Because they do not have the resources they need for the work (time, tools, materials, training, supervision and mentoring, workers and spare capacity to allow time off without impacting others, etc.How are the workers being killed? — KeithH
Because our current economics system drives businesss to continously "improve" efficiency of work using financial profit maximisation as its main KPI.and, Why are workers being killed?
Because our current economics system drives businesss to continously "improve" efficiency of work using financial profit maximisation as its main KPI. — MattD2
It could be that improvements may be implementation of existing clauses of legislation or regulations. It could also be that improvements may require changes to existing or creation of new legislation or regulations.
I don't take a punitive approach since experience has shown me it achieves little - generally it creates a negative effect. — KeithH
My opinion - I don't think so.And would that change if company officers potentially could face Corporate Manslaughter charges? — Steve H
rather than that NZ's plateau is higher than any other country's. — MattD2
Steve H
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Because our current economics system drives businesss to continously "improve" efficiency of work using financial profit maximisation as its main KPI.
— MattD2
And would that change if company officers potentially could face Corporate Manslaughter charges?
It could be that improvements may be implementation of existing clauses of legislation or regulations. It could also be that improvements may require changes to existing or creation of new legislation or regulations.
I don't take a punitive approach since experience has shown me it achieves little - generally it creates a negative effect.
— KeithH
The problem with not taking a punitive approach Keith is evident in the appalling driving standards you'll witness daily on our roads, quite apart from speeding, sit and watch an intersection controlled by stop signs and see how many fail to come to a complete stop and check the intersecting road is clear in both directions, or the number of folk yapping on cell phones or updating their social media. — Steve H
Lets face it though, We, as a country simply put money ahead of safety, in every aspect of life.
How many people's first car purchase took safety into account?
How many of us would rather do a job at home rather than pay someone else to do it, without giving further thought into whether we can do the job safely?
How many of us do things in our private lives that we would never be able to do at work?
Workplace deaths require a culture change, which doesn't happen overnight, and rarely happen due to legislation change. What it does require is a desire to change. — Aaron Marshall
Steve, I read risk homeostasis theory by Gerald Wilde some time ago. It comes the closet (for me) to explain why people do what they do and thus (for me) offers a possible and effective long term solution. — KeithH
Similarly, the target level of risk is seen as the controlling variable in the causation dynamic of the injury rate. It follows that the basic strategy of injury prevention should be to reduce
the level of risk that people are willing to accept. — Gerald J S Wilde
A man who died in a central Auckland workplace incident on Tuesday was crushed by timber while unloading at a construction site, according to a witness.
Police said they were called to the worksite site on Grey St, Onehunga, about 12.50pm where a worker had died.
Neighbours said roughly three ambulances and six police units were on the street shortly after 1pm, outside the worksite where a block of flats is being built.
Police said WorkSafe NZ had been notified of the incident. Jones said an Occupational Safety and Health vehicle arrived at the site around 4pm. — Stuff-Nathan Morton15:27, Jun 22 2022
A 55-year-old man who died in a workplace accident at Jeff Farm at Kaiwera on Wednesday had worked at the farm for several years.
Jeff Farm, on Old Coach Road between Mataura and Clinton, is owned by the Salvation Army. — Stuff-Rachael Kelly15:14, Jun 16 2022
Man in his 30s killed in workplace accident in rural Auckland — Stuff- Melanie Earley14:06, Jun 01 2022
A person has died after falling from height near the fruit-picking hub of Motueka.
Emergency services were called to a workplace incident in the Moutere area, in the Tasman District, at around 2.30 on Wednesday afternoon. — Stuff- Amber Allott20:20, May 18 2022
Police have named the man killed in a workplace incident in Gisborne last week.
Maurice Dooling, 47, died on Jukes Carriers Stanley Rd in Awapanui around 11.15am on Wednesday, April 13. — Stuff- Marty Sharpe07:57, Apr 20 2022
The family of an “incredible father” fatally crushed while loading a ship at Lyttelton Port never want the same thing to happen to anyone else.
Donald Grant, aged in his 70s, died at Christchurch’s Lyttelton Port on April 25 while loading the ship ETQ Aquarius at Cashin Quay. — Christchurch reporter17:00, May 06 2022
My point regarding that was even if the NZ statistics were a sixth of what they are now, and less than those of countries we normally compare ourselves against, would we not still be asking the same question of why are we still killing our workers after each high profile death? I agree with your points that under the current regime we need to look at the levers that may shift the return on investment in "safety" towards a reduction in the total number of workers killed, and that may bring down our statistics to (directly) killing only (say for argument's sake) 20 workers a year as apposed to 68 per year. Which would be great that 48 workers didn't die because of work, but what about those remaining 20 - will it be ok to tell their families not to worry because at least 2 other workers didn't die as well? And when they ask why it was their family member, are we not back to the fact that the answers is "that's just the new accepted value for the human cost of doing business"? That unfortunately their loved one was the unfortunate one that fell on the wrong side of the return on investment (bottom line)?And that's the rub that sees us nail more workers with either death or as bad, a serious accident that they either don't fully recover from, or spend a long time in recovery. I don't disagree that CMS charges may not be the answer to close that gap, but I am certain more/better enforcement will. — Steve H
As @Andrew has said - no we are not saying this. But an interesting thought is that there are in fact some situations where injury (and even death) is accepted as a potential outcome of work, such as jobs in the military, police, or even healthcare. The common aspect to this "acceptance" is that the work is primarily considered as required for the benefit of our society as a whole, rather than for the profits of an individual. So what would it look like if all work was organised where maximising the benefit to society as a whole is the primary KPI used to allocate our resources?Matt & Andrew's argument appears to be that we're already spending enough to cover off safety in the workplace, and that being the case it's acceptable to have collateral damage of 50- 60 workplace deaths, and 2200plus serious harm accidents each year (with the serious harm stats steadily growing) — Steve H
As a former Navy boy, part of the deal in signing up and swallowing the Queens Shilling, is that you accept that from time to time, you are going to be in harms way, likewise the same is true for Police. Can't speak for healthcare, but in a properly run/funded system, the likelihood of a workplace death should be very, very low there.But an interesting thought is that there are in fact some situations where injury (and even death) is accepted as a potential outcome of work, such as jobs in the military, police, or even healthcare. The common aspect to this "acceptance" is that the work is primarily considered as required for the benefit of our society as a whole, rather than for the profits of an individual. — MattD2
If you are interested in workplace health & safety in New Zealand, then this is the discussion forum for you.