The Kiwis: Modelling unity in workplace health and safety

Early in December, Pam Pryor and I travelled to Wellington, New Zealand to spend time with the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand’s (HASANZ) leaders Mike O’Brien (Chair) and Philip Aldridge (CEO). The purpose of the trip was to discuss future collaboration opportunities between countries.

HASANZ is New Zealand’s umbrella organization representing the workplace-related health and safety professions in New Zealand. It brings together generalists, hygienists, ergonomists, hazardous substance professionals and occupational nurses, physiotherapists and therapists. Pam and I were introduced to some of their members and spoke to business leaders and academics who are leading health and safety initiatives in NZ. We also spent time with WorkSafe NZ’s Head of Agency, Nicole Rosie and her General Manager of Strategy and Performance, Jude Urlich, who are leading the transformation of the national regulator.

The trip will have great outcomes in joint projects with HASANZ which I hope to announce in the months ahead, but it’s also worth looking at how the Kiwis are currently grasping new opportunities as they change.

In comparison to Australia, the Kiwis have a generally higher cultural appetite for risk and those attitudes are underpinned by a stronger focus on the responsibility of the individual in insurance law. If you’ve ever been on the 'Luge' in Rotorua or rafted the Shotover River near Queenstown, you will know what I mean. These thrilling and risky recreational activities couldn’t exist in Australia because they couldn’t get insured. This appetite for risk and higher focus on the responsibilities of the individual, has also historically extended into workplace health and safety. 

However, in NZ today there is both a social and political appetite for change in workplace health and safety. The key driver for this change was unwelcome: The Pike River mining disaster in 2010 that killed 29 people was a national tragedy. Its impact has reverberated deep into the national social and political discourse, providing the whole community a new lens on workplace health and safety. The impacts of that new lens are now beginning to play out in business philosophy, WHS legislation, regulation and systems. 

Although the Kiwis are importing broad swathes of Australian legislation, they’re being smart about it, building on their own particular strengths:

WorkSafe NZ covers the whole country and does things one way. This is a structural issue that the Kiwis have a significant advantage with and are making the most of. As a Commonwealth of States, Australia has a well-known structural problem with consistency in the law. In particular, inconsistency in its application across different states and territories with changing governments of different hues. 

WorkSafe NZ is inclusive of a wider range of stakeholders. The Kiwi regulator draws on a wide range of stakeholder input and values the diversity. This includes business leaders, the health and safety professions through HASANZ and the wider community. The National Government is funding projects and contributions of all the stakeholders. As a result, a lot is being achieved quickly and with broader support, positivity and a common purpose.

The health and safety professional associations have enrolled themselves in the idea that together they are stronger. The various health and safety associations in NZ - the generalists, hygienists and ergonomists etc - to their credit have come together under the umbrella of HASANZ. In its unity, they form a group which has a seat at the table and uses its presence to provide a strong voice for the profession. The group has great business links, is involved in multiple projects and has a plan for the future. It supports and advises the regulator/national policy body and they listen.

Potential to grow quickly in health and safety professional practice. With a new level of investment in capability and fresh approaches, there is an opportunity for the practice of health and safety to flourish and grow. It opens up the exploration of smart and practical real world practices built around the shared needs of businesses and their people. This includes the further development of health and safety professionals as a trusted and capable adviser to all levels of business, from the Board to the shop floor. 

Although the Kiwis have been casting their eye to Australia and taking some of what's good about our health and safety system, we can learn from them by noting what they're intelligently ignoring. In the years ahead, if they keep their focus, the Kiwis may very well become the place that the rest of the world (including Australia) looks toward, to learn from.

So, what can we in turn learn from the Kiwis about their approach, right now?

#WHS #OHS #safety #HASANZ #WorkSafe #WorkSafeNZ #healthandsafety