ABC: All About Covid-19

  Most businesses are aware they have a requirement to provide first aid facilities including first aid kits. Fewer businesses are aware of a couple of other requirements: ensure the first aid kits are equipped with equipment which is appropriate for the risks that are present in the work you do to regularly check first aid kits and replace used and expired content first aid kits must be readily accessible by the workers who may need them According to WorkSafe's guidance documents, all first aid kits should include content to attend to injuries like: cuts, scratches, punctures, grazes and splinters soft tissue sprains and strains minor burns broken bones eye injuries, and shock If your business involves  handling chemical liquids or powders in open containers carrying out spraying, hosing or abrasive blasting the risk of particles flying into workers' eyes the risk of being splashed or sprayed with infectious materials carry out welding, cutting or machining ope...

  Health and safety is a critical business function and something that we advocate to be woven into the very fabric of your organisation’s DNA. As well as being the right thing to do and the lawful thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do.  At a primitive level health and safety aims to prevent injuries but in today’s operating environment it is so much more than that. Health and safety these days considers the impacts of, and encompasses every part of your working environment including  The physical work environment – everything we can see that impacts our working environment e.g. equipment, substances, furniture, air, machines The psychosocial work environment e.g. attitudes, beliefs, values, practices Our personal health resources e.g. support by the organisation for workers to improve or maintain healthy behaviours Enterprise community environment e.g. how the organisation impacts the community and how the community impacts the organisation To be effective, Heal...

  Here at HarmLess NZ we have mixed views about the relevance of health and safety standards in practice. On the one hand, health and safety standards can be very helpful because they provide a level of guidance about what to cover in your health and safety strategy. Things like What to consider, Who to include, When to review. In New Zealand, the current Health and Safety Standards are AS/NZS ISO 45001. It says its purpose is to “provide a framework for managing OHS risks and opportunities”.  On the other hand, we find many businesses forget the reason they are implementing any of the recommendations found in health and safety standards and instead get bogged down into a never-ending cycle of dreaded paperwork. Before engaging in any health and safety strategy, we think every business needs to inherently understand why they are implementing their health and safety strategy in the first place. All to often we see businesses so bogged down by paperwork that they have forgotte...

  Sport is great. It is social, helps to maintain a healthy weight, is a great stress release, and can provide a genuine sense of accomplishment. There’s nothing more exhilarating than winning a big game against your fiercest rivals no matter what sport that is in and sometimes you have to put your body on the line to secure the win. Let’s face it, part of playing sports is getting the odd bump or lump, scratch or bruise, particularly when you play the contact ones. When that happens, you might find you need to give yourself a little TLC in the form of some first aid care. So isn’t it better to be prepared so you can get back out there again as soon as possible! We know the sooner you look after yourself, the sooner you can get back to the game you love. After all, you’re there to play, not watch from the side-lines! And that’s why it’s so important to be prepared with your first aid for sports kit. How do you know what to include in your First Aid For Sports Kit? Before we make an...

  Fire safety  Fire safety considerations are paramount when it comes to avoiding common fire dangers. After all, prevention is always more effective than cure.   Whether you are at work, at home or out in the great outdoors there are some simple but effective fire safety tips that can be implemented pretty much wherever you are:   Install smoke alarms in buildings and check they work on a regular basis – these have been proven to be the most effective way to detect a fire early. Please Note: If your building is a workplace and/or apartment building the landlord may need to implement an  approved evacuation scheme  instead.   Have a fire escape plan in place   If you are using a building, conduct an evacuation drill at least every 6 months and include all the occupants to ensure everyone knows where the emergency exits and assembly points are located  Unplug electrical appliances when not...