Home Prove Your Know How Developing safer workplaces

June 2013

Developing safer workplaces

01 Jun 2013, Prove Your Know How, Safety

Every year, hundreds of New Zealand workers are seriously injured due to falls from height at work – some of them fatally. 

The cost of these falls is estimated to be $24 million a year in ACC claims – and that doesn’t even touch the human cost of losing a loved one, a valued worker and a member of the community.

Looking at the statistics, construction injuries and fatalities do not paint a pretty picture. When we break them down, we can see that falls from height continue to be responsible for an unacceptable number of serious injuries reported to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). More than half of these are falls from less than three metres, most commonly off ladders or from single-storey roofs.

In February last year, MBIE launched the Preventing Falls from Height campaign to address this issue. This was followed by the launch of the Best Practice Guidelines for Working at Height in New Zealand.

“While there has been some resistance from parts of the construction sector about the cost of scaffolding, any of the companies we talk to are now seeing that initial cost being offset by productivity gains” – Marcus Nalter, MBIE

Positive steps

One year on, the Ministry is seeing builders, roofers and other tradesmen taking positive steps to manage the hazard of working at height.

“A number of companies are now using scaffolding as their preferred option to ensure workers are safe,” says Preventing Falls from Height project team leader Marcus Nalter.

“While there has been some resistance from parts of the construction sector about the cost of scaffolding, many of the companies we talk to are now seeing that initial cost being offset by productivity gains. Builders can move around a site with greater ease and confidence and that ease of access continues to benefit other trades such as painters and spouting installers as work progresses on the site.”

Success stories

The project team has been collecting success stories from companies around the country, which have reported increased productivity and other benefits stemming from the use of height safety systems. These stories will be shared on the Ministry’s website to showcase how small and large companies alike can benefit from a safer working environment.

This changing mind-set is particularly important as we move forward with the Canterbury rebuild. As the construction work quickly moves ahead, it is crucial we do not lose sight of the importance of keeping our workers safe and healthy – and protect them from the hazards of working from height. Unless everyone commits to making the rebuild safe, we risk lost lives and injured workers.

Maintaining focus

Based on the estimated number of workers involved in the rebuild effort through to 2018, and the Canterbury construction industry’s health and safety record to date, if we don’t continue to make health and safety a priority we could see:

  • One to two construction-related fatalities in each year of the rebuild.
  • Ill health and fatalities through exposure to workplace contaminants and other hazards.
  • 600,000 working days lost through workplace injury and illness.
  • $80 million in ACC entitlements.

This is unacceptable. Rebuilding Canterbury safely is a top priority for the Ministry. That’s why it is working closely with industry, government departments, employers and workers’ representatives. 

“The new agency will have a dedicated focus on health and safety and be committed to ensuring people are well protected from injury and death when they go to work each day

Health and safety agency to be launched

As the rebuild and the project progress, MBIE and the Government have made changes to improve New Zealand’s health and safety performance.

In February, labour minister Simon Bridges announced that the Government would establish a new, standalone workplace health and safety agency to significantly improve New Zealand’s workplace health and safety record.

The creation of a standalone Crown agent was a key recommendation of both the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy and the Independant Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety.

The new agency will have a dedicated focus on health and safety and be committed to ensuring people are well protected from injury and death when they go to work each day.

“This is a significant step in the Government’s workplace health and safety reform programme,” Mr Bridges said. “It reflects the Government’s strong commitment to addressing New Zealand’s workplace fatality and serious injury rates. We have a firm target of a 25% reduction of these rates by 2020.”

The new agency will enforce workplace health and safety regulations and work collaboratively with employers and employees to embed and promote good workplace health and safety practices.

The Preventing Falls from Height project will continue, supported by the Lifting Our Game programme, which focuses on improving the way in which health and safety regulations are developed and enforced.

From 1 July, there will be a new Health and Safety Inspectorate with new specialist roles, responsibilities and a new way of working. There are currently 139 health and safety inspectors; that number will increase to 158. Lifting capability at the frontline and building the systems, processes and tools to be effective is key to ensuring the success of these harm-reduction projects.


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