Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015

Rautaki mō te Haumaru me te Hauora o te Wāhi Mahi mō Aotearoa ki te 2015

Snapshot of Progress 2007/08

Published November 2008

Department of Labour
Wellington
New Zealand

ISBN 0-478-28152-8

Download the full document

• Full Colour [pdf 1.87MB 56 pages]

Or request paper copy

Workplace Group
Department of Labour
PO Box 3705
Wellington
New Zealand
email: whss@dol.govt.nz

Contents

• FOREWORD
• WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY FRAMEWORK
• HIGHLIGHTS FOR YEAR THREE OF THE STRATEGY IN ACTION
  • Workplace Health and Safety Council
• OUTCOME AREA – GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP AND PRACTICES
  • The Chief Executives’ Injury Prevention Forum
  • Partnerships promoting continuous improvement
  • Setting high standards
  • Improving health and safety via government procurement
  • National priority area: vulnerable workers
  • National priority area: airborne substances
• OUTCOME AREA – PREVENTIVE WORKPLACE CULTURES
  • Government promoting safety culture
  • Industry leading improvements in safety culture
• OUTCOME AREA – INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
  • Industry leadership
  • Community engagement

• LOOKING FORWARD

• APPENDIX 1
• APPENDIX 2

Foreword

I am pleased to present the third annual snapshot of progress on the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015.

Achieving healthy, safe and productive workplaces requires a shared vision among government agencies, industry, unions and the community.

This shared vision involves working together to reduce the work toll. There are still too many deaths from work-related disease and injury. Government and the private sector will need to work together to bring about the changes needed to make our workplaces safe and healthy.

The Puataunofo project illustrates this—it’s an inspiring story of Pacific employees, employers, community and government agencies coming together to reduce injury rates in manufacturing workplaces in South Auckland. It shows how bringing together the right people, resources, skills and networks makes a real impact in raising awareness of the issues—the first critical step in the change process.

Success stories such as these are not merely about maintaining the minimum standards of health and safety. They are about moving well beyond a compliance focus towards best practice. Lifting the level of commitment to health and safety helps in achieving the broader labour market outcomes of productivity, innovation and growth.

This kind of commitment is demonstrated by employers across New Zealand who take health and safety seriously and who make their businesses a good place to work. It’s a winning formula.

One of these businesses, Paewai Mullins Shearing Ltd, won top honours at the 2008 Safeguard New Zealand Health and Safety Awards. As general manager Aria Mullins explains what this recognition means in practice—“Health, work safety and whanaungatanga are simply the way we do it.”.

In the next year, the Department of Labour will begin a review of the first stage of the Strategy’s progress and reassess its priorities. A number of activities will support the review and provide a sound knowledge base for the future. I encourage your input to ensure the right resources and activities are put in place so we achieve our vision of “healthy people in safe and productive workplaces”.

Christopher Blake
Secretary of Labour

Workplace Health and Safety Strategy Framework

Click image for larger copy

Contents | Next page >>

or return to the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy website