Exploring the way forward for workplace health and safety
The tragedy at the Pike River Coal Mine and the ongoing loss of lives in workplace accidents has brought into sharp focus the issues that New Zealand faces in terms of workplace health and safety.
The Report of the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety in New Zealand found that the current systems were ‘not fit for purpose’, included comprehensive and far-reaching recommendations, and proposed a revolution in the way in which we deal with the issue.
'Creating a Safety Climate in New Zealand: Moving beyond Pike River and the Taskforce Report' was a day-long programme held in September and organised by the Industrial Relations Centre and the School of Law.
The presenattions and panel discussions provided an opportunity for participants to explore the recommendations of the Taskforce report through expert comment from researchers and policy people, workplace managers, unions and practitioners in the field.
The morning session focused on the three key aspects of the changes:
- the role of regulation (Professor Gordon Anderson)
- the new agency for workplace health and safety (Paula Rose, Establishment Board, Worksafe New Zealand)
- one of the more controversial recommendations in the report, 'The Importance of Worker Participation' (Helen Kelly, President, NZ Council of Trade Unions).
Paula Rose termed the Pike River Mine Tragedy as a "watershed moment" for New Zealand. The two enquiries that followed, the Royal Commission on the Pike River Mine Tragedy and the Independent Taskforce Report, were consistent in identifying major (and fatal) flaws in the current systems around workplace health and safety.
Ms Rose outlined the proposed Working Safer reforms -- the biggest suite of changes in 20 years. The fundamental vision for WorkSafe NZ is that 'Everyone who goes to work comes home healthy and safe'.
CTU President Helen Kelly laid out in stark terms the scale of the problem that we face, with particular reference to the forestry industry.
She presented evidence that what employers say about their health and safety practice is not necessarily what is happening, and without a voice the workers in this industry are powerless to do anything. She argued for a tripartite approach, a concept endorsed in the Taskforce Report which acknowledges that "worker involvement in workplace health and saftey is a critical weak link."
Ms Kelly commented that there is significant resource being put into business, MBIE and ACC collaboration, yet there is no resource or commitment to union participation -- although this has been the cornerstone of the British and Australian systems, which are the models for the new approach in New Zealand.
The afternoon sessions explored mechanisms that can be used to change the workplace safety and health environment:
- incentives vs penalties (John Wren, ACC)
- development of a 'safety culture' (Felicity Lamm, AUT University)
- measuring the problem and monitoring the change -- where are the gaps in the data (Michelle Poland, MBIE)
- the contribution and importance of the OHS practioner (Helen Parkes, NZISM).
All four presentations provided interesting and thought-provoking information on the way ahead, and the two workplace-focused presentations from Bruce Cullen (Downers NZ) and Ruma Karaitiana (Building and Construction ITO) presented the practical challenges in key industries in improving workplace health and safety.
The seminar was organised by the Industrial Relations Centre and the Faculty of Law as part of their programme to foster discussion, research and education in the area of employment and work.