The year is coming to an end, but for many businesses there is a lot of work to do before closing up for the Christmas holiday. With work demands, end of year activities and socialising, getting through December might seem like a hard slog.

It is important for businesses and workers to watch out for and manage fatigue, and protect themselves from UV rays if working in the sun, as the summer heats up.

In this issue we update on:

• summer guidance: protecting workers from solar UV radiation, fatigue and working safely in extreme temperatures
• accelerated silicosis, including new guidance for on-tool water suppression to control dust
• a roundup of recently revised dust guidance
• a new template tool for asbestos management plans
• revised Workplace Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices
• new hazardous substances requirements for storing class 6 and 8s
• consultation on minor amendments to hazardous substances regulations
• the MATES in Construction initiative
• an ACC subsidy for manufacturing businesses for health and safety improvement
• information from NZTA about managing impairment from medicine when driving.

Protecting workers from solar UV radiation

Workers may be exposed to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, particularly while working outdoors. This exposure may increase the chance of developing serious health conditions, such as skin cancer. See our quick guide for more information. 

Risk of fatigue

To work safely, workers should be physically and mentally alert. This means that fatigue is a potential risk. PCBUs and workers have a responsibility to manage fatigue at work. Find out about what fatigue is and how to manage it.

Working safely in extreme temperatures

We have released new guidance for working safely in extreme temperatures. 

Our good practice guideline provides practical advice on how to identify, control, and monitor the health and safety risks associated with working in extremely hot and extremely cold environments. This is also summarised in our four fact sheets specific for workers and businesses which outline key facts for managing extreme heat and extreme cold.

If heat-related illness or injury is unlikely to be a risk for your workers, you may still like to consider how the thermal environment at your work may affect your workers’ wellbeing. We also have guidelines for managing everyday work temperatures and worker thermal comfort. 

Our inspectors have now concluded targeted assessment visits of workplaces that work with engineered stone benchtops and approximately 100 businesses were identified that worked specifically with engineered stone. Inspectors checked that safe work practices were occurring, and identified any necessary remedial actions those businesses are required to make. About half the businesses were issued notices to improve their workplace practices for managing silica dust risks.

If you or your workplace work with engineered stone and have not yet had contact from us, email H&SConcerns@worksafe.govt.nz using “Accelerated Silicosis” and your location in the subject line and we will put you in touch with an inspector in your region.

You can also watch our video about accelerated silicosis in which Head of Health and Technical Services Catherine Epps, talks through the emerging issue of exposure to respirable crystalline silica which can cause accelerated silicosis if not managed properly.

We've published a new quick guide on controlling dust with on-tool water suppression which advises businesses on how to choose, use and maintain an on-tool water suppression system to control dust.

The following dust guidance has also been updated:

• Controlling dust with on-tool extraction
• Silica dust in the workplace
• 8 key things for workers to know - controlling silica dust in the workplace 

The latter two are available in the following languages: English, Chinese - simplified, Chinese - traditional, Hindi, Samoan, Tongan and Te reo Māori.

We've launched a new easy-to-use template tool to help businesses to develop their asbestos management plans. The template tool was developed in response to feedback from businesses that they needed help to provide the required information.

An asbestos management plan sets out where any identified asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM) is present, its condition and how it will be managed. These plans are required by the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 for workplaces where asbestos or ACM has been identified, or is likely to be present.

The 11^th edition of Workplace Exposure Standards and Biological Exposure Indices is now available.

Earlier in the year we consulted on proposed changes to the Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) of 34 substances and the Biological Exposure Index (BEI) of one substance. We received more than 100 submissions and the accepted changes are now published. 

New safety rules for toxic and corrosive substances took effect on 1 December 2019 under the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 (the Regulations). These require businesses to obtain a location compliance certificate where they store these substances above certain quantities.

We're working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on a regulatory solution to align the separation distances with Australian and New Zealand Standards, and provide PCBUs with flexibility on how they might comply with these distances. 

In the meantime businesses will be given more time to comply with separation distances. However, businesses must comply with all other certification requirements, including for signage, having an inventory of the substances they hold, and emergency management.

MBIE is proposing 39 minor amendments to the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017. You may be interested in these changes if your work involves the storage or handling of toxic or corrosive chemicals, storing LPG, paints and other flammable liquids, or diesel tank systems.

These amendments aim to correct a number of technical issues that have arisen under the Regulations. Some requirements are unclear and are creating unintended compliance costs for some businesses without improving safety.

Submissions on these amendments close on 15 January 2020.

The MATES in Construction initiative launched at the end of October aims to get those in the sector to open up if they are struggling and need support.

The MATES programme builds and strengthens communities in the workplace and across the construction industry – helping people and companies to be supportive and provide an environment that encourages positive wellbeing. This programme has been successfully implemented across Australia for over 15 years.

In collaboration with HASANZ, ACC has created a health and safety advice subsidy called the Workplace Injury Prevention Subsidy. This subsidy is for small to medium businesses in the manufacturing sector to engage a HASANZ registered professional to develop or help implement a health and safety action plan or improvement activity. The subsidy makes health and safety advice more accessible and aims to help improve workplace health and safety performance in high risk and high claim sectors. 

To qualify for the subsidy, companies can only access health and safety advice from people on the HASANZ Register.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has a video about driving and using medication that may impair driving. It can be unsafe to drive when taking certain medicines as this can impair abilities. It’s also against the law to drive when impaired.

Some common signs of impairment include drowsiness/feeling sleepy, blurred vision, headache, slowed reactions, slurred speech, and feeling wired or overconfident.