Both the outbreak and the measures put in place to staunch it are already having a major impact on New Zealand businesses. It won’t solve all your problems, but amid the maelstrom you can introduce some simple practical measures for health and infection control, writes former public health worker Richard Simpson. How do you plan … Read more
Summer reissue: Marsha Pohatu has lost two front teeth and seen friends die while working in the New Zealand trucking sector. The industry’s culture of dangerous practices has to stop, she says. This story was first published on 7 February, 2019. Exhausting and illegal hours, antagonistic and exploitative management, untreated injuries and fatalities: Driver Marsha … Read more
Government ministers will have to start turning their attention to what could have prevented the tragedy, and what official inquiries may be necessary, writes Jo Moir for RNZ. With a myriad of government agencies and regulators involved, who is responsible for what? Health and safety regulator WorkSafe has general oversight of tourism on Whakaari – … Read more
Faced with staff shortages, equipment failures, cancer risks, and a jump in critical calls that can leave them traumatised, some firefighters are wondering if it’s time to hang up the hose. Gareth Shute reports on the dissatisfaction inside Fire and Emergency New Zealand. The state of our nation’s fire service is probably not something most … Read more
Air conditioning company Airtech has developed a safety app and is making a video in lieu of punishment after two of its workers became seriously ill from carbon monoxide poisoning. Brian Stokes reckons paying for health and safety advice is a “ripoff”. The owner of Auckland air conditioning and refrigeration company Airtech has learned this … Read more
A Stuff column by ‘millennial’ Jackson Thomas pondered why anyone would work in fencing, but it applies to much of manual labour. With her husband’s permission, Emily Writes shares his story of what an honest living really is. “Fencing sounds like a great way to make an honest living, but you don’t have to be a … Read more
Inspired by the recently publicised onion-related peril of sausage sizzles, The Spinoff goes deep into the produce aisle and finds that getting your 5+ a day can be a risky business. A few weeks ago, a story came out that shocked right-thinking Antipodeans to their very cores. Bunnings Warehouse had issued a ‘serving suggestion’ advising … Read more
Bunnings Warehouse will now recommend that sausage sizzle onions be placed on the bread before the sausage. Madeleine Chapman went on a journey of discovery to find the correct way to assemble a snag. Anyone who’s ever played in a sports team or been part of a community group has served a sausage to a … Read more