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The paper is about practice, rather than research, and shows how a complex systems engineering project was done. The project was unique, involving a problem never before investigated, namely, to find the difference in occupational safety of a train driver between being alone in a locomotive cab and having an accompanying assistant. The project used a systems methodology discussed elsewhere. It required understanding the overall New Zealand Rail system and ensuring the objective was clear. A strategy was developed based on a set of system principles. Fault trees gave accident probabilities, from which relative values of Fatal Accident Frequency Rates were computed. As a practical simplification, detailed analysis was confined to a limited part of the overall rail system which could be taken as representative of the whole. Care was taken to treat input information as a whole rather than as separate unconnected items, emphasising information quality, which varied depending on type and source. Major points were the importance of (a) a clear and coherent strategy including careful system decomposition, (b) having a body of information of high and consistent quality, (c) fostering clarity and transparency in communication, and (d) having – and learning – good communication skills. This work is part of a Special Issue on Systems Perspectives: Clarity through Examples (see Dias 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although workplace bullying has been long recognised as an organisational level phenomenon, few studies have explored how different organisational factors come together to influence bullying risk. In this study, we integrate theories on organisational psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and social information processing to understand how PSC is related to bullying exposure, mediated through leadership. We conceptualise and find support for how both organisational and supervisory factors align to shape the likelihood of bullying. Both constructive and laissez-faire leadership are incorporated into the model to explore the positive and negative pathways from PSC to bullying in a high-risk sample: 1,231 employees from 47 New Zealand public sector agencies who face high levels of emotional labour demands in their work. Findings from multilevel modelling corroborate the direct negative effect of PSC on bullying and confirm the predicted mediated pathways through both types of leadership to bullying, which is negatively associated with job satisfaction. Our findings shed light on how organisational factors at different levels combine to influence bullying, highlighting the potential (and need) for a multi-faceted approach to the prevention of bullying and mitigation of its negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore the experiences of strategic leads for nurse education as they sought to respond to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design: We utilised a qualitative interpretative approach to explore education leaders' experiences of leading during the early months of the pandemic. Methods: Nineteen leaders with significant strategic responsibility for nurse education in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom were identified via purposive sampling and agreed to participate. Interviews were held between May and July 2020. Results: Four overarching themes arose from the analysis: (1) Crisis driven adaptability & flexibility; (2) Responsive, complex and changing communication; (3) Making decisions for student and staff safety; (4) Looking to the future; stronger partnerships. Conclusion: Internationally, while nursing education leaders faced different problems, they shared a common goal amidst the crisis to remain student‐centred. They demonstrated they were able to face major challenges, respond to large scale logistical problems and make decisions under significant and ongoing pressure. Impact: In responding to the pandemic, nurse leaders shared knowledge and offered mutual support. This bodes well for future collaboration. The move to online learning accelerated an existing trend and it seems likely that this will continue. Given the pressures they experienced over an extended period, the sector may wish to consider how it prepares and supports existing and future leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One aspect of a successful dairy business is attracting and retaining skilled staff. The ability to do this is influenced by workplace attractiveness, one aspect of which is worker comfort and safety. Working with heavy machinery and animals makes dairy farming a dangerous occupation relative to many other sectors. Milking is the most time-consuming task on pasture-based dairy farms, and the parlor is the logical site of a number of injuries, although little is known about their causes or their relationship to parlor design and management. To investigate worker safety further, we conducted an on-farm survey on New Zealand dairy farms between December 2018 and March 2019. The survey had 3 objectives: to identify common causes of injuries relating to milking; to describe variations in milking parlor design and management practices on dairy farms; and to identify management and parlor factors that contribute to milking injuries. Analysis of accident compensation data from the state-run accident insurer for a 5-yr period from July 2013 to June 2018 was a fourth objective. Accident claims identified as related to milking through a key word search averaged NZ$252 (NZ$1 was equivalent