Fisheries New Zealand Takes Out Top National Health And Safety Award

The Observer Services group within Fisheries New Zealand has taken overall honours at this year’s New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards.

The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Cordis in Auckland last night.

The annual awards, which began in 2005, are organised by Safeguard magazine and proudly supported by WorkSafe New Zealand and ACC. They are judged by a panel of five.

Peter Bateman, convenor of the judging panel and editor of Safeguard, said Fisheries New Zealand’s understanding that structural issues in the employment relationship can influence health and safety outcomes is to be commended.

“Observers are isolated for weeks at sea in a high risk working environment. Their previous fixed-term, trip-based employment worked against the open sharing of health and safety incidents and concerns.

“A change to a collective agreement with an on-going employment relationship has removed the structural disincentive to report, something other industries could learn from.”

The winners are:

The WorkSafe New Zealand/ACC best overall contribution to improving workplace health and safety in New Zealand

Observer Services, Fisheries New Zealand

SAFETY

Dentons Kensington Swan best initiative to address a work-related safety risk

Road Science

Technical staff who work in the road corridor are at risk of being struck by vehicles. Adopting and adapting new technologies has reduced their exposure by 90%.

HEALTH

WorkSafe New Zealand best initiative to address a work-related health risk

NZ Engineered Stone Advisory Group

Workers who make fashionable engineered stone benchtops are at risk of accelerated silicosis. NZESAG’s accreditation programme and good practice guide helps engineered stone fabricators to address the issue.

WELLBEING

Vitae best initiative to promote better worker wellbeing

Kāinga Ora

The Wā Manaaki programme of professional supervision enables staff in challenging roles to have regular opportunities to connect with a qualified external person to reflect on their work.

ENGAGEMENT

NZ Safety Blackwoods best initiative to encourage worker engagement in health & safety

Observer Services, Fisheries New Zealand

A change in the employment relationship, along with a pre-placement assessment to understand the risks on a vessel, and a post-trip debriefing to feed into the next trip, has boosted incident and near miss reporting.

INNOVATION

Anthony Harper best use of innovative New Zealand design/technology to eliminate or manage a risk

ElectroNet Group

Developed software to detect conductor-down situations and automatically trip the power until a crew arrives, applying an effective control to a potentially fatal risk to the public.

SMALL BUSINESS

Site Safe New Zealand best health & safety initiative by a small business

Rabo Construct

Uses a health and safety in design approach to refine its risk assessments, so that its designers are now pointing out potential health and safety implications early in the process.

COLLABORATION

IMPAC best collaboration between PCBUs

C3 Limited

The removal of 40,000 tonnes of fumigated logs from a damaged vessel to another required coordination with many PCBUs and was completed without incident or injury.

GOVERNANCE

Simpson Grierson best board level engagement in health & safety

Government Health & Safety Lead and Manawatū District Council (joint winners)

The GHSL collaborated on the development of an Officer Development Programme which recognised the unique nature of governance in a public sector setting.

The Manawatū District Council developed a due diligence plan of unusual clarity which also includes elected members, with significant input from health & safety reps.

LEADERSHIP

ACC best leadership of an industry sector or region

Government Health & Safety Lead

Its successful health & safety intern programme across the public sector introduces young people to health & safety who may never have considered it as a career.

PRACTITIONER

NZISM health and safety practitioner of the year

Duayne Cloke, Waka Kotahi NZTA

Is leading significant change to how temporary traffic management is carried out across the country, which will see a move to a risk-based approach and other fundamental changes.

EMERGING PRACTITIONER

edenfx emerging practitioner of the year

Shivashni Singh, Ventia

Champions wide consultation so safe systems of work are created from the ground up, ensuring systems work with people and not against them.

H&S REP

Vero Liability health & safety representative of the year

Uli Thie, Massey University

Influential at multiple levels within the university. Seeks changes to improve the HSR experience, increase their autonomy and to shift their focus onto improving work.

LEADER

Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum leader of the year

Kate Coley, Waikato District Health Board

Influential through all 20 DHBs as an enabler, connector, and leader of a health & safety benchmarking project and a collaborative agenda to help align the sector’s approach.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Countdown lifetime achievement award

Paul Jarvie

Recognised for his work to advance the level of professionalism of health and safety practitioners in New Zealand.

JUDGES’ COMMENDATIONS

ecoPortal judges’ commendation awards went to:

Vibration Action/Jason Johnstone

Jason was diagnosed with hand-arm vibration syndrome. He has invited a practical device to measure a worker’s personal exposure to vibration when using powered hand tools.

Forest Industry Safety Council

For its innovative Toroawhi pilot project in which two experienced forestry people are employed as champions of worker engagement in health & safety.

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