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Update from Catherine Epps, General Manager Health and Technical Services, WorkSafe
Kia ora koutou and welcome to the latest work-related health newsletter. After the various impacts COVID-19 has had on our ways of working over the past two years, work-related health is more topical than ever.
Updates in this edition include the latest on managing COVID-19 in the workplace, our three-year focus on carcinogens and airborne risks, Worker Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices, and WorkSafe’s prosecution of Flick Anticimex Limited.
Your feedback helps us select the most useful updates. Feel free to let us know about what you’d like to see included in this newsletter by replying to this email.
Thank you for your continued mahi and support to improve the health of New Zealand workers.
Ngā mihi nui
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New Zealand is in the orange COVID-19 Protection Framework
Read the latest on managing COVID-19 in the workplace.
Some businesses, services, and workers want to use disposable respirators - like P2 and N95 - to protect from COVID-19. We have guidance on using disposable respirators.
Workers wearing respiratory protective equipment should be clean shaven - even a small amount of stubble can prevent a proper seal from forming.
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Carcinogens and airborne risks
Cancers and respiratory disease account for 31% of the total burden of work-related harm and an estimated 650 deaths each year in Aotearoa.
WorkSafe is implementing a three-year Carcinogens and Airborne Risks Programme to support businesses and organisations to identify, control, and ultimately eliminate these health risks.
Our initial focus is on asbestos, silica, welding fume and wood dust – all common workplace exposures with a risk of cancer, respiratory and other disease.
Read more on managing exposures to carcinogens and airborne risks.
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Latest edition of Workplace Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices now available
Earlier in the year we consulted on proposed changes to the Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) of 31 substances. We received submissions from approximately 30 stakeholders and the accepted changes are now published.
Read the 13th edition of Workplace Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices.
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Business fined for failing to protect workers from methyl bromide exposure
A failure to prevent workers being exposed to methyl bromide has seen a business fined $250,000 after a WorkSafe investigation.
The investigation began after workers at Flick Anticimex Limited, a pest control fumigation service, suffered acute methyl bromide poisoning as a result of ongoing exposure to the hazardous substance.
Read the full media release.
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Have your say about working safely around shipping containers
We are developing guidance for businesses about working safely around shipping containers, including on protecting workers from hazardous vapours and gases inside the shipping container.
We will be asking for feedback on this draft guidance in June 2022.
If you would like the opportunity to provide feedback please contact: GuidanceandEducationDevelopment@worksafe.govt.nz by Friday 3 June. Please include your name, company, email address, and specify Shipping Container Guidance.
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Upcoming conferences in 2022
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21–22 June: Safeguard Conference - “Connection - Culture - Care”
Safeguard worker health conferences - in-person (Auckland) or online
- 16 August: HealthRISK Conference - Managing the exposures damaging to worker health
- 17 August: HealthyWork Conference - Drive your organisation’s health and wellbeing agenda
22-23 September: WorkSafe Mentally Healthy Work Conference
16-18 November: Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) Conference - in person (Wellington)
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