Its time to "play your part"

Monday 4 October 1999

Today is the start of WorkSafe Week 1999 and it is time for everyone to start taking responsibility for workplace health and safety.

That is the message that the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) of the Department of Labour is sending as part of the third national WorkSafe Week which has the theme of "Play Your Part."

OSH launched WorkSafe Week in 1997 as part of their "Together to Zero: Eliminating Workplace Deaths" strategy in an attempt to raise awareness of the death and injury toll in the workplace.

"WorkSafe Week is the signal to employers, employees and the wider community that it is time to stop and think about the importance of health and safety," according to Bob Hill, General Manager of OSH.

"Latest figures estimate workplace accidents cost the country at least $4.2 billion. This is the economic cost.

"As well there is the human cost in terms of emotional suffering to the partners children, family and work-mates of those killed at work. This is immeasurable.

"The road toll is well publicised. The workplace death and injury toll is often overlooked. In fact it is often only when a friend, husband or wife is killed or maimed on the job that the social and economic costs really hit home."

For many organisations health and safety is a compliance cost and they try and get away with what they see as the bare minimum.

More progressive companies are managing health and safety as part of a holistic approach to business planning and management.

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"It is no coincidence that in the United States where the management trends of the next decade develop first, that the welfare and interest of the workforce are now being treated as paramount.

"Even in the cut throat world of American business this is not being done out of misplaced sentimentality, they are doing it because good health and safety is good business.

"The classic kiwi attitude of "she’ll be right" is not good enough because on too many occasions it simply has not been alright."

OSH has put an emphasis on partnerships with sector groups, employers, employers and employees all of whom have a vested interest in improving workplace health and safety standards.

"Looking back at the individual cases of death and injury, you can sense you’ve heard them all before. Most of them are covered by rules that have been around for years and are included in the industry codes for safety and health.

"With increased understanding and a change in attitudes, zero can be a positive number for everyone."