Podcasts about Worksafe

Dr John Malios is an experienced general practitioner and medico-legal examiner, retiring after a 50-year career in general practice. He founded the Oakleigh and District Health Centre (now The General Practitioner) in 1972 and went on to serve as Convenor of Medical Panels Victoria (2012–2017) and Deputy Convenor (2007–2012). He continues to contribute as a Presiding Member on Medical Panel Tribunals and has extensive expertise in medico-legal impairment assessment under the AMA Guides for WorkSafe and Wrongs Act claims. Dr Malios also delivers training for the Personal Injury Education Foundation (PIEF). Currently, he is an occupational health consultant in private industry, Medical Advisor and committee member of Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia, a member of the consumer advocacy group for Primary Aldosteronism, and an Associate Investigator with the Hudson Institute's Primary Aldosteronism Centre of Excellence (PACE). Dr Malios is a Life Member of the AMA and RACGP, and a member of the Australian College of Legal Medicine.

It's thought there are few silver linings to come from the Government's road cone hotline. The pilot, which encouraged the public to report excessive cone use, ends tomorrow, six months ahead of schedule. Site visits found 86% of worksites were already compliant, and Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says the trial has done what it needed to do. CEO of traffic management company Parallaxx Dave Tilton told Andrew Dickens some of the data collection may be useful. He says it brought the road control authorities including NZTA, WorkSafe, and councils together well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke Van Velden said she doesn't believe the changes the government is making to Worksafe will lead to another Pike River disaster. Van Velden has been meeting with the families of some of the 29 men who were killed in an explosion at the mine 15 years ago. The Pike Families are calling for more health and safety inspectors, more education, more checks, and a corporate manslaughter law. Political Reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.

Some Pike River mine families are still fighting for a corporate manslaughter law 15 years after the diaster that killed 29 men. The deaths lead to the creation of WorkSafe and the 2015 Health and Safety at Work Act, which passed with cross-party support. A Royal Commission of Inquiry found New Zealand's old safety laws lacked the teeth, and there were catastrophic failings in the mine company's systems, despite numerous warnings of a potential catastrophe. Now the government is changing the Health and Safety at Work Act to quote "cut through unnecessary red tape" holding businesses back. Nigel Hampton KC spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's the 15th anniversary today of the Pike River mine disaster, and on this anniversary, unions are calling for a corporate manslaughter law to be enshrined in legislation, as it is in other countries like the UK, Australia, Canada. 29 men were killed when an explosion ripped through the Pike River mine on the West Coast of the South Island. And despite reforms following Pike River, including the creation of WorkSafe in 2013 and the Health and Safety at Work Act in 2015, New Zealand continues to record twice as many workplace deaths as Australia, four times as many as the UK per capita. Workplace injuries and illnesses cost the country an estimated $5 billion each year. A new Public Health Communication Centre briefing by leading health and safety experts finds that weak enforcement, inadequate fines, and a poor understanding of legal duties by employers and political leaders are key reasons for the lack of progress. And it warns that proposed changes to shift the regulator's focus from enforcement to advice, alongside ACC's move to deprioritise injury prevention, risks further undermining worker protection. And yet, when you look at the health and safety legislation and the red tape and the orange road cones, not a single road cone seems to have helped in preventing workers' lives being lost. We're 25th in the OECD. Australia is a dangerous place to work. And yet somehow, we manage to record twice as many workplace deaths as they do. What is it? Are workers in high-risk jobs depending on the rules to keep themselves safe? To keep their mates safe? Rather than using their own nous and judgement they think, well, the rules are there, I don't have to think about it. I don't have to think about what I'm doing. Are too many workers turning up impaired by alcohol or drugs, and that impairs their judgement? They don't see things, or they cut corners, or they're tired, fatigued. Are bosses cutting corners and risking people's lives? Or are the bosses putting in health and safety protocols that workers are simply ignoring? What is it about this country that means we are so bad at either looking after ourselves and our mates, or finding ways to protect our workers? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police and ambulance officers are facing widespread threats of violence and suffering burnout according to research released by Worksafe. 