to US$0.60 on May 19, 2020) per claim for non-severe injuries and NZ$9,334 per claim for severe injuries, for a total of NZ$1.95 million per year. A total of 136 injuries were reported on 99 of the 560 farms surveyed, and accident insurance claims were made for 53 of these injuries. The survey found that 48% of injuries occurred while workers were attaching clusters: typically soft-tissue and fracture injuries to fingers, hands, wrists, and arms. Injuries to these body parts represented the greatest cost (51% of the annual insurance cost) and identified safe cluster attachment as an area of focus for reducing milking injuries. Potential low-cost solutions include improved cluster design and a hand–arm guard. We identified a clear seasonal trend that coincided with busy periods in a seasonal block calving system, suggesting that options to reduce fatigue in spring may be beneficial; however, the number of hours worked or number of consecutive days worked were not associated with the number of milking injuries. Those aged 20–29 yr had more injuries relative to their proportion of the workforce, indicating that more training may be beneficial (e.g., setting ergonomic milking routines). Female workers were at greater risk of injury than males; this finding may have been related to the height of the animal relative to the height of the milker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Safety systems are socio-cultural in nature, characterized by people, their relationships to one another and to the whole. This study aimed to (i) map the social networks of New Zealand's quality improvement and safety leaders, (ii) illuminate influential characteristics and behaviours of key network players and (iii) make recommendations regarding how networks might be optimized.Methods: Instrumental case study was done using mixed methods. Purposeful sampling was applied to collect survey data from delegates at two national safety and quality forums (n = 85). Social network questions asked respondents who influenced their safety work. Key network players were identified and invited to participate in a semi-structured interview (n = 7).Results: Key players described safety systems in humanistic terms. Safety influence was determined to be a responsive relational process. Adaptive leaders broker relationships between multiple perspectives and contexts, which is essential for safe healthcare.Conclusion: Influential safety approaches appreciate the human contribution to safety. Designing the health system to adapt and respond to the needs of people, teams and communities, rather than the unilateral needs of the system, is essential. Adaptive leadership will assist in achieving these aims and will likely be embraced by New Zealand health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to provide some clarity on the due diligence duties of officers in the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HASWA). Officers, such as company directors, are seen as most able to take action to improve workplace health and safety, thus Parliament imposed criminal liability on these duty-holders to improve workplace health and safety (WHS). Indeed, there is empirical evidence to suggest that organisations in which officers are committed to WHS are more likely to have better WHS outcomes. To date, there have been no prosecutions against officers in New Zealand. Since the HASWA is based on the Australian Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011, this article draws on Australian jurisprudence and on some of the available empirical evidence on improving WHS to suggest how the due diligence duties might be interpreted in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Previous studies have reported high concentrations of airborne fumigants and other chemicals inside unopened shipping containers, but it is unclear whether this is reflective of worker exposures. Methods We collected personal 8-h air samples using a whole-air sampling method. Samples were analysed for 1,2-dibromoethane, chloropicrin, ethylene oxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen phosphide, methyl bromide, 1,2-dichloroethane, C2-alkylbenzenes, acetaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, styrene, and toluene. Additive Mixture Values (AMVs) were calculated using the New Zealand Workplace Exposure standard (WES) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) of the 8-h, time-weighted average exposure limit. Linear regression was conducted to assess associations with work characteristics. Results We included 133 workers handling shipping containers, 15 retail workers unpacking container goods, 40 workers loading fumigated and non-fumigated export logs, and 5 fumigators. A total of 193 personal 8-h air measurements were collected. Exposures were generally low, with >50% below the limit of detection for most chemicals, and none exceeding the NZ WES, although formaldehyde exceeded the TLV in 26.2% of all measurements. The AMV-TLV threshold of 1 was exceeded in 29.0% of the measurements. Levels and detection frequencies of most chemicals varied little between occupational groups, although exposure to methyl bromide was highest in the fumigators (median 43 ppb) without exceeding the TLV of 1000 ppb. Duration spent inside the container was associated with significantly higher levels of ethylene oxide, C2-alkylbenzenes, and acetaldehyde, but levels were well below the TLV/WES. Exposure levels did not differ between workers handling fumigated and non-fumigated containers. Conclusions Personal exposures of workers handling container