It is not uncommon for safety inspectors from different countries to get together when it comes to enforcing safety rules; such is the case between the countries of Australia and New Zealand.
In an international agency agreement, construction specialist health and safety inspectors from WorkCover Authority New South Wales in Australia will soon be joining the Canterbury Rebuild Health and Safety Program.
“Last month the Government announced an extra $10.8 million over four years for the Programme, which is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Health and Safety Group,” noted the Group’s Deputy Chief Executive Lesley Haines. “There is a real opportunity to work towards significant improvements in health and safety in the rebuild.”
Rotating Safety Inspections for 12 Months
According to Haines, one way officials will be upgrading safety inspections is by bringing in a pair of rotating construction specialist health and safety inspectors from WorkCover for 12 months. Haines believes this is an exciting opportunity for WorkCover and for the Programme and MBIE.
“Both health and safety regulators will be working extremely closely together and this new arrangement will strengthen the links between the two agencies,” Haynes went on to say.
“The WorkCover inspectors are extremely experienced, warranted and will have to undergo specialised training about the New Zealand and Canterbury environment and health and safety legislation, as well as sit and pass an exam before coming to New Zealand,” Haines added.
There will be several inspectors from WorkCover in total rotating on a month-on-month basis for a year. They will work alongside inspectors in the Program team and the wider Canterbury office and support the transfer of skills to MBIE inspectors.
It is expected that the first pair of inspectors will begin their duties in Canterbury in November.
Author Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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