I'm right behind the call being made today for helmets to be made mandatory at recreational ice skating and roller skating rinks. For it to be a legal requirement that if you want to go and have a skate with your mates, you have to wear a helmet. Because if it's good enough for helmets to be compulsory on bikes, then why isn't it good enough for helmets to be mandatory when someone's on a set of skates? When you think about it, you are far more likely to ride a bike than go to an ice skating rink or a roller skating rink. Which, surely, means that skating is way more risky. So helmets have to be non-negotiable. In fact, I'd go beyond just ice skating rinks and roller skating rinks, I think we should be doing the same at the likes of ski fields and skate parks. But back to the tragic death of 13-year-old Kymani Hiley-Hetaraka during a school visit to the Alpine Ice Skating Rink in Christchurch 15 months ago. Her sister was also on the trip and the two of them were skating together when Kymani —who wasn't wearing a helmet— fell and hit her head. She was, initially, able to speak and she asked her sister to get her some Panadol. But she then started having a seizure, was taken to hospital, and died two days later after being taken off life support. Since the tragedy the rink has voluntarily made helmets mandatory. But there is no law requiring it and Kymani's parents —Curtis Gwatkin and Maraea Hetaraka— think that needs to change. They're saying today that they want the Government to make helmets mandatory at all recreational ice skating and roller skating rinks. And I couldn't agree more. They're speaking out because, initially, they wanted to wait for WorkSafe to do its investigation, thinking that someone would be prosecuted. But that didn't happen. WorkSafe found that there were no health and safety breaches by the ice-skating rink. No breaches by Kymani's school. And no breaches by the external organisation contracted by the school to run the trip. But that's not good enough as far as Curtis and Maraea are concerned. They say it's left them feeling frustrated and angry, and who can blame them? They're determined to keep fighting on this one and plan to start a petition to try and force the Government to make helmets mandatory at all ice skating and roller skating rinks. It's a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand has just under two weeks to comply with a WorkSafe order to put systems in place to protect workers from psychosocial risks at work. Health New Zealand Interim Chief HR Officer Robyn Shearer spoke to Corin Dann.

Officials say the government's approach to overhauling workplace safety risks repeating the failures identified after Pike River. Council for Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

A decade after major overhauls to health and safety in New Zealand, WorkSafe is getting a reboot. Critics aren't convinced it will save lives. With more that 70 workplace deaths in New Zealand every year, a WorkSafe reboot isn't surprising. But critics say the changes aren't likely to save lives.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This episode is all about Hand in Hand Support Coordination. Minh talks to Katalin Jakus, who runs a business that distinguishes itself from other Support Coordination brands through several unique features and approaches:1. Person-Centred, Holistic ApproachHand in Hand employs a deeply person-centred and holistic model of support coordination. This means they focus on understanding the whole individual—mental, social, physical, and emotional wellbeing—not just the disability. They prioritize listening to the participant's goals, preferences, and lived experiences to tailor support plans that truly reflect the person's unique needs and aspirations.2. Specialisation in Complex Needs and Mental HealthKatalin's business has a strong focus on participants with complex mental health and physical disabilities. Their expertise includes supporting people with multiple diagnoses and trauma backgrounds, which requires nuanced understanding and coordination across various government and community sectors such as Health, Mental Health, Justice, and Education.3. Comprehensive and Flexible Funding AcceptanceHand in Hand accepts a wide range of funding arrangements, including NDIS NDIA-managed, self-managed, plan-managed, and self-funded clients. They also welcome referrals from TAC (Transport Accident Commission) and WorkSafe, offering flexibility that suits diverse participant circumstances.4. Specialist Brokerage ServiceThey provide a specialised brokerage service that supports unregistered NDIS Support Coordinators to maintain compliance and deliver uninterrupted, high-quality services. This service helps with participant onboarding, data management, registration audits, and NDIA fund claims processing, which is not commonly offered by all support coordination providers.5. Strong Industry Connections and Collaborative NetworksHand in Hand builds trusted partnerships with third-party providers to ensure the best fit for each participant's unique requirements. Their collaborative approach fosters a resilient network of supports around the participant, enhancing crisis management and ongoing support planning.6. Experienced LeadershipKatalin brings extensive experience from crisis care and disability support roles, along with academic qualifications in Disability Studies and Positive Behaviour Support. Her leadership ensures a high standard of service delivery informed by practical experience and ongoing professional development.https://www.hihvic.com.au----------------------Send us a textNDIS PROPERTY AUSTRALIA:Our team conducts thorough research on Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and provides appropriate technical advice through premium and strategy-based solutions. We also use complex feasibility calculation spreadsheets to help investors understand the expected annual income of an SDA dwelling, the timeline stages of construction of their property, as well as revealing the hidden costs. By staying up-to-date with the latest SDA data and pricing payments information, we help clients make better-informed decisions and achieve their investment goals.FOLLOW US:LinkedInInstagramFacebookCONTACT:Please feel free to call us on 1300 254 397 to talk to one of our friendly staff, otherwise, just pop on over to our website to find out more.For any podcast related queries or suggestions, please contact our podcast team via podcast@ndis.property

