Elf & Safety

Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, November 24th, 2016 - 6 comments
Categories: health and safety - Tags:

It was disappointing to see Michael Woodhouse’s complacency for the government at one worker each week dying on the job.

That can’t be acceptable.

The new health & safety laws are a big improvement, and are making a difference in NZ businesses.  It took a ridiculous time (and workers continuing to die) from Pike River to their implementation, as National did their consulting with various backers how much they could accept.  And while an improvement, it’s clearly come up short.

The biggy is agriculture, and the fact that worm farmers are covered and not cow farmers.  How agriculture didn’t get classed as dangerous when we see more than 1/3 of deaths this year are from agriculture.  And agriculture, while a big money earner, isn’t that big an employer.  Clearly it needs including.  Agricultural workers’ lives are precious too.

There will no doubt be improvement over time as health and safety culture takes a while to bed in.  All those years since the 90s National government scrapped so much health and safety law have left us behind the 8-ball.  But maybe some of the watering down that happened at select committee stage needs revisiting too. Our rate of deaths is many times what it is in Australia or the UK, and every worker deserves to get home safely to their family at the end of their shift.

6 comments on “Elf & Safety ”

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  2. Draco T Bastard 2
    24 November 2016 at 4:32 pm

    Treat every worker death as a pre-meditated homicide and down grade it, or not, as the investigation continues.

    Language makes a difference so call it what it is rather than downgrading it to ‘worker death’.

  3. jcuknz 3
    24 November 2016 at 7:30 pm

    One hard bitten worker of my knowledge expressed the problem that workers take less care now because of all the safety rules instead of applying common sense to problems in their workplace and taking care.

    Like other regulations designed by bureaucrats they are designed to increase costs rather than save lives. Happy bureaucrats on fat salaries living in a world of their own completely unconnected to real life. There is also the nation’s problem that a vocal few are always looking for a scapegoat/compensation.

    Though Woodhouse makes some silly comments as he repeats what his advisors tell him [ worm v. cow farmers ] one should remember he is just a figurehead to take the flak which should be directed at his advisors.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1
      24 November 2016 at 7:48 pm

      Meanwhile, on Earth, New Zealand is regarded as one of the easiest countries in the world in which to do business.

      Come to New Zealand, see the incompetent employee-killing drongos of the right whinge and whinge and whinge about how difficult it is to do business here.

      Vomit is too good for them.

      • jcuknz 3.1.1
        26 November 2016 at 5:55 pm

        It is not only ‘the right’ who are experts at that moaning either …I am tempted to think, much as it is agin my principles, that it could be the effect of the welfare state with everybody, ‘ most people’ , who know their ‘rights’ but never consider their responsibilities other than to themselves.

        As I crit such people and point out their errors I wonder when it comes to it what irresponsible actions I have done through my life. But I am sure nothing like the tales told at a lunch gathering of most folk I am sure vote Labor and have done so all their lives working in places like Hillside etc.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.1
          26 November 2016 at 10:18 pm

          You are mistaken – rehearsing rote-learned lines is not thinking, no matter the temptation.