cargo in New Zealand were mainly below current exposure standards, with formaldehyde the main contributor to overall exposure. However, as it is not clear whether working conditions of participants included in this study were representative of this industry as a whole, and not all relevant exposures were measured, we cannot exclude the possibility that high exposures may occur in some workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace wellness programmes have increased over the past years, but as yet has not been investigated in food and grocery organizations in New Zealand (NZ). The study aim was to explore the commitment of NZ Food and Grocery Council (FGC) companies in altering the workplace environment for employee health and the efficacy of the current wellness policies. Using a mixed-methods approach, FGC companies (n = 22) completed a workplace environment audit (WEA) survey. Three focus groups were held, consisting of employees (n = 20) from four of the FGC companies that completed the WEA survey. Two sets of data were then compared via methodological triangulation. The mean WEA score was 46% (p = 0.00), indicating an 'average' commitment by the FGC to health-promotion in their own workplaces. Significantly more initiatives related to improving nutrition were offered (p = 0.00) and larger food companies scored higher than smaller companies (p = 0.063). During the focus groups, employees revealed they felt workplace wellness programmes increased productivity, improved their physical health, allowed work–life balance, promoted social interaction and provided health-related education. Barriers to participating in wellness activities were identified as lack of time, working in a blue-collar position and working externally to the main office. The results of this study have large implications for companies and employers in NZ for future planning, implementation and monitoring of health initiatives in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the ability of nurses to be adequately ready for and to respond to a disaster caused by a natural hazard. Background: During a disaster involving a healthcare facility, nurses are commonly the largest group of healthcare workers impacted. The range of problems facing nurses working in healthcare facilities in Australia and New Zealand at the time of disasters triggered by earthquakes and bushfires have been underexamined. Methods: A qualitative enquiry was used to explore matters facing nurses working in residential healthcare facilities during a natural disaster. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify the key themes from fifteen in‐depth interviews with nurses. Findings: Participants preserved a robust sense of professional duty, personal obligation and responsibility to their family, patients and the facility, demonstrating the ability to adapt, cope and respond despite experiencing diverse personal, structural and organizational barriers. Discussion: Support was provided for using interactive systems and socio‐ecological frameworks to better understand the contributions that individuals, teams and organizations make to facilitate the development and maintenance of adaptive capacity and resilience in a nursing workforce. An ecological model of adaptive capacity can be operationalized to guide education, training for nurses and the development of organizational systems and strategies. Conclusion: This study identified factors that help and hinder a nursing workforce's ability to prepared for, adapt to and learn from natural hazard disasters. Implications for Nursing Policy: This understanding of disaster preparedness and how this may be applied to enable the growth of adaptive nurses provides an insight for a global audience which also adds to nurse education, service delivery, organizational and policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on the research findings the authors derive propositions for further research to explore the role of safety and ethical leadership in enhancing health and safety performance within New Zealand companies. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Based on quantitative and qualitative health and safety data collected by Börner in New Zealand and analysed in the (unpublished) Master Thesis of Lassowski "Supporting Aspects of Organisational culture on Occupational Health and Safety" (2014) the authors will examine in this paper the responses of company governance and senior leadership to reports made from front-line staff about their perception of the safety culture and (potential) threats to health and safety. Findings: The data indicate that company governance and senior leadership are sometimes reluctant to give adequate responses to employee reporting and fail to take effective measures to protect people and the business. Research limitations/implications: Directors and senior leaders need to be vigilant that the company systems remain compliant with Health and Safety legislation and are aligned with best practices in the sector/organisation. Reports from employees using company systems on a daily basis are vital to assure that those systems work as they should, and that action can be taken when (potential) threats to health and safety are reported. Originality/value: The workplace has a significant influence on injury, illness, fatalities and threats to environmental, community and individual wellbeing and this influence can be positive or negative. The research explores the link between the ethics of organisational leadership and its influence on workplace health and safety climate