A new study suggests that another Pike River mine disaster is likely. The Victoria University of Wellington researchers say the failures that lead to the disaster that killed 29 men could happen again at any other organisation. One of their "potentially disturbing observations" is that health & safety training, auditors, and well-qualified staff were not enough to prevent failure – and may also have provided an "illusion of certainty" and overconfidence. The new research has come amidst a slew of changes to health and safety legislation being pushed through by the Government, which has sparked warnings from advocates. One of those is Mike Cosman, an independent health and safety practitioner who sat on the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health & Safety established after the Pike River disaster. And he joins us now on The Front Page to discuss this new study and the proposed changes. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions to Ministers CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What recent announcements has she made about reforming WorkSafe? NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made about business tax? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement about the Budget that "Wages are forecast to grow faster than the inflation rate, making wage earners better off, on average, in real terms"; if so, what is the effect on wage growth over the forecast period of removing the $12.8 billion from future pay equity claims? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What announcements has he made on reforming national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Minister for Resources: What announcements has he made regarding energy security in New Zealand? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement in relation to emergency department wait times, "I expect Health New Zealand to empower clinicians at local levels to fix bottlenecks in real time"; if so, is he confident this has occurred ahead of winter 2025? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Education: What announcements has she made regarding learning support as part of Budget 2025? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her proposed changes to WorkSafe; if so, why? PAULO GARCIA to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about social housing tenancies? Question to Member Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Why did he respond to the referral by the House to the Finance and Expenditure Committee of the Regulatory Standards Bill with a six-month reporting deadline by issuing a call for submissions with a four-week deadline?

New Zealand's roadcone hotline is being launched today, as the Government announces a suite of cultural changes for WorkSafe. It's being instructed to move away from enforcement, and engage in earlier risk management. WorkSafe says it's well placed to deliver on these expectations. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says these changes have been met with a mixed response. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Safety experts are sceptical about a new Government directive for WorkSafe. The health and safety regulator has been instructed to shift focus from enforcement, to offering advice. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says it is currently feared for its punitive actions - and not appreciated for guidelines. But the Institute of Safety Management's Jeff Sissons says that characterisation from the Minister is not what he hears about the agency. "Most employers haven't seen or heard much of WorkSafe. I take the Minister at her word, she's heard from some employers - but that's certainly not something I've come across." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Rob Campbell and Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Will we read Jacinda's new book? What are we expecting? Are we annoyed there's no apology over the Covid response? The new WorkSafe changes kicked in - are we glad the Government is dialling back on the health and safety enforcement or do we think this is a step too far? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workplace safety rules are changing with Brooke van Velden saying Worksafe needs to stop sweating the small stuff in, if it goes well will not be noticed, and if it goes badly could end in more workplace deaths. theBISH's perspective on Stan Walker's "crap" performance at the AMAs is indicative of this government's attitude towards Māori, the treaty and te reoDavid Seymour was on Chris Lynch's Christchurch based news show where he spoke about what he's going to do as DPM, Te Paati Maori and why RNZ hates him =================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

