Written by Georgie Hughes
Public safety was put at risk when poorly planned excavation brought down a power pole in Wellington, prompting fines for two men.
He will oversee major incident response, victim services and coronial work as WorkSafe targets repeated harm patterns at source.
Only 60 per cent of staff trust employers to provide skills training, widening fears that COVID-19 will intensify job insecurity.
Wider use of connected safety gear depends on manufacturers, purchasers and workers keeping pace with fast-changing technology and clear instructions.
Steep terrain, machinery and a child’s death have prompted investigations after four farm fatalities in New Zealand this month.
A spring clock change is linked to a 6% rise in fatal traffic crashes, with researchers estimating more than 28 U.S. deaths a year.
A collapsing tripod tank has left a fuel driver seriously hurt, prompting regulators to warn farmers to inspect ageing farm fuel stores.
Working from home can trigger fresh obligations on contracts, safety, privacy and security, with employers footing extra costs.
A Christchurch meat plant has been fined and ordered to pay reparation after a worker lost four fingers in a cleaning accident.
Missing colleagues and blurred boundaries can leave home workers strained unless managers set clear routines and realistic workloads.
Workplace injuries may fall sharply if staff are trained, alert and equipped with cut-resistant gloves, according to safety guidance.
A Rotorua logging firm’s failure to assess live powerlines left a worker with life-changing burns and triggered the penalty.
Clear rules and staff input can stop lone-worker GPS tracking from eroding trust, while improving safety and compliance.
A near-miss after the Kaikōura earthquake exposed switch-isolation failures, prompting over GBP £200,000 in safety initiatives for the electricity sector.
Boards are being warned that hurried digital upgrades can become costly mistakes if planning, testing and governance are left too late.
Six workers must be repaid after unlawful salary cuts at a hospice trust prompted a warning on consultation rules and minimum wage limits.
MBIE has warned employers that rushed cutbacks can trigger personal grievance claims and costly penalties if proper redundancy process is ignored.
Prepared workplaces can cut fatal delays, with alarms, drills and first aid skills helping staff respond within minutes.
Remote teams gained flexibility and trust, but the study finds blurred home-life boundaries and fewer spontaneous ideas may hinder productivity.
Indoor alarm alerts can still fail to pinpoint lone workers because GPS signals cannot penetrate roofs, walls or thick foliage.
