Just another example that [to paraphrase the MBIE report done last year] "...WorkSafe’s description of what it does is unclear, and a description of how its core activities are linked to its outcomes can not be located."
The "Switch on your Smarts" campaign contains information more relevant to households rather than businesses, and (while there could be some good advise in there) your right to ask why this is coming from WorkSafe rather than ACC or another more relevant agency.
I was thinking maybe it's overdue for a shake up of the leadership at WorkSafe, but then realised that they only changed their CEO in 2020... although I don't think there really has been much fresh thinking in WorkSafe since 2016. I originally had some hopes that with the new legislation and messaging from WorkSafe at the time focusing on "who creates the risk, needs to manage the risk" we were heading in the right direction, only for that to be cut short at the final hurdle to revert back to a simplistic "manage your significant hazards [sorry I mean] critical risks".
I wonder what WorkSafe would be like now if the transition in 2016+ had not reversed direction like it did?

Worksafe people just need to turn up to work. And the very first thing they need to do is ask:"Is what I am going to do next going to improve the safety of workers in NZ"

If they answer "no" then they don't have a justifiable job. And out the door they should go.

Who ever invented "Claude the Cat" would be one of the first out the cat door.

While it does a lousy job, WS is the Electrical Regulator in New Zealand, and they have a small team dedicated to "electrical safety". this isn't confined to workplaces,Andrew. Hence their advice on electric blankets.

Thanks @steve H.

I can understand Electrical regulation has to go some where. And since MBIE also has a role to play in regulating ACC, Building, Housing and Tenancy and Standards / Conformance it has no shortage of umbrellas under which Electric Blanket safety could come under.

It does not belong under the guise of worker safety. I object to my fees being put towards this when it could have come from one of the other buckets. And to me the messaging is muddle headed.

If Electrical regulators want to use Work safe to remind us of test / Tag electrical hand tools then they can fill their boots. But not domestic heaters.

Oh - and look ACC do give advice on electric blankets. So 2 of our tax dollars being spent on one message.

https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/staying-safe-at-bedtime/

It does not belong under the guise of worker safety. — Andrew

Energy Safety has oversight of the Electrical (Safety) Regulations,amongst other workplaces, Electrical Safety in mines,building sites, the list goes on and on, object to that if you wish. I'd certainly agree that they don't spend their funding wisely given that the regulations that they are responsible for, cite Electrical Standards that are well out of date and are causing compliance anxiety as to what version of a given standard should be followed.

FYI, Standards NZ have released a new version of 3760, AS/NZS 3760:2022

Totally agree., but noted
HSWA S.196 includes joint collaboration between ACC and Worksafe, but from experience may not be consulting, cooperating and coordinating activities. Ex Worksafe so wasnt sure personally around the Meercat/Cats ads - we are talking so much more serious things happening out there ( maybe more boots on the ground inspectors out observing may help)

I was interested to see what a Deputy CEO does so had a look at their website - Worksafe have 5 Deputy CEOs!

I am seeing more constructive conversations and actions coming from professional bodies like NZISM who have released their HSR program free for all. This is in conjunction with Worksafe but it appears NZISM have done all the work and it is found on their website.

Thanks Dave. That section specifically deals with workplace injury prevention. In fact it actually says "Workplace Injury Prevention" not injury prevention of workers when they are in their bedrooms

Agree again - no attendance of investigator at forestry fatality (Worksafe key focus area) how much $ spent on those campaigns? Priorities.

Heres me thinking you are pulling my leg.

But no!
A Deputy Chief Executive, Strategy and Insights. Heres an insight - don't be spending our money on electric blanket safety

A Deputy Chief Executive, Equity, Partnerships and Intervention Design. Well that just has to be a made up job.

A Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate. Surely a GM would do.

A Deputy Chief Executive, Operations. I suppose there is a job there.

A Tākai Aronui. I have no idea what that is so has to be a made up job

A Deputy Chief Executive, Enterprise Transformation. No idea if that is transforming Worksafe (fail) or my enterprise (no business of Worksafes)

Where is the Deputy CEO of Injury Prevention. Or Compliance?

But kudos given where kudos is due. CEO spent just $182 on farewell grub and $65 on a farewell gift. Though not quite so modest for the farewell of the Chair.

If you want to know what WorkSafe's strategic priorities are you could look at 'Maruiti 2027 Safe Haven' which states ‘WorkSafe will also contribute to the realisation of Maihi Karauna, the Government's Strategy for Māori Language Revitalisation. Through our own Te Reo Māori Strategy (July 2021) we will contribute to the audacious goal of one million New Zealanders (or more), by 2040, being able and confident to kōrero at least basic sayings in Māori.’ I'm not sure how that will 'drive the transformation of New Zealand’s health and safety performance' but WorkSafe are seemingly much more interested in effecting social change than improving worker safety. Audacious indeed.

Well, since you raise it @Andy Huntly, and it is on worksafes website I see they are another organization grossly misusing the word "inequity"

So lets look at the latest data published August 2022 for injuries in 2020.

ACC Claims for fatal work related injuries
Maori make up 8% of claims
Europeans make up 76%

But the damning statistic is Men make up 92% of all fatal claims. If you want to see inequity there it is!

