Written by Michael Curreen
COVID-19 has accelerated remote-working and training risks as New Zealand’s workplace safety progress stalls and serious injuries rise.
Six people were left with serious burns after a Christchurch home was destroyed by an explosion caused by a gasfitter’s safety lapse.
More than one million US hand injuries a year are driving calls for better training, cut-resistant gloves and safer tools.
Workplace injuries can be reduced with routine checks, training and housekeeping, helping employers protect staff and avoid costly downtime.
Workers may be due a different day off this Christmas as Mondayisation shifts Saturday and Sunday public holidays depending on rosters.
The Auckland firm was fined USD $220,000 after a worker’s leg was amputated when unguarded machinery trapped him in a steel beam drill.
Thousands of New Zealanders face fraud and blackmail each year as many still skip basic online security steps, CERT NZ says.
Lax hazard checks before manual tree felling led to a worker’s death, with Sullivan Contractors fined and ordered to pay GBP £365,225 in reparations.
Proper training and blade choice can cut workplace injuries, while the wrong knife risks fatigue, recalls and operator mishaps.
A worker suffered severe arm injuries after a tyre shredder was used without guarding, prompting a GBP £450,000 penalty and reparation.
New rules could change spray planning, training and storage for farmers and contractors after a draft agrichemicals standard opened for comment.
WorkSafe said workers were exposed to dangerous fibres after friable asbestos was stripped from a Queenstown property without a licence or safety plan.
The model could help authorities prioritise scarce doses by targeting places visited by likely superspreaders, researchers say.
Pressure is mounting on firms as ransomware gangs now threaten to leak stolen data online if victims refuse to pay.
A communication failure left scaffold workers exposed to caustic soda vapour, causing chemical burns and triggering more than GBP £300,000 in fines.
Charges for job ads and visa forms have left four Christchurch grocery stores facing penalties and repayments after breaching wage rules.
Supervisory lapses during a dive course exposed trainees to a risk of death, after a trainee diver died and the Defence Force was fined.
Hand injuries make up more than a fifth of workplace cases, with construction and maintenance staff facing the greatest risk of amputation.
Three workers were shocked at an Auckland site after unsafe testing and faulty wiring, prompting close to NZD $100,000 in fines.
Early data suggest the jab is safe and triggers antibodies in adults, including older volunteers, though protection against infection remains unproven.
