• Hazardous substances rule changes: new regulations from 1 December
• How business leaders identify and address work-related health risks
• Health risks in the extractives sector
• Resources available to manage health and safety risks
• Information for health and safety representatives and workers to address health and safety matters
• Two new businesses in our 'Around the Block' tool
• Read about a business introducing noise controls
• We urge farmers to check handling/storage of hazardous substances
• What you should know about hazardous substances.

Hazardous substances are a major cause of work-related illness, with the effects of exposure often unseen until it is too late.

Short-term effects include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and irritation of the eyes, lungs and skin. Long-term effects may not be as obvious, but can be more serious, even fatal. They include personality changes, memory loss, cancer, damage to internal organs, and genetic or physical deformities.

There are three main ways people can be exposed to harm from hazardous substances:

1. Breathing in toxic vapours, dusts, mists, gases or fumes
2. Absorption through the skin into the blood stream
3. Accidentally swallowing or ingesting, including by eating or smoking after contact.

Hazardous substances include common chemicals, such as glues, cleaning solutions, acids and pesticides. They are present in one in three businesses. It’s vital workers are protected from the harm they can cause.

In December, new rules come into force aimed at reducing harm from the work-related use, handling, manufacture and storage of hazardous substances. The Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 will bring an increased focus to safely managing these substances at work.

The new requirements will help ensure persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) eliminate or minimise risk where possible, and that workers know the risks and have the training, supervision and equipment to do their jobs safely. While personal protective equipment can help, it will not protect workers from all the risks.

To determine the risks of exposure for example, PCBUs need to read substance safety data sheets to see what risk each poses and then think about who, how and to what degree people could be exposed.

Remember, the required controls in the Regulations for substances in a workplace still may not be enough to remove the risk. Work practices must be reviewed regularly to see if anything else is required to eliminate or minimise the risks. This can include installing equipment such as extractor fans, restricting exposure times, or providing personal protective equipment.

Listen to Safer Farms Ambassador Richard Loe explain to Rog on the Rock why it’s so important to manage hazardous substances and their storage.

We have lots of information and tools to help you with your hazardous substances management. For more information see the website or the Hazardous Substances Toolbox which will be updated to reflect the new Regulations.

You can also subscribe to the Hazardous Substances update.

The updated Hazardous Substance Toolbox will cover the Regulations and working safely with hazardous substances. It will provide quick guides on a range of subjects including: certified handlers, inventories, class 6 & 8 substances, labelling, safety data sheets, signage, training and risk management.

For more specifics on what you need to know scroll down this email to What you should know about hazardous substances. 

Business leaders must pay attention to how their business manages work-related health risks.

How healthy is your workplace? is a short guide for business leaders on how to manage health risks in the workplace. The guide encourages business leaders to consider how well they are currently managing health risks. It provides steps business leaders can take to improve their understanding of health risk management, and describes actions they can take. The guide is applicable to all businesses regardless of sector.

Workers in the extractives industry are regularly exposed to health hazards in their work. These hazards can seriously harm health if not managed effectively. We have created a quick guide for PCBUs on managing health risks in the extractives industry. It outlines the key health hazards for extractives workers and how to manage the associated risks. The guide addresses PCBU responsibilities as well as health monitoring and exposure monitoring.

We produce a range of resources to help PCBUs comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. We have created a fact sheet explaining all guidance available for PCBUs. It outlines the various types of guidance, tools, templates and forms we provide. Topics covered include energy safety, hazardous substances, and work-related health.

Workers are often the first people to notice health and safety risks. Health and safety representatives (HSR) assist workers to address these risks. We have a new information sheet for HSRs and workers on addressing health and safety matters. The information sheet shows the process for dealing with a health and safety issue, and what do to if the issue can’t be resolved. The information sheet also describes the conditions and process for a HSR to issue a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN).

We have launched two new businesses on our highly successful Around the Block tool: a collision repair shop and a bakery, both of which have health risks to manage. Around the Block is a free online tool to help small and medium sized businesses manage workplace health and safety risks.

Animated and interactive, the tool takes users into businesses where they can click on risk hotspots and learn what actions to take to remove or manage them.

Lower Hutt business Metco Engineering modified its machinery to reduce noise and vibrations its workers were exposed to. It’s a great example of a business going further than providing personal protective equipment – using engineering solutions to minimise health risks

Farmers are being urged to check their handling and storage of hazardous substances ahead of changes to health and safety regulations.