Quarterly Chief Executive Newsletter
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Kia ora koutou katoa,
50 Years on
July 2022 marked 50 years since the Robens committee, led by Lord Alfred Robens, published a landmark report which transformed Britain’s regulatory approach to workplace health and safety. This report laid the blueprint for what would become the Health and Safety at Work legislation in both Australia and, subsequently, here in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s own review, the Independent Taskforce on workplace health and safety, made similar recommendations to those in the Robens report. It sought to change overly prescriptive health and safety regimes to a more flexible approach requiring those with influence and control to take on duties and ownership of ensuring that workers, and those affected by the work, are provided with the highest level of protection against risks to their wellbeing health and safety.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015 encourages “unions and employer organisations to take a constructive role in promoting improvements in work health and safety practices and assisting PCBUs and workers to achieve a healthier and safer working environment.” In our next Chief Executives Breakfast in February 2023, I am looking forward to us working through examples of how we, as a sector, have taken that constructive approach by working in partnership with Workers, Unions and Representatives to collectively work through specific issues.
This is also a focus for WorkSafe New Zealand which is looking to improve worker engagement, participation and representation (WEPR). WorkSafe New Zealand has recently commenced a programme looking to create a shared vision and commitment for all PCBU’s. Organisations will be able to use this to help them navigate through different mechanisms for worker engagement participation and representation. In support of this work, the Government Health and Safety Lead (GHSL) has developed a Health and Safety Representative (H&S Rep) role clarity resource which can be used to help both the H&S Rep and agencies work together.
I am pleased to announce that the GHSL has locked in the H&S Rep Conference, incorporating the H&S Rep of the Year Awards for 2023, to be held on 8 June 2023. In addition to the Awards themselves, the GHSL is preparing a full day conference focused on how our H&S Reps are integral to supporting psychologically safe workplaces. I am pleased that this will be a return to the larger scale events the GHSL ran prior to COVID-19 and hope to see all of our sector organisations in attendance.
Officer Development
Throughout 2022 we have put an additional 80 of the sectors senior leaders through the Officer Development course, run in conjunction with the Institute of Directors. This is on top of the 144 leaders who have already completed the course. As mentioned above, those with influence and control over how work is done need to understand and meet their duties, and this award-winning programme provides the perfect introduction or refresher on what this means.
Courses for next year are currently open for registrations, and the GHSL is also arranging for an alumni catch up for those who have completed the course.
Mentally Healthy Work
Jeremy shares his thoughts on the importance of psychological health and safety at work in this article, hosted on the GHSL website. He encourages other Chief Executives to join him in engaging with the programme, which is designed to build the necessary capability within executive leaders, health and safety and human resources leaders, and practitioners to effectively manage this critical risk.
GHSL Interns
Health and Safety Workforce development work continues to be a priority for the sector, and we are now in our sixth year of running the GHSL summer internship programme.
The award-winning internship programme allows interns to apply the theory they have learnt at university into meaningful practice in a workplace environment, providing an opportunity to understand why health, safety and wellbeing is important, the breadth of areas it covers in government and the complexities in the industry. So far 83 interns have gone through the programme and over half of those have been employed in the health and safety profession in the public sector.
Thank you to the 12 agencies from within the sector who have taken an intern this year. It would be great to see that number increase next year, and if you have not yet done so, I encourage you to consider planning to take on an intern in the future. We will reach out to remind your agencies before the start of the next financial year.
Ngā mihi
Ray
Articles and Resources:
This article provides a brief history of how the 1972 Robens report and organisations transformed health and safety in Britain.
GHSL Officer’s Development Course information
Access to the most up to date information of when our next award-winning Officer’s Development Course, and how to register.
GHSL webpage providing information on the mentally healthy work programme 2023.
More Information:
