New First Aid Guidelines

The Department of Labour recently launched the new First Aid for Workplaces – a Good Practice Guide.

The guide replaces an earlier one published in 2001. It takes account of recent regulatory changes, including the withdrawal of the Factories and Commercial Premises (First Aid) Regulations 1985. It was developed with the help of industry experts and reflects best practice.

A copy of the guide and a summary fact sheet can be downloaded from www.dol.govt.nz

New Specials By Protector Safety

Firstly my apologizes that I have not updated the blog for a long time.

Protector safety has come out with new specials for the months of September and October. Their new "On The Job" specials are out and have got a lot of gear to offer.
Specials amongst them are 3M Full face Masks saving about $70.00+GST off retail prices. They have also launched a new range of footwear called "Tredlite". These are manufactured by themselves and hence can be sold as their medium priced option. John Bull will still be their Premium option.
I will upload the Pdf in then next couple of days.
But the On the Job can be found on their website as well. www.protectorsafety.co

WIS NZ Awards Night

The annual Wis NZ Awards Night was held on the 27th August at the new Blackwoods Pykals DC.

The Rep of the year award went to:
Tim Bennett for the Auckland Region

Branch Of the Year:
3W New Plymouth

Sales Person of the year:

Joint winners:
Bill Jefferies - NZ Safety Invercargill
Gavin McLeay - Blackwoods Paykels Invercargill

Congratulation for all the above winners.

Benefits of Work-Life Balance

Benefits for Employees
Employees in companies already implementing work-life practices enjoy significan benefits like:

• Able to effectively manage muiltiple responsibilities at home, work and in the community.


• Able to work in flexible ways so that earning an income and managing family/other commitments become easier.


• Being part of a supportive workplace that values and trusts staff

People want to be able to have:

• a good quality of life


• an enjoyable work life and career progression


• training and development


• good health


• furthur education


• more money


• time to travel


• time with freinds and family


• time to do sports and hobbies

Work-Life Balance

Now a days all companies are talking about "Work Life Balance". If they are effectively implementing these policies is another question. At inductions and introductions a lot is poken about Work Life Balance. But what is Work Life Balance?

Work-Life Balance is all about effectively managing work and other activities that are important to us - including spending time with family, taking part in sports and recreation, volunteering or undertakingfurthur studies.

Research suggests that improving the Work-Life balance can bring bring real benefits for emplotyers and employees, which can lead to building a strong community and a productive Business.

Statistics By New Zealand Government

Following are a few Work Related Injury and Work Related Disease statistics By NZ Government.

Work Related Disease
It is estimated that between 700 and 1,000 workers die prematurely in New Zealand as a result of work-related diseases each year:

• About 80% of these deaths occur in Men
• About 30%-40% of the deaths are due to occupational cancers including lung cancer, mesothelioma, leukaemia and bladder cancer.
• Other occupational diseases representing a high burden include heart disease and respiratory diseases.

About 17,000 - 20,000 new cases of work-related diseases are estimated and 2,500 - 5,500 new cases of Sever work-related diseases are estimated every year.

Work Related Injury

About 100 fatal work-related injuries are recorded every year in New Zealand. From these about 94% deaths occur in me. The agriculture, forestry and fishing industries have the highest number of fatal work related injuries.

These are death occur primarily due to motor vehicles, machinery-related accidents, water-transport accidents, people being struck by falling objects and people falling.

Each year in New Zealand over 200,000 occupational injuries result in ACC claims. This equates to 12 injuries per 100 workers.

Sprains and strains are by far the most frequent injury (90,000 claims), followed by open wounds (37,000 claims). An estimate of 50% of the injuries result in impairment, and 6% in permanent impairment.

The above statistics makes us wonder if we are really following safe work practices at workplace. If there is a doubt in implementing safe work practices, or putting together polices regarding safe working environment, Department of Labor will provide all the help necessary fro free.

The only pre-requisite for implementing Safe Working Environment is " a willingness to follow the guidence given by the Department of Labor and willingness to apply all the safe working practices".

Influenza Protection Kit

This kit has been put together by Protector Safety and New Zealand Safety. It is really good for companies with vans and trucks. One individual kit can be kept in the van/truck and can be used as desired.

Following are the contents of the Kit:

1. 1 x pair of Coverall



2. 1 x Chemical splash goggles



3. 1 x Hand sanitiser



4. 1 x box of P2 respirators (20 masks)



5. 1 x container of Antibacterial Wipes



6. 1 x box Vinyl gloves (box of 100)

Products That Help Fight H1N1

Hand Sanitisers:

1. Germfree 24 - This is a water based sanitiser. This uses the same revolutionary Nano Technology like Zoonocide. It bonds to your skin to provide long lasting protection against MRSA (golden staph) & VRE. Unlike the alcohol based sanitisers, germfree 24 won't dry you skin. It actually has a moisturising effect with a fragrant scent while it stays on your skin. Germfree 24 keeps on doing its job for up to 24 hours, no matter how many time you wash your hands or wipe your hands.