But let put deaths aside. Howabout just claims for workplace injuries
Maori make up 12% of claims (and if I recall correctly maori make up abourt16% of the population - though I'm not sure the % of the workplace population) while Asians make up 10% and Europeans make up 55%

And once again, men make up 69% of all claims while women make up 31%.

Seems to me its patently obvious where the inequities lie! And I would like to see worksafe doing something about it rather than worry about cats and electric blankets.

The WS website page should mainly be focused on Business Safety and have a separate Tab regarding Household Safety Advice. WorkSafe are getting away with budget blowouts due to Overstaffing,; Overpaying; creating stupid Cat toons that are irrelevant to Businesses unless you run a cattery and vehicle Repairs.

Energy Safety, the Electrical Regulator in New Zealand is lumped under their banner.

The safe supply and use of electricity, components, appliances, work practices in homes,businesses, work sites, mines etc etc means there is a safety education component to their workload,that has to reach the average domestic consumer, small business owner/manager, appliance retailer/wholesalers, mining etc etc,

As ill conceived as Claude The Cat undoubtedly is, this is how the "communications specialists" chose as a means of alerting ordinary domestic users of risks that they may face and measures they can take to reduce them. Everyone that visits Worksafe's web page is a domestic consumer firstly, but may be a "business consumer", or a "Responsible Person" for an Electrical Installation also, as such, they are expected and required to take steps in the business operation they own/manage, but typically may ignore their personal circumstances.

The safe supply and use of electricity, components, appliances, work practices in homes,businesses, work sites, mines etc etc means there is a safety education component to their workload,that has to reach the average domestic consumer, small business owner/manager, appliance retailer/wholesalers, mining etc etc, — Steve H

The only thing in the Electrical Safety regulations that needs to reach domestic consumers is the notion of prescribed electrical work which is regulated and required to be completed by a licenced individual. And even that is more suitably communicated to households by MBIE under:

• Building Performance through the building code / building consent process for electrical work in the home,
• ACC for the safe use and repair of electrical appliances, and
• Consumer Protection for the purchase of electrical appliances (new or used) or engaging someone to repair electrical appliances.

The rest of the regulations covers how electrical work is required to be undertaken and verified (and other administrative points).

To put the question a different way - where in the electrical safety regulations requires a domestic consumers to check an electric blanket for hot spots or keep electric heaters a meter away from things / not cover them / not plug them into multi-boards (and therefor the need for WorkSafe to communicate those requirements to domestic consumers as part of their )? It's not in there. And so it is not in WorkSafe's area of responsibility to provide guidance over this, and therefore going back to the OP - WorkSafe should not be spending its budget on this.

This is a big problem in the Workplace Safety industry - how often are we at a social event and someone is doing something stupid and we get called upon as "H&S" to stop them, where really as long as they are not being exploited for another person benefit it has nothing to do with us as a workplace H&S expert. And yes there is an argument that we should be stepping in if we have real concern for their safety as a friend, family member or even random member of the public - but that goes equally for everyone at that event and it is based on not wanting to see someone get hurt (rather than any legal duties).

Seems to me Claude the Cat isn't really interested in consumer or home safety.

Or isn't that smart - which wouldn't be surprising since you never see cats in any list of the smartest animals.

If the shiny pant seat fillers at worksafe had done just the tiniest bit of research they might have found that in 2022, ACC accepted 856 claims for hot water bottle related injuries. And these injuries cost $730,000 to help people recover.

Contrast this with electric blanket injuries. 119 people were hurt in an electric blanket related injury at a cost of $240,000.

And in 2022 there was not a single electrical notifiable accident (non-fire) reported to Worksafe.

Which is probably no surprise because way back in 2018 Worksafe was saying "modern electric blankets have a protective guard wire system designed to prevent possible fires from occurring when an insulation fault occurs in the heating element"

So not only are they recklessly spending our money on dumb cats, they are spending our money on risk/hazards/dangers that are inconsequential when compared to other dangers.

Which ends up a distraction from more realistic risk.

Seems to me someone had a budget. And just had to spend it.

Yet another unplanned outcome of the current Stalinist government’s march toward DIE.

Ah, be careful Gary, that might be considered misinformation by the Safeguard censors !

Claude, the much disliked Cat is a product of Energy Safety, a subset of Worksafe since 2012. Personally, as a retired electrical worker, i would prefer that they expended their energy (pun intended) on getting the Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010 to cite the latest versions of the various electrical AS/NZS Standards they reference as a means of complying with those regulations, along with keeping updated the regulations relating to Gas Work, Gas Appliances etc

EVs are another area ES should be bringing into the E(S)Rs,,

Under Clause 3, I don't see an exclusion for domestic users, so I'd argue that at least Regulation 15 of the E(S)Rs applies equally to all in NZ that use/consume mains voltage electricity.
Somehow,I don't see Claude being much use in respect of that, though I have a feeling that ES produced a cartoon about the requirement for compliant plugs and voltage markings on appliances, some years ago.

I'll give you that... but the offence is to actually knowingly or recklessly use, or let someone else use, an electrically unsafe appliance (R15.3), not the stuff the WorkSafe warnings were really advising for (fire risks from electric heating appliances, rather than electrocution risks from electricity).