The workplaces of New Zealand have seen a lot of changes in the Health and Safety space since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 2015, but to be fair we needed to. Too many people were getting hurt or even worse, killed at work. Often, these incidents even came with insufficient or (in some cases) no consequences for the companies that were putting them at risk. From my perspective, the changes have been largely received positively but there is a still a way to go. So far in 2019 to the end of June, 38 people have gone to work and not made it home. This horrific statistic needs to change and in my opinion, each and every one of us has the power to contribute to making that happen.
How you might ask?
THINK: Next time you travel through a roadworks site, check your speed. Are you obeying the required limit? Those guys and girls working on improving our roads put themselves at the mercy of our driving every day. They can’t control your actions; only you can. You owe it to them to think about your speed, adjust it if you need to and to be aware of your surroundings. They are someone’s whanau; treat them like it. Treat them like your own.
SPEAK: Speak up. If you see something unsafe at work (or if you feel unsafe yourself), use your voice! If you have the opportunity to make a change before someone gets hurt, why wouldn’t you take it? Secondary to this, if you have an idea of how something could be done in a safer manner, share it. Never underestimate how important your opinion is to your employer – trust me on this!
ACT: Model good sensible behaviour yourself. Much like we tell our children to treat others the way they want to be treated, in Health and Safety we should be acting the way we want others to act. Clean up the mess, follow the procedures, drive to the speed limit, and take responsibility for your actions. Be ‘safety in action’.
VALUE: Each and every one of us is valuable. Our lives and wellbeing are precious. Value the safety of yourself and those around you. Let’s make it unacceptable for people to get hurt in our workplaces. See the value in wellness and in the importance of getting everyone home safe at the end of their day. We want everyone wholly safe and wholly well at work so we can all live our very best lives.
Too many people die or get seriously injured at work in New Zealand. OneStaff is taking the challenge personally to do what we can to change that – and we’d love to have you on board with us!
Remember THINK, ACT, SPEAK, VALUE. What have you done to keep yourself or someone around you safe today? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
