Change in law could prove expensive

A Whanganui health and safety advocate says many businesses will need a major shift in workplace culture if they hope to meet requirements covered in the new Health and Safety at Work Act.

The changes come into effect next Monday but Ben Walters, a health and safety auditor who owns Business Risk Enterprises, said many businesses had made no attempt to get their health and safety systems in order.

The challenge for businesses was changing the culture of the whole team, he said.

"Right from the bosses to the worker sweeping the floor, the attitude towards health and safety will need to be addressed."

He said in the last few weeks he had seen workers across a number of companies put in the most unbelievably risky positions. "Not only are their actions dangerous, they are illegal. Unfortunately, many times I've seen the business owner right there with the workers engaging in risky behaviour."

Mr Walters said the problem was heightened because studies had shown that it took two years to change the culture of a business. Change started at the top and there were three reasons why health and safety needed to be at the forefront of every business.

"Firstly, there's the need to have your people return home safely every night which has many positive effects on your workers' lives and the business. They're able to keep earning a full day's wage and provide food for the table.

"Secondly, you have a fully operational staff member who can complete their given tasks to the best of their ability therefore keeping business revenue flowing. Finally is avoidance of prosecution. The fines for non-compliance under the new Act are large and some of the more serious breaches carry a term of imprisonment."

Anyone believing they would not be caught under the new legislation was mistaken. He said Worksafe was making a concentrated effort to get the message out that it was serious about enforcement, and it had spent the past two years training new inspectors to be ready for new Act.

"If you want to continue in business in this country, you need to lift your game and rise above the cowboys.

"The pressure is on from the main contracting companies for subbies to have a health and safety system that is compliant under the new legislation.

"And if you are a person conducting a business or undertaking and are prosecuted for a breach of the health and safety laws, you risk of losing it all. And office-based businesses are not exempt from the new law either."

Mr Walters was aware of companies in Whanganui which did not address health and safety requirements in the workplace. "If you don't ensure that your workers have ergonomically set-up work stations, correct lighting, ventilation or heating, a comfortable place to have a break, a policy that excludes workplace bullying, emergency procedures - including practice drills - to name a few, then you are breaching the legislation.

"Worksafe are placing a huge emphasis on health in the workplace. The cost to the country for long-term health effects caused by work-related conditions far exceeds the cost of accidents in the workplace.

"The Government is committed to making a difference in health and safety and will be using the Health and Safety at Work Act as their vehicle for meeting their targets."