Latest News
Read our latest news and updates below
Happy Holidays - and Thank You
Foremost a huge thanks to our 2,800+ amazing members. I’ve visited the majority of branches and have met with hundreds of NZISM members up and down Aotearoa. I’ve been struck by the care that you show for working people, the community in our branches, and the quality of the conversations we’ve had. Health and safety people are great people and I feel privileged everyday to work with and for you. ...
The promises and perils of AI
I’ve been thinking a lot about Artificial Intelligence lately. It has become ubiquitous remarkably quickly. I visited a training facility lately which used AI vision to detect when people had forgotten to put on their PPE. NZISM is using AI tools to summarise meetings, analyse data and assist with various tasks as a matter of course. I have been on the scholarship panel for HASANZ and a surprising number of the applications veered into the uncanny prose valley which suggested strongly that AI had done most of the writing for the applicant (not a good strategy for getting a scholarship). ...
Remembering Pike River - A decade of progress and a path for...
Yesterday, the 19th of November, we marked the 14th anniversary of the Pike River Mine Disaster, remembering the 29 lives tragically lost. In the last newsletter we linked to a powerful open letter from Sonya Rockhouse to Brooke van Velden about the health and safety reforms. Sonya’s son, Ben, was killed at Pike River Mine and her story is a powerful reminder of why we push for change. ...
WorkSafe's Sophies Choice restructure
On 23 October, WorkSafe began consulting with its staff on its latest restructure. The restructuring wasn’t a surprise given the news in May that ACC was discontinuing the injury prevention funding to WorkSafe from early 2025. ...
We had our say
NZISM’s collective response to the Government's call to "Have Your Say" on health and safety reform has been released. It is a document we can all be proud of and a testament to what can be achieved when knowledgeable and engaged professionals unite to have their voices heard. Our thanks go out to the NZISM submissions writin ...
8 days to have your say
You may have seen the recent press release from New Zealand's Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, encouraging SMEs to provide their insight into the consultation of the work health and safety regulatory system. It was reported that submissions received were primarily from large organisations with construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing, manufacturing, and other industries well represented. The Minister emphasised the importance of small business input as they make up 97% of businesses in New Zealand. ...
WorkSafe's long and winding road
We understand that a major theme in Minister van Velden’s road show has been WorkSafe’s performance and interactions. This is not a surprise. There is a crisis in confidence in the primary health and safety regulator; Safeguard’s 2024 State of the Nation Survey in March found that only 16% of respondents thought WorkSafe was performing well. ...
Register for important votes at our AGM
The NZISM team has been working hard to prepare for our National AGM next week. If you are a member, we hope to see you there. ...
A lesson for us all
Many NZISM members will have watched the sentencing of Safe Business Solutions, and subsequent reporting, with interest. In 2020, Grant Bowling suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after being struck by an agricultural vehicle at work. The incident led to the first sentencing of a consultancy alongside prosecution of the company itself under New Zealand's Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. ...
RBNZ The Panel: speaks to Robyn Bennett
20 August 2024 NZISM President, Robyn Bennett, was ...
NZISM meets with Minister Brooke van Velden
Two weeks ago today, Robyn Bennett, Mike Cosman and I met with Minister Brooke van Velden to introduce ourselves and talk about her health and safety reform programme. Ahead of the meeting, we sent the Minister this briefing note. ...
ACC's Workplace Evaluation System - a lever for reform?
Recent discussions occurring as part of the reform of the Health and Safety at Work Act led me to consider what other pieces of legislation exist that impact upon our health and safety environment. ...
Significant changes to NZISM are ahead
This week we will send out notice of NZISM’s annual general meeting on 18 September. The AGM will be both in person in Wellington and available online. We hope you will attend. The AGM this year will be significant; we will ask members to make decisions on changes to NZISM’s governance structures, changes to eligibility for the President and Board roles, and to vote on a change to membership fees. Governance changesThe new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 requires ...
Been There. Done That. (Not)
Kia koutou members and supporters of NZISM. I have recently read Been there. Done that – a report into New Zealand’s repeated health and safety failings, released from the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum, and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, here is a quick summary. I do qualify, however, it's not for the faint-hearted, and a depressing read. ...
Health and safety reform consultation begins
Kia koutou members and supporters of NZISM. Last Friday we saw the details of Minister Brooke van Velden’s consultation emerge via an announcement at Fieldays, a Ministerial press release, and consultation documents from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Health and safety professionals exist in a state of chronic unease but elements of the announcement spiked my cortisol. ...
MEDIA RELEASE: Health and safety consultation needs the v...
The Government’s consultation on the health and safety system is a welcome opportunity to make workplaces safer and healthier. Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon Brooke van Velden today announced a consultation process on the regulatory system, ending in October this year.“Our mem ...
H&S Reform survey findings
Kia ora koutou to all members and supporters of NZISM. I am delighted to provide you with ...
NZISM's priorities for the coming year
Kia ora koutou to all members and supporters of NZISM. Most of you reading have renewed your membership; thank you and you won’t regret it. We are going to do some great things together this year. Some of you reading haven’t yet pushed the button to rejoin; I have to warn you that you’re about to exit your grace period at the end of May. What that means is that you will lose access to NZISM’s array of member benefits and will need to pay a rejoining fee. After a year, you’ll forgo your accreditation status. Don’t lose out. I know that money may be a factor for some of you; please contact us to discuss possible payment options if this is what’s holding you back. ...
New requirements for ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme
Kia ora koutou to all members and supporters of NZISM. ...
Workers' Memorial Day
On April 28, we mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work or Workers' Memorial Day, commemorating those who lost their lives or suffered serious injury at work. Workers' Memorial Day isn't just about remembering those who died. It's about acknowledging the pain and suffering caused by serious injuries, both visible and invisible, that impact individuals, and whānau. ...
NZISM Governance Board internship opportunity
NZISM believes the health and safety profession has much to offer the Boardroom and we want to see more of our peers working at this level across organisations in New Zealand. We know increasing the health and safety knowledge and capability of those sitting at the Board table will enhance the health, safety, and wellbeing of New Zealand workplaces. Having the right skills to know how to engage with directors will increase the influence that our members can have at this important level. ...
Health and Safety Reform - make sure you are heard
The National and Act Party Coalition Agreement contains a commitment to “reform health and safety law and regulations.” The Minister of Workplace Relations & Safety, Hon Brooke van Velden, has announced that she will undertake public consultation ahead of reform. The timetable for this consultation is unclear at this stage. ...
