ISN Insider

Consistency and centralisation are key components in developing a strong safety culture. The New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy report (2010) estimates that the total social and economic cost of all injuries in New Zealand, at June 2008 prices, is about NZ$9.7 billion, ranging from NZ$7.4 billion to NZ$13.6 billion. Furthermore, the New Zealand Occupational Safety and Health Service Department of Labour (OSH) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) in 2001 determined that a workplace incident occurs every two minutes. Until the 1980s, five agencies oversaw occupational health and safety in New Zealand along with the local government: The Department of Labour, The Department of Health, The Accident Compensation Commission, The Ministry of Transport and The Ministry of Energy. These bodies were governed by 14 individual acts and approximately 50 regulations. As statistics continued to reflect concerns over workplace injuries and illnesses, New Zealand’s primary safety agencies developed a guiding principle, “One Act, One Authority,” to begin streamlining industry practices and legislation. The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act) was the first legislative step in moving toward “One Act, One Authority.” The HSE Act includes three primary goals; encouraging quality in safety management, enforcing responsibilities to employers in preventing employee injuries, and providing occupational guidance to implement safety best practices. Once the HSE Act was formalised, the six bodies were replaced with one primary agency: OSH. The HSE Act also replaced 14 regulations, ensuring that one act encourages consistent practices throughout all workplaces. Today, “One Act, One Authority” continues to develop the safety culture of New Zealand. In July 2012, the Department of Labour became the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Committed to enhancing the workplace environment, MBIE provides a centralised authority to ensure safe work practices across all industries. MBIE incorporated the responsibilities of The Department of Building and Housing, The Department of Economic Development, The Department of Labour, and The Department of Science and Innovation. This union of departments signifies the commitment to facilitate collaboration between various sectors to improve prevention procedures. Creating a safer workplace involves changing practices, beliefs and attitudes. MBIE continues its commitment to identifying and implementing safer solutions, paving New Zealand’s path to a safer future. Resources: http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/nohsac/techreport7/012_content.asp http://www.nzips.govt.nz/documents/Report4.pdf http://www.dol.govt.nz/PDFs/OP2001-4.pdf http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/nohsac/pdfs/technical-report-07.pdf http://www.mbie.govt.nz/about-us/formation-of-ministry

ISN expands its Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Review and Verification Services (RAVS) with the addition of new desktop audit processes for Iraq / Middle East, Mexico and New Zealand. Working closely with Owner Clients and subject matter experts, ISN has developed and implemented more than 1,200 desktop audit protocols for assessing compliance with regulatory, industry best practices and Owner Client specific requirements around the globe. With over 250 years of combined expertise across industries, ISN’s HSE professionals ensure protocols are current with evolving industry regulations and Owner Client specific standards. ISN’s desktop audit protocols are also designed to provide guidance and reference information as a resource to member contractors. ISNetworld contractors are able to demonstrate their capabilities in a consistent and transparent manner to their Owner Clients through ISNetworld. To date, 35,000 contractors have had their company’s HSE programs audited by ISN’s RAVS professionals at the request of their Owner Clients. “ISNetworld is a trustable business connection tool which cuts through the complexity involved with conformance and credentialing, allowing our record to speak for itself,” said Dr. Firas A. Hashem, Business Information Specialist at MSA Co., located in Al Basrah, Iraq. “Having well written and comprehensive HSE programs is fundamental to building a safe and sustainable work environment, regardless of the work location around the globe,” said Dag Yemenu, ISN Vice President of Technical and Customer Services. “The RAVS review process helps companies benchmark their current HSE programs, while providing resources to build upon recognized areas of improvement in employee safety.”