A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
Re: Too many injured on job, January 19 story.
I absolutely agree that there are too many workplace injuries. Often these have long-term consequences for the person who is injured. They could find themselves out of a job and on a reduced income of 80 percent of their previous earnings,
and have reduced mobility. It can be hard to adjust as many today are hocked up to the eyeballs with not a cent unaccounted for.
Business owners sometimes seem to prefer to take the risk rather than produce effective health and safety plans and reviews. It is less costly to have a safety focus and plan ahead, and ensure everyone leaves work in the same physical and mental condition as that in which they arrived.
Having said that, accidents will happen — but they don’t actually cost the taxpayers a cent. The ACC accounts are in a very healthy state due to years of worker and employer levies and motor vehicle premiums . . . so healthy in fact that ACC money was used to invest in Kiwibank, and there is enough to cover the cost of years of future claims.
ACC payments are similar to that of an insurance scheme and are compulsory. We would then hope that genuine claim approvals are dealt with quickly and honestly, with money being drawn from the ACC accounts at no cost to the taxpayer.