Leeann Watson, CEO of Business Canterbury, joined John MacDonald to give a quarterly update. Are we seeing signs of recovery in Canterbury? What would a commuter train mean for the city business scene? And will the Government's new approach to WorkSafe make a difference for local businesses and how they operate? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leeann Watson, CEO of Business Canterbury, joined John MacDonald to give a quarterly update. Are we seeing signs of recovery in Canterbury? What would a commuter train mean for the city business scene? And will the Government's new approach to WorkSafe make a difference for local businesses and how they operate? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there's anyone who shouldn't be told they can wind things back on the health and safety front, it's a New Zealander. Because generally, we are absolute shockers when it comes to this sort of thing and our health and safety laws are the only thing standing between our “she'll be right” attitude and misery and tragedy. Especially when you consider that —even with the health and safety laws we have at the moment— our workplace fatality rate is 60% higher than Australia's and more than 500% higher than the UK's. So a perfect time, isn't it, for us to be getting rid of what the Government says is WorkSafe's “safety-at-all costs mentality”? Just in case you think I'm a health and safety freak, I'm not. But I'm also enough of a realist to know that, without these laws, more people would be going home at the end of the day injured or not going home at all. Another reason why us New Zealanders are the last people to be told we can go a bit easy on the old health and safety is that we have very short memories. I haven't forgotten the 19th of November 2010, when the first Pike River explosion happened. I remember distinctly getting home from work that afternoon and all of us watching the live coverage. That was what set-in-train a huge overhaul of health and safety laws because, as we eventually discovered, the guy who ran the mine wasn't the hero we all initially thought he was. Pike River was where it all started. And the government is setting out today to walk all over the progress that we've made since then – apparently because we've gone too far with it. But even though I'm just as capable as the next person of shaking my head at some of the things businesses and employers are required to do in the name of keeping people safe, I'm not happy about the screws being loosened. But what the Government has in its favour is that most people haven't experienced the consequences of things going pear-shaped at work. That's why it's so easy to dismiss health and safety as an overreaction. But I bet if you have known someone who has lost their life at work or if you know someone who has been seriously injured at work, then you'll have a much more realistic view of things. The irony is we've got the Government on one hand saying today that its crackdown on badly-behaved state housing tenants has worked But, on the other hand, it's saying that it wants to be less heavy-handed on employers who don't do everything they can to keep their people safe. Which is why the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke van Velden, wants WorkSafe to ditch what she's calling its “adversarial nature” and to move from managing risk generally to critical risk. But what on earth does that mean? Do you know the difference between “general” risk and “critical” risk? Example: is an extension cord running across the floor somewhere at work a “general risk” or a “critical risk”? The answer to that depends on the consequence. If the consequence of a power cable running across the floor in the office is just a bit of a nuisance and nothing else, then you could probably categorise it as a “general risk”. But if that cable lying across the floor means someone trips on it and they bang their head pretty hard on a wall and get some sort of brain bleed, then that becomes a “critical risk”, doesn't it? See what I mean? The idea of taking the pedal off the metal and only taking “critical risks” seriously probably sounds great to many of us. But dig a bit deeper or even think about it for a few minutes and you'll realise that it's a huge mistake. It's a bit like Trump coming in and saying that all this Paris climate change stuff is nonsense and suddenly you've got people around the world saying, “yeah yeah, enough of this climate change nonsense”. And the reason that's happening is because people like Trump are giving people permission to go all climate change-sceptic on it. Which is exactly what the Government is doing with its loosening of the health and safety laws. It's giving people permission to go easy on health and safety, which is the last thing us New Zealanders need