General Publications
Department of Labour Annual Report 2006
Vote Labour
Output class: Services to promote and support the safe management of hazardous substances in the workplace and amusement devices
Description
This output class contributes to the Department’s medium-term goals of:
- Occupational injuries and diseases are reduced by undertaking activities aimed at improving health and safety practices, including the management of hazardous substances in the workplace
- Increased awareness and uptake of excellent workplace practices by activities that influence societal attitudes about the benefits of good workplace health and safety practices, and carrying out assessment and problem resolution activities.
The Department targets specific hazards and issues, industry sectors, and occupational activities and processes associated with the highest rates of illness or injury, or that have a potential for catastrophic failure. Interventions are aimed at bringing about significant medium to long-term improvements.
This output class is closely related to the previous one as they are both focussed on enabling people to take responsibility for achieving safe and healthy workplaces. Activities within this output class will sometimes be carried out simultaneously with activities under the previous output class.Activities
Activities carried out included:
- raising awareness of workplace participants’ rights and obligations under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996
- collaborating with industry sector organisations and agencies to develop and promote safe management of hazardous substances
- providing information and advice to help individuals, workplaces and industry sectors understand legislation and apply best practice health and safety
- assessing the management of hazardous substances in the workplace, declaring emergencies and ensuring satisfactory management; and responding to and investigating notifications, complaints, incidents and fatalities
- identifying breaches and taking appropriate compliance or enforcement action under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act
- advising the Environmental Risk Management Authority and the Ministry for the Environment
- carrying out delegated approvals on behalf of the Environmental Risk Management Authority, managing contracts with territorial authorities or delegated parties for the provision of Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act compliance activities
- registering and inspecting amusement devices.
Performance information
Results measures
Performance standard
Performance to 30 June 2006
Percentage of customers satisfied with the Department’s services, information and tools. New measure.
The 2006 Workplace Group Customer Feedback Survey did not provide the Department with sufficient survey respondents to make a customer satisfaction assessment for Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act activities.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority is satisfied with the quality of the Department’s support services.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority completed a survey for the July 2005 to June 2006 period. The support services provided by the Department were rated at 3 on a 1 to 5 scale (with 5 being the highest).
The amount of delegations subject to review has reduced substantially with the continuing transfer of substances to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act from the transitional provisions.
Activity information
Number of investigations carried out in response to an estimated 150–200 health and safety complaints, incidents, serious harm notifications and fatalities. Estimate: 125 to 175.
The Department opened 165 investigations in response to 189 health and safety complaints, incidents, serious harm notifications and fatalities.
Number of forums and presentations given to workplace participants to engage, inform and promote safe management of hazardous substances. Estimate: 20.
This indicator cannot be measured for 2005/06 as staff entered details during the transition to the new information system in different ways, preventing either a count or a reasonable estimate.
Number of workplace visits to inform, advise, promote, survey or assess safe management of hazardous substances. Estimate: 5,500 to 6,500.
The Department completed 1,133 workplace information visits and 3,576 workplace assessments this year.
The new information system does not yet fully distinguish separate visits to the same workplace, resulting in an under count. The implementation of a designed modification to address this gap will start in July 2006.
Number of amusement devices registered under the Amusement Devices Regulations 1978 (made under the Machinery Act 1950). Estimate: 175 to 225.
The Department registered 177 amusement devices.
General Publications
Department of Labour Annual Report 2006
The increase in appropriation of $0.084 million in the Supplementary Estimates is due to a fiscally neutral transfer of the allocation of corporate costs.
The $0.055 million actual deficit in Revenue over Expenditure is due to lower than expected Revenue Other offset by lower than expected expenditure primarily due to delays in filling