• Latest accelerated silicosis update
• Our regulatory approach to our COVID Act responsibilities
• Our position on supporting mentally healthy work
• Educational online game ‘Pickled’ launched
• Take precautions to prevent Legionnaires’ disease when working in gardens
• Better farming includes looking after health
• Watch: A healthy worker is a safer worker
• Mental Health Awareness Week 21 – 27 September
• Breathe Better September
• Consultations: working from home guidance and MBIE's bullying and harassment issues paper

We have new information on our website about the accelerated silicosis health assessment process for people who work with engineered stone. This has been developed by WorkSafe, ACC and the Ministry of Health with advice from health specialists. The new content includes health information for businesses and workers in the engineered stone industry. A second round of visits by our inspectors is also underway to the 113 businesses known to work with engineered stone that we visited last year. 

Our website has a suite of information about managing health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This includes explaining our role as the primary work health and safety and energy safety regulator and the additional role we have enforcing the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020.

We've published our position on what we expect businesses to do to support mentally healthy work. There is a range of risks that can affect a worker’s mental health. Mentally healthy work is where these risks are eliminated or minimised, and worker wellbeing is prioritised. 

We’ve launched a new online game to help tackle health and safety in the workplace. We wanted to create a resource that could explain and teach the concept of risk in a simple, engaging way.

Pickled gets workplace risk education out of the binder, with bite-sized three minute mini-games designed to help workers learn and retain information faster. It’s been made and tested with people across industries, taking inspiration from workers’ on-the-job anecdotes to help craft relatable workplace scenarios. 

Spring is here and people are in their gardens. It’s timely to remind anyone who works with bagged or bulk organic material such as garden soil, compost, mulch or potting mix of the risk of breathing in Legionella bacteria. This can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, which is a type of pneumonia and can be fatal.  

We've launched a series of four podcasts through NZME’s The Country. The Better Farming podcast explores four important topics: mentally healthy work, assessing risk, creating generational change and leadership. These discussions paired a WorkSafe representative with an interesting industry voice. These are rolling out via NZME’s The Country and are complemented by articles and social media posts.

Check out this TVNZ One News story about a logging worker in Gisborne encouraging his peers to stay healthy by taking part in boot camp style events. The idea behind the boot camp is that a healthy worker is a safer worker. If you know of similar initiatives in your industry, we’d love to hear from you so send us an email.

Mental Health Awareness this year recognises that this year hasn’t been easy so far and it’s important to acknowledge this. It also means that looking after wellbeing is more important than ever. 

The Mental Health Awareness Week website has lots of information and resources, including a workplace resource, which talks about how wellbeing helps business productivity, the signs of stress at work, effective communication and meaningful diversity.

The Government Health and Safety Lead also has resources for Mental Health Awareness Week.

Breath Better September is a national campaign by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand to raise awareness of respiratory conditions.

Prevention of occupational respiratory illness is a focus for WorkSafe. We have a new video about asbestos – its history in New Zealand buildings and why it is so important to protect workers. Last year 220 people died from asbestos-related disease.  If you're working with asbestos, you need to make sure that the work can be done safely. Hear our tips in our video on managing the risks of asbestos in the workplace to help keep you, and your family, safe.

Breathe Freely is a new website that aims to reduce occupational lung disease which leads to debilitating ill health. There’s information for those in construction, welding, mining and the engineered stone industry. The website has been developed by the New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society, with support from WorkSafe. 

Have your say about working from home guidance

We are developing guidance for businesses on working from home. We will be asking for feedback on this draft guidance in late 2020/early 2021. If you would like the opportunity to provide feedback, please email our Guidance and Education Development team with your name, company and email address.

MBIE’s bullying and harassment issues paper

MBIE has developed an Issues Paper outlining the nature and extent of bullying and harassment at work in New Zealand. It describes the health and safety at work and employment relations regulatory systems; and suggests some areas where there may be opportunities to improve. The Issues Paper and information on how to submit your feedback can be found on the Have your Say page on MBIE's website.