and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop and assess use, acceptability and feasibility of an ecological hearing conservation programme for workplaces.Design: A school-based public health hearing preservation education programme (Dangerous Decibels®) was adapted for workplaces using the Multi-level Approach to Community Health (MATCH) Model. The programme was delivered in small manufacturing companies and evaluated using a questionnaire before the training and at one week and two-months after training.Study sample: Workers (n = 56) from five small manufacturing companies were recruited.Results: There was a significant improvement in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of workers at the intrapersonal level; in behaviour motivation and safety culture at the interpersonal and organisational levels; and an overall improvement in hearing-health behaviour after two months post-intervention.Conclusions: The developed programme offers a simple, interactive and theory-based intervention that is well accepted and effective in promoting positive hearing-health behaviour in workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines how far the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 applies to roads. Road authorities have substantial control over the safe use of their roads and, as roads are a product of work, it might be expected that the Act applies to any deficiencies in that work that create harm, as it does to most areas of the economy. But the Act can be read in a way that limits its applicability to actions that cause harm much later and indeed to public safety in general. The article analyses some key sections of the Act to see how far their duties might extend to road authorities. It concludes that while there is some room for doubt, the Act is capable of supporting a prosecution of a road authority, especially in relation to a work-use vehicle. In addition, the so-called "upstream duties" on designers and others could well create a liability for the authorities. The article nevertheless proposes reforms to clarify the liability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assumption frequently made about the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is that the imposition of more responsibility on businesses and officers and higher criminal penalties will increase the deterrence of workplace accidents. This article argues that the anticipated increase in deterrence is a myth. In the new Act the definitions of duty-holders and their duties are broad and flexible. In theory, in the face of this broadness and flexibility, businesses who are risk-averse will over-comply with safety regulations to ensure they do not face a penalty. The new law appears to increase penalties and impose higher obligations on a greater number of duty-holders. However, in reality, the standard of care on employers remains unchanged, as do the enforcement mechanisms. Thus, in practice, the incentives to under-comply are higher than the incentives to over-comply and deterrence is unlikely to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that healthcare workers experience high levels of aggression from patients. Prevention packages to address this have received little research support. Communication skills have been shown to influence individuals’ experience of aggression and are also amenable to training. Objectives: This study aims to deliver a communication skills training package that will reduce the experience of aggression in the workplace for healthcare workers. Design: An interactive, multimedia communication skills package was developed that would be suitable for community healthcare workers. The training consisted of four workshops, including teaching, discussion and DVD illustrative examples. These were based on research and clinical experience. Settings: This intervention was delivered in two community care organisations over several months. Participants: Fifty-six community healthcare workers took part in the trial in small groups. There were 46 females and 10 males with a median age of 45–54 years. Methods: For each group a series of four communication skills workshops were given. Measurements of perceived aggression and wellbeing were taken before the workshops, at the end of the workshops, one month after and two months after. Results: Results show statistically significant reductions in perceived aggression one and two months after baseline measures (p < 0.01). Results also suggest reductions in distress and increases in general mental wellness (p < 0.01). Evaluation of the programme by participants was positive. Conclusions: A brief communication skills training programme is both enjoyable and shows decreases in perceived aggression, distress, and increases in general mental wellness. A full RCT of this intervention is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes psychiatric mental health nurses' (PMHN) experiences of patient assaults within mental healthcare settings using a thematic analytical approach. The aim of the study was to explore and describe psychiatric mental health nurses' experiences of patient assaults. The major findings of the study related to the nature and impact of assaults and supportive strategies associated with violence perpetrated by patients against psychiatric mental health nurses. Perpetrator risk factors for patients include mental health disorders, alcohol and drug use and the inability to deal with situational crises. The injuries sustained by nurses in the context of the study include lacerations, head injuries, dislocations and