2. Deb Instant Foam - This hand sanitser kills 99.999% of many germs and bacteria that cause common illnesses. Follow are a few inportant factors of the Instant Foam:

Highly effective

• Instant sanitising action



• Kills 99.999% of many common germs in just 15 seconds



• Spreads rapidly to cover the hands quickly

Convenient

• No water required - can be used anywhere



• Available in a range of sizes for use in different working environments



• Quick and easy to apply

Pleasant to use

• No gelling agents or polymers that leave a sticky residue on hands



• Built -in-skin conditioners leave hands feeling soft and smooth



• Hypoallergenic - minimises the risk of allergic reaction

Products That Help Minimise the H1N1 Risk

Disinfectants:

1. Zoonocide Long-Life Surface Disinfectants - This is an new and effective multi surface anti microbial treatment that sanitizes and protects surfaces for extended periods of time. It uses new cutting edge Nano Technology. The sword shaped long chain organic aliphatic component of the molecules stabs and electrocutes microbial cells on contact, and continues to do so as it encounters new cells. As Zoonocide does not kill the bacteria with high toxicity, the bacteria cannot adapt to it.. The Zono form an ionic bond with the surface it is targeted to protect, making an antimicrobial layer that can last up to a month from a single application. Zoono comes in 500ml spray, 5Litres can and an a 400ml Aerosol.



2. Geosil DS Disinfectant Spray - This is Ecologically harmless, bio-degradable and non polluting. It is also non toxic and tasteless and odourless. Geosil is more powerful than Chlorine, is stable and long lasting. Geosil is also approved C43 and comes in 5Litres cans.

All the above products are available at www.protectorsafety.co.nz

PPE in case of Pandemic

There is no one, single type of PPE that will reduce the risk of infection in every business circumstance. However, there are a range of options (involving eliminating or isolating the risk) that can be considered alongside PPE that will minimise the infection risk. When considering whether PPE has a role in your workplace, you need to look at whether it is appropriate or practical for your staff to use or wear PPE.

If you have identified a role for PPE in your workplace it will be important to provide training and facilities to maximise personal hygiene and enable people to maintain social distancing, therefore reducing the risk of cross infection. Ensure that stocks of the relevant PPE are available in advance.

For more information on workplace health and safety management and the use of PPE, go to Workplace PPE guide in the health and safety section.

PPE for Influenza pandemic is available from the following retailer:

www.protectorsafety.co.nz

Work Place Influenza Pandemaic

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR WORKPLACE

Workplaces should plan to minimise the health and safety and business risks that could occur during a pandemic. There is no one, single pandemic scenario so response options should be developed for a range of possibilities which enable your business to respond flexibly. The steps you plan to take during a pandemic will determine how well your business recovers.

You need to plan with your employer now before a pandemic happens. Your workplace's plan should cover the steps your business will take before, during and after a pandemic. Successful planning will mean talking to your employer and getting involved, along with you're your customers and your suppliers.

Good health and safety practices will provide the best response to the risk of workplace infection. As employees, you should be involved in identifying and managing potential infection risks and developing alternative ways of working will enable you to keep your workplace open for as long as possible, or if it is an essential service, to remain open through a pandemic.

Good health and safety practices involve elimination, isolation and minimisation. In a pandemic situation, there can be a high risk of transmission of infection from close contact between people. There is no one, single response that can be planned for. Businesses need to be able to respond flexibly depending on the situation. Each business needs to assess what practical steps it can take to reduce the risk of transmission. For example:

Workplaces can eliminate the risks by preventing contact between people by:

- Arranging for staff to work from home.

- Staff should stay home if they feel unwell.

- Workplaces can isolate the risk of close contact between people at work by:

- Using 'Night Service' windows to reduce direct contact with customers.

- Arranging for staff to work shift or flexible hours, so that they come into contact with fewer people.

Workplaces can minimise the risk of infection by:

- Using the appropriate personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves for high people contact roles.

- Being vigilant about personal hygiene, such as hand washing.

- Making sure staff are trained on hygiene and the use of protective equipment.

- Providing space for workers to have distance from other workers in order to prevent spreading infection.

For more information on preparing for a pandemic, and to stay informed on new developments, contact:

• Your union or workplace Health and Safety representatives
• Department of Labour
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Economic Development

Pandemic Planning Information for H1N1

Pandemic Planning Information

A pandemic will affect your business, your staff and your customers – just how much will depend on the severity of the pandemic and how well prepared you are.

Businesses need to prepare their business continuity plan early – developing the steps your business will take pre-, during and after a pandemic. There is no one, single response you can plan for. You and your staff need to respond flexibly depending on the situation. Updating your business continuity plan will also have the wider benefit of being useful in the event of another crises occurring.