Employers reminded of health and safety responsibilities on multi-company sites
Media Release
Transcript of John Howard, Northern Regional Workplace Services Manger for the Department of Labour, speaking about the death of Faialaga Tanielu and the Department’s prosecution of Latham Construction (2004) Ltd and Nicholas Cross
This is a tragedy that could easily have been prevented.
A lot of assumptions were made and it was just assumed that people would make the right decisions.
In situations like this it is vital that a site-specific health and safety plan be developed and acted on. Someone must be authorised to take control and clear lines of communication need to be established so that any issues that arise can be sorted out quickly.
Having good plans is not enough. They need to be followed through. Companies need to constantly check that employees are aware of their obligations and observe proper procedures.
The costs of doing it properly are not great. The costs of not doing so are incalculable — the life of a worker, a family left without a loved one.
All New Zealanders have an interest in ensuring our workplaces are safer.
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