bruises. Psychological harm has also occurred, including quite severe mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Protective strategies for combating negative consequences of workplace violence include practice of self-defence, social support and a supportive and consultative workplace culture with access to counselling services and assistance in all aspects, including finances. The paper concludes that while healthcare employers need to provide better support services to the healthcare professionals who are assaulted, the legal system also needs to acknowledge that assaults against nurses are a violation of human rights and violence should not to be tolerated as part of working in mental healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Client safety is a major risk management concern for the commercial adventure tourism sector in New Zealand. This study built on previous exploratory analyses of New Zealand adventure tourism safety, including industry surveys conducted by these authors in 1999 and 2003. The aims of the study were to provide a continuation of injury monitoring across the sector through data collected from self-reported injury incidence by industry operators and to compare findings with those from other primary and secondary research studies conducted by the authors. Methods. A postal questionnaire was used to survey all identifiable New Zealand adventure tourism operators during 2006. The questionnaire asked respondents about their recorded client injury experience, perceptions of client injury risk factors, and safety management practices. Results. Some 21 adventure tourism activities were represented among the responding sample ( n = 127), with most operations being very small in terms of staff numbers, although responding operators catered to nearly 1 million clients in total annually. Highest ranked risk factors for client injury included clients not following instructions; level of client skill, ability, and fitness; and changeable/unpredictable weather conditions. Highest client injury was reported for horse riding, ecotourism, and white water rafting sectors, although serious underreporting of minor injuries was evidenced across the sector. Slips, trips, and falls were the most frequently reported injury mechanism, while safety management measures were inconsistently applied across the sector. Conclusions. The industry should address reporting culture issues and safety management practices generally. Specifically, the industry should consider risk management that focuses on minor (eg, falls) as well as catastrophic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper examines New Zealand stakeholders' perception of safety in design (SiD). • There is an urgent need for developing SiD capability at the industry level. • Participants raised significant concerns over new SiD regulations, HSWA 2015. • The regulatory perspective offered insights into regulation and policy formulation. Previous research regarding safety in design (SiD) primarily focused on legal aspects of integrating health and safety into the design, identifying causal links between flawed designs and accidents, safe design tools and methods, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Despite these advancements in SiD, there is a lack of studies investigating how new SiD regulations changed SiD knowledge, attitude, and practices. To fill the research gap, this paper aims to (1) examine current SiD knowledge, attitude, and practices after the introduction of the New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), (2) examine stakeholders' perceptions about the effects of the HSWA on SiD, and (3) identify challenges of SiD implementation. This study adopted mixed methods consisting of a survey and semi-structured interviews. Results indicated an urgent need for developing SiD capability at the company and industry level, although the industry had a positive attitude toward SiD. Several challenges in SiD implementation were identified, including (1) additional cost and time, (2) unclear scope of SiD, (3) opaque SiD process, (4) lack of collaboration/support, and (5) lack of good practice. Both survey and interview participants raised several significant concerns over the new SiD regulations, HSWA 2015. These include (1) HSWA being vague and more details needed to promote the implementation, (2) lack of good practice examples and case studies, (3) lack of non-compliance examples, and (4) compliance burden on small businesses. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge of safe design regarding industry professionals' perceptions of SiD knowledge, attitude, practices, implementation challenges, and new SiD regulations. In addition, the regulatory perspective on SiD offered insights into regulation and policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines several of the major health and safety issues to be considered for advising a traveler to New Zealand. Amenities of the country; Adventure opportunities available in the country; Overview of travel health and safety Internet resources and contacts.

An abstract of the article "Agricultural Quad-bike Incidents: Do Farmworkers Take Risks?" by Lynne Clay, E. Jean Hay-Smith and Gareth Treharne is presented.

A 2012 and 2013 calendar of congresses and other events related to industrial health and agromedicine is presented which includes the American Occupational Health Conference, the Workshop on Research Translation with Vulnerable Worker Populations and the 2013 Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America Annual Workshop.