when our default position is “she'll be right”. It is a disaster waiting to happen, all over again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On average, there are 73 work-related deaths in New Zealand every single year. Relative to the number of people in employment, the New Zealand workplace fatality rate is double that of Australia, and it hasn't shifted in many, many years. More road cones have not made a difference. The New Zealand rate is similar to the rate the UK experienced back in the 1980s. The gap between New Zealand and Australia is consistent across most industries and occupations. It's not like we've got one that is more dangerous than any other, which is why it's throwing these figures out. It's consistent across industries and occupations. Looking at the construction industry, the New Zealand fatality rate is 4.41 workers every 100,000 compared to 2.93 workers in every 100,000. The workplace injury rates tell a similar story. New Zealand injury rates, as reported by ACC have improved over time, however the Australian rate is 25% lower, the UK 45% lower. Why? Why are we so much worse than other countries we should be able to compare ourselves with? Brooke van Velden, the Minister for Workplace Safety, says we're overregulated. That there are too many rules and the fear of prosecution is making workplaces less safe. “We're changing the focus of worker health and safety to focusing on the critical risks, those things that can cause deaths and serious injury, and at the same time, I'm changing the focus of WorkSafe to care about deaths and serious injury as well and not sweating the small stuff because we've had a culture of too much over compliance, ticking all the boxes, trying to get all of the paperwork done, rather than focusing on, do I actually do anything in my workplace that could cause death or serious injury? And are we doing that correctly? “So I'm saying to everybody out there, let's not sweat the small stuff. Let's focus on those deaths and serious injury activities and let's have WorkSafe going on site providing more upfront guidance so that they're here to help rather than having too much of the stick.” Who was it that said there are no more chilling words than “hi, we're from the government. We're here to help”? It was an American, I'm sure. Is there going to be able to be a change of emphasis? If all of a sudden, Workplace Safety says, ‘hey, we're here to help. We're here to help you, as the employer, make the workplace safer'. Are we able to pivot away from thinking ‘if Health and Safety come in here, they're going to find all sorts of nitpicky things and make my life misery', to ‘might ring Workplace Health and Safety and see how they can help me'. It's going to take a big mind shift. Mike said this morning he thought there were too many rules and there probably are for people who are educated, who have choices about what they do, who have choices about where they work. For people who don't have the luxury of telling a boss to stick it if they're asked to do something they think is really dangerous, or to do something with equipment they think is dangerous, rules are required. But they need to be clear, they need to be effective and if they're not working, do away with them. And I think most importantly, employees need to be on board with them. The number of times I've had employers ring in and tell me that as required by law, they bring in the safety gear, they instruct the workers to wear it, they do spot cheques to ensure the workers are wearing it, and the workers are not wearing it. They say that the goggles mist up. That the harnesses mean that they can't rely on their own wits to go about the building, and they'd rather risk death than rely on their own sense of balance. The employees don't seem to value their lives in some cases. You've got to get employees on board as well. There has to be a culture of safety, that workers have to value themselves and employers have to value their workers. And you can't regulate for that. You can't red cone that. I tend to agree that too many rules just mean the important ones get lost in the noise. Too many road cones and you don't know when it's dangerous and when it's not. But our work-related deaths are appalling. And they've been appalling for a very, very long time. How do we fix it? It's only those workers in dangerous occupations, mainly men, and the bosses in those dangerous occupations that can tell us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WorkSafe is given six months to pursue fewer 'novel' prosecutions or face deeper restructuring. A Road of National Significance north of Levin is cut down to two lanes, while Microsoft cuts its global workforce as concerns rise about AI taking jobs. Dileepa Fonseka is a Senior Correspondent with BusinessDesk

