Category Archives: safety

There has been a lot of angst over here in New Zealand about proposed changes to the primary H&S legislation. Much has been written about the pros and cons of the changes (largely cons) and I’m not going to repeat that here. There is an issue, though, that maybe we have not been quite introspectiveContinue reading “Only Ourselves to Blame”

Psychosocial Risks The most common question I have had over the last 18 months when working with boards and executives is how they should manage psychosocial risks. I always tell them that it is a separate discipline and to treat it with the respect it deserves by bringing in specialists with the requisite know-how. ButContinue reading “Effective Psychosocial Risk Management”

There has been quite a lot of discussion recently (on LinkedIn particularly) about some stuff that I thought we’d mostly kind of moved on from – zero harm, counting injury metrics and the like. I would like to believe we are a bit more sophisticated than that and when somebody threw one of my quotesContinue reading “Think Harder”

The Pike River movie launches today. I haven’t seen any previews and have no current plans to go and see it yet, but it got me thinking a little about how (if at all) we have progressed in our approach to health and safety here in New Zealand since the disaster. Short answer – inContinue reading “Pike River (again)”

Recent posts on LinkedIn about critical risk management have garnered a lot of interest, which seems to suggest there is a need for some clarity for people. A couple of questions were raised in those discussions about the fundamental nature of critical risk management. Why is it there and where did it come from?  It doesn’tContinue reading “What is critical risk management, anyway?”

I have noticed that, when I look in the mirror, I seem to be far better looking and in better shape if I am not wearing my glasses. There is no adage like ‘the camera adds 10 pounds’ relating to specs, so I can only assume that they are revealing the truth*. It feels niceContinue reading “Seeing Clearly”

Today marks the anniversary of the Pike River mining disaster here in New Zealand. I thought it appropriate to post this introduction from Challenging the Safety Quo. I do believe we’re making progress, but slowly. On 19 November 2010, an explosion ripped through the Pike River Mine in the South Island of New Zealand. AContinue reading “Pike River Anniversary”

Which of the following most accurately reflects your experience of getting leaders out into the field? Yes, (4) does exist. I promise. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and, if you want to see it too, read on! Ok – that’s all a little tongue in cheek, but not too far from the truth.Continue reading “Governance Series – Getting Leaders Out There”