Keeping workers healthy and safe

Great! It’s likely businesses that buy your products and services will want to hear about this. Here’s an example of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"We are serious about our duty to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks as much as possible. With our workers (and external experts as needed), we identify and assess work risks and decide what control measures to put in place to manage those risks. We put the control measures in place as soon as we can, and train workers how to apply them. We regularly monitor control measures to confirm that they are effective. We investigate incidents and near misses to identify their causes and what needs to change to prevent them from happening again. When there is a change in the workplace or work, we review our work activities to identify new risks that need to be managed. We record how each risk will be managed on our risk register that can be viewed by anyone at our workplace."

Sustainable action isn’t one size fits all. Make sure you adapt how you communicate this based on the actions you’re taking.

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.

Risk arises when people are exposed to hazards that could cause them harm. For example, an unguarded machine (the hazard) creates a risk that someone will be injured.

It is important to identify and record all work-related risks. However, good practice goes beyond just hazard spotting. Once identified, assess the level of the risk so it can be prioritised and managed appropriately. You must engage your workers to help identify these risks. Regularly revisit and update your record of risks.

Risk areas to consider include:

• Physical e.g. exposure to workplace noise may lead to noise-induced hearing loss.
• Psychosocial e.g. bullying at work may lead to work-related stress.
• Biological e.g. exposure to animal bacteria may lead to sudden and severe illnesses.
• Ergonomic e.g. repeated lifting of heavy or bulky items may lead to lower back pain.
• Chemical e.g. exposure to solvents may lead to occupational asthma.
• Also, consider if you have more at-risk people in or affected by your work environments e.g.  pregnant women or those with impaired mobility.

Learn more

Identifying, assessing and managing work risks - WorkSafe

What risk looks like in your industry - WorkSafe

Case studies

Investing in health and safety with the Real Pet Food Company

Plan ahead to keep people safe

Well done! Here’s an example of how you could communicate this.

"We are serious about our duty to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks as much as possible. With our workers (and external experts as needed), we identify and assess work risks and decide what control measures to put in place to manage those risks. We put the control measures in place as soon as we can, and train workers how to apply them. We regularly monitor control measures to confirm that they are effective. We investigate incidents and near misses to identify their causes and what needs to change to prevent them from happening again. When there is a change in the workplace or work, we review our work activities to identify new risks that need to be managed. We ensure that others (like visitors to our workplace) receive the instruction and equipment they need to keep healthy and safe. We record how each risk will be managed on our risk register that can be viewed by anyone at our workplace."

Want to learn more about good practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.

All businesses must eliminate health and safety risks resulting from their work. Or, if a risk cannot be eliminated it must be minimised as much as possible. Good practice includes keeping a record of how you have identified risks and how they have been eliminated or minimised.

Take action

Health and safety self-assessment tool - SafePlus

Learn more

Identifying, assessing and managing work risks - WorkSafe
 
What risk looks like in your industry - WorkSafe

Health and Safety at Work, quick reference guide - WorkSafe

Great! Here’s an example of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"Where overlapping risks occur, we so far as is reasonably practicable, consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other businesses that share overlapping duties. We do this by meeting with those we work with and share health and safety duties with. We set out the risks and how we will manage them together. We do this at the beginning of a working relationship and then on an ongoing basis. We create a risk register together and make sure that we have clearly delegated who will eliminate or minimise each risk and how."

Want to learn more about good practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.

If you work with another business, it is important that you identify any shared risks and manage overlapping health and safety duties. So far as is reasonably practicable, you must consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other businesses that share overlapping duties. Good practice usually involves both businesses working together to:

• Define your work activities and how they overlap
• Identify the health and safety risks and whom they affect
• Create a plan to manage and communicate risks

Learn more

Overlapping duties, quick guide and case studies - WorkSafe

Nice work! Here’s an example of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"We engage with our workers on health and safety matters that will, or are likely to, affect them. We also provide opportunities for workers to participate effectively in improving health and safety on an ongoing basis. We do this by educating them, working with health and safety reps, developing risk registers, and holding forums for staff to discuss improvements.”

Want to learn more about good practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.

It is essential and a legal requirement to engage your workers when making decisions that affect their health and safety, and that they can participate in improving their health and safety at work on an ongoing basis. This is regardless of size, level of risk or the type of work carried out. There are many ways to go about this, from consulting your workers to co-creating risk management plans.

Learn more

Good practice for worker engagement, participation and representation - WorkSafe

Case studies

Putting manaakitanga at the heart of business

Involving everyone in learning reaps benefits

Nice! Here are two examples of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

"We are committed to buying only from businesses that take their health and safety commitments seriously. We prioritise buying from businesses that can show evidence they go above and beyond their legal minimum requirements.

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.

The best way to mitigate health and safety risks in your supply chain is to buy products and services only from businesses that can show evidence they eliminate risks to health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable. This is in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Where possible, good practice is to prioritise buying from those businesses that can show they go above and beyond minimum compliance.

Businesses operating legally in Aotearoa New Zealand should be meeting health and safety requirements.

However, you may want to take extra steps to make sure health and safety standards are being met if you are buying from offshore businesses or businesses you believe to be at risk of non-compliance e.g. operating in a dangerous industry or inexperienced with health and safety. Alternatively, you may also want to ask more questions to learn if a business is going above and beyond minimum compliance so you can prioritise purchasing from them.

Take action

Share Docket with your suppliers to get them started on their sustainability journey. 

Learn more

Benefits of sustainability for your business and supply chains - Sustainable Business Network

Sustainable procurement training and resources - Sustainable Business Network