Changes are looming for New Zealand's workplace safety watchdog. Political reporter Russell Palmer has more.

The government's making big changes to WorkSafe, the agency tasked with keeping workers safe including shifting in priorities from enforcement to giving advice. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The government is shifting WorkSafe's priorities from enforcement, to giving more advice. Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

The government is shifting WorkSafe's priorities from enforcement, to giving more advice. Business New Zealand chief executive Katherine Rich spoke to Corin Dann.

In today's episode, the government's making big changes to WorkSafe, the agency tasked with keeping workers safe including shifting in priorities from enforcement to giving advice, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority says there are some energy-saving things that you can do that could help cut your bills, without denting your lifestyle too much, two New Zealand high school students have been victorious at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Ohio, and we cross the Tasman to get the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

The Workplace Relations Minister hopes WorkSafe's incoming culture shift will show they're there to help, not hurt. The Government's instructed the regulator to move away from enforcement and engage early to support risk management. It starts with today's opening of the road cone hotline. Minister Brooke van Velden told Mike Hosking businesses shouldn't have to sweat the small stuff. She says there's a culture of over-compliance and too much paperwork, instead of a focus on the risk of death or serious injury. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Significant changes at WorkSafe as it moves from an enforcement focus and launches the road cone hotline. The agency will now engage early to support risk management, starting with today's opening of a tipline for excessive road cone usage. Parallaxx Traffic Control Training Chief Executive Dave Tilton told Ryan Bridge there are good elements to this announcement. He agrees with the collaborative risk-based approach, connecting WorkSafe, councils, and NZTA. But Tilton says there are incompatible components to the hotline itself. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 3rd of June 2025, The Government's introducing new changes to Worksafe and implementing a new roadcone hotline, Parallax CEO Dave Tilton shares his thoughts on how it will work. Ukraine and Russia have been having peace talks in Turkey, BBC Senior Russia Correspondent Olga Ivshina shares the latest. Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport. Plus, Donna Demaio has all the details on the Australian PM brushing off a push from the US to spend more on defence. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know what's really starts to rub me the wrong way? It's governments telling us to do more things. This morning, we've got the government coming out with yet another hotline. Sounds fancy. Sounds efficient. It's a hotline to report road cones. A road cone tipline. Sorry, but if the problem is that there are too many road cones on the road, and they're unnecessary for the work being carried out —which half of them appear to be— then why do you need us to tell you that? Surely if we just had better, clearer rules and less bullshit, we wouldn't need a road cone tipline. A pothole tipline. A 105 theft tipline. A beneficiary tipline. Either you know what you're doing and you've got smart people and smart systems, or you don't. And every time I hear of another tipline I realise, they have no idea. Tiplines are the equivalent of a safety calming measure. Those weird speed bumps or narrowing roads, designed to make people feel better when driving around. All they really do is piss people off and reveal how rubbish your road designs are to begin with. Just think about this: There's a bunch of road cones in a dumb place on a busy road. WorkSafe and NZTA and Council people drive past this busy spot every day. Barbara in her little Honda Civic, she drives past. She calls it in. Barry in his truck and trailer. He calls it in. Sally picks the kids up at 3pm from school every day. They all ring the tipline. They all report the same thing. It will then be somebody's job to sort through the tips. Somebody else will triage the tips. That's two jobs. In three weeks, Barry, Sally, and Barb get a letter. Because the post only runs two days a week. The letter says we're looking into the issue for you. Meanwhile, 100 government or council people have walked or driven past the road cone Armageddon and nothing's changed. Tiplines are plasters over grenades. The only time I want to ring a tipline is speak to the actual dump. In its first 156 days in office, the National-led government has set up 37 reviews, inquiries or advisory panels – some of which are being led by former ministers, including Bill English, Steven Joyce, Murray McCully and Roger Sowry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Decontamination work is underway in the Wellington suburb of Newtown, after a "wet slurry" of asbestos was dislodged by waterblasters on a roof, and then blown onto nearby homes. The council and Worksafe say there is no risk to the general public, but to keep residents safe, they're removing the gardens from a handful of nearby properties. RNZ's Kate Green spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Government's asking people to dob in too many road cones at work sites. A telephone hotline is planned - for people to report excesses. It'll be manned and funded by WorkSafe. It's been announced at the same time as Health and Safety at Work Act changes, with a focus on reducing the load on smaller businesses. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has voiced support with this idea. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of the Bend Don't Break podcast features Katie West, a civilian transcriptionist for the RCMP, who opens up about her journey through chronic stress and PTSD. Often overlooked, civilian staff like transcriptionists and 911 operators are regularly exposed to traumatic content, yet lack the same mental health support systems available to front-line officers. Katie shares her deeply personal experiences with PTSD, detailing the toll of listening to traumatic cases for hours on end and the difficulties she faced when seeking help. She discusses the systemic gaps in mental health support for civilian roles, her challenges with WorkSafe, and the need for greater understanding and resources for "trauma-exposed professionals." Through her story, Katie advocates for change and sheds light on the unseen struggles of those working behind the scenes in law enforcement, urging for a more inclusive approach to mental health care for all first responder staff.

Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss Chris Ellison and Mineral Resources; tender reforms; a report on Perth's future; Perron Group results; Angela Bennett; WorkSafe; and a preview of the next magazine.

