1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: The government's announced less tick box health than safety activities 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: and there's no longer a need to report minor events. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: So the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management chair Mike 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Cosmon is with me, Hello, Mike, morning, Andrew. So are 5 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: there any risks in this for our health and safety 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: in the workplace? 7 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: Yeah? I think there are, But more importantly, I think 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 2: there's missed opportunities. So a number of the things that 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: the government has sort of painted as problems I think 10 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 2: are largely imaginary. So there's no requirement to report minor 11 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: injuries at the moment, there's no requirement to have signs 12 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 2: up saying hold the handrail or hot water on the 13 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 2: hot water tap. So I think it's created a bit 14 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 2: of a myth, and then it's congratulating itself for cracking 15 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: that myth, whereas it's not really addressing the things that 16 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: are killing and injuring workers all around the country, you know, 17 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: every day. 18 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: So you said they missed an opportunity? What are they 19 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: missed other than what would you sayest? 20 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: Well, So the key thing is that we've got industries 21 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 2: that we know are really has this. So this morning 22 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 2: I'm going off to visit some forestry workers. There's nothing 23 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 2: in here that's going to improve safety in the forestry 24 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: industry or with any of our other high risk sectors 25 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: like agriculture and construction and manufacturing. In fact, it's going 26 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 2: to divert work face attention away from those priorities to 27 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 2: manning the Cones hotline. So all the talk is about 28 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 2: reducing the cost of compliance, but there's nothing in here 29 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: which actually says how we're going to improve worker safety, 30 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: which is really at the heart of what I believe 31 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: we should be focusing on. 32 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: Okay, well, I have an example, because Book van Velden 33 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: gave this example and her press release yesterday, and she see, 34 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: for example, a small clothing shop would still need to 35 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: provide first aid, emergency plans and basic facilities such as 36 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: suitable lighting, but wouldn't have to need to do a 37 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: psychosocial hand policy. Was he correct? Is that a good example? 38 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: They don't have to do one anyway unless they are 39 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: particularly at risk. So if you were a corner dairy 40 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: or a jewelry that's robbed three times, and your staff 41 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 2: are at risk of both physical and mental harm because 42 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 2: of something that their rises through work, then you wouldn't 43 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 2: just need a policy, but you'd actually need to support 44 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 2: your workers who might be afraid to come to work 45 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: and concerned about the risks. So no, I think that 46 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: again is a misnowner. There's very little that actually is 47 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: required to be written down in law, but often people 48 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 2: get this idea that they have to do it because 49 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: of this mythical threat from work Safe or whatever. So 50 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 2: I think fundamentally the problem is that we lack current, 51 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: easy to access, up to date guidance that tells people 52 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 2: in simple terms what it is they do need to 53 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: do and what they don't need to do, and that's 54 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: been recognized for over ten years that there's a massive gap. 55 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: Work Safe themselves say that they've got hundreds of pieces 56 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: of guidance that are out of date and they don't 57 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 2: have the resources to fix them. 58 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: Mike, I thank you so much for your expertise. Today, 59 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: there's my Cosmin from the Institute of Safety Management. 60 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live 61 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 2: to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or 62 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.