator. It saw the biggest workplace health and safety reform in two decades, and was created alongside WorkSafe New Zealand to provide a framework for workplaces to create healthier, safer spaces.
It seeks to:
- Protect workers and others from harm by removing or reducing risks
- Provide fair workplace representation
- Encourage unions and employer organisations to be more proactive about promoting workplace health and safety measures
- Promote information and education around work health and safety
- Secure compliance with the Act
- Ensure reviews of actions taken by those in charge
- Provide a framework for improvement
The cost of poor health and safety measures
The most devastating impact of poor health and safety measures in the workplace are incidents that lead to the loss of life. They also include injuries and mental health issues that require management and recovery. Legally, a business or the PCBU can face penalties or infringement notices for offenses against the Health and Safety Act 2015, which can include prison time and/or major fines. Additionally, poor health and safety measures can also lead to damage to equipment, the loss of skilled workers who prefer to resign rather than continue working for the company, delays of projects and schedules, ongoing investigations, and more. Ultimately, the cost of offenses against the Health and Safety Act is significantly higher than the cost of implementing proper measures in the first place.
AMC Electrical as a Site Safe member and our Sitewise Gold status
AMC Electrical takes health, safety, and compliance extremely seriously. All staff are current Site Safe holders, which means they have completed a NZQA qualification the covers practical workplace health and safety. All AMC Electrical staff are also trained with EWPs (elevated work platforms), and we are a Sitewise Gold certified company. Every day begins with a safety briefing to identify hazards and risks, and all staff are encouraged to undergo further training.
As well as being professional, friendly, and highly capable electricians, we are focused on health and safety in the workplace, wherever that might be. Contact us today to learn about our services and how we can help you – safely.