In this episode, hosts Gordon and Jose welcome seasoned restaurateur Peter De Bruyn, who shares his 30 years of experience in the industry. Peter, the executive chef at the Strathcona Hotel and board chair at the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association, dives into hot topics like tipping culture, California's minimum wage hike, and how restaurants are navigating increased costs. He also discusses the challenges related to labor shortages, food supply issues, and the impact of recent CRA and WorkSafe regulations on tipping practices. Tune in for valuable insights and strategies for restaurant owners and operators. 01:22 Peter De Bruyn's Background and Career 03:24 Changes in the Restaurant Industry 05:09 Impact of Minimum Wage Increases 14:20 Tipping Culture and Challenges 18:18 No Tipping Policy: Pros and Cons 27:34 Managing Tips and CRA Regulations ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬  Audio Podcast Links Spotify | Apple | Google | Amazon | RSS | Download Leave your suggestions for new topics in the comments! We read every single one.

As the summer continues to heat up, legislators in Sacramento are finally moving forward with protections for workers who work in overheated indoor conditions across the state. The rules have been caught up in limbo following the state prison system's concern that it would simply be too expensive to renovate their facilities to make it cool enough for safe working conditions. The rules have now moved forward through the State's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board for all hot indoor workplaces in the state except for in California prisons.  Joining us to discuss are Rachel van Geenhoven and Brian Kaneda. Rachel is communications director with WorkSafe, a California organization that uses policy advocacy, legal services, and movement building, to promote and protect the basic right of all people to a safe and healthy workplace. Brian is deputy director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget, or CURB, which is an organization dedicated to reducing imprisonment in our state by developing economic analyses about how it's actually financially better for all of us, to reduce prisons. Check out WorkSafe's website: https://worksafe.org/ Check out CURB's website: https://www.curbprisonspending.org/ —- Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post New Heat Protection for CA Workers Excludes Prisons w/ Rachel van Geenhoven & Brian Kaneda appeared first on KPFA.

Official papers show a long-awaited scheme to boost work safety programmes will be axed. WorkSafe was meant to show a return of $1.10 on each dollar it got from ACC for the programmes - it managed just 20 cents. Phil Pennington spoke to Corin Dann.

WorkSafe has found shortcomings at Fire and Emergency - or FENZ - over how two volunteer firefighters died in a landslide in Cyclone Gabrielle. Phil Pennington spoke to Corin Dann.

WorkSafe is investigating the death of a teenager at a farm in the Wheatbelt over the weekend. 

The proceeds of crime laws have traditionally been used to target gangs and drug dealers. Now police have their eyes on a new target, and that's left businesses feeling vulnerable.

The lawyer for the Whakaari White Island owners is calling for an independent public inquiry into the deadly eruption saying government agencies including WorkSafe should be held accountable. Five companies, including that of the island's owners, have been fined and ordered to pay millions of dollars in compensation for failings leading up to the disaster and a coronial inquiry is still to come. But lawyer James Cairney wants a Royal Commission to investigate the role of multiple government officials. Amy Williams has the story.

An aunt's five-year fight for her nephew's death to be fully investigated has ended with a firm no from WorkSafe. A coroner told WorkSafe to reconsider what it did after two young casual workers, Jake Ginders and Floyd Harris, both on learner licences, crashed near Woodville in 2019. WorkSafe has now told the men's families it has done enough and will not investigate further. It made a visit to the labour hire firm AWF months after the crash. Jake Ginders' aunt Diane Chandler of Levin says society is the loser.

WorkSafe is pulling out of funding safety programmes to the tune of up to $15 million a year, skittling one in the high-risk forestry industry. But ACC, which gives WorkSafe the money, says putting a stop to that will make no difference to how much is spent on safety programmes overall. Phil Pennington spoke to Corin Dann.

A bullying investigation into one of the country's most senior prosecutors has found her behaviour towards staff was challenging, critical, and unpredictable but did not meet the WorkSafe definition of a bully. Crown Law has released the results of an inquiry into claims about Crown Solicitor Jacinda Hamilton. The staff who believe they were bullied have told RNZ they are shocked and dismayed at the findings. Investigative reporter Guyon Espiner spoke to Corin Dann.

We relive some truly horrific Victorian ads and vote on TMOTW. #chooselove Link to the compilation we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuF9Wkgn0jwSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelly talks to Kathryn about some of the court cases she's been covering recently, and also the WorkSafe charge the Rotorua Lakes Council is facing. Plus Makuini Warbrick's inspirational story about how she lost 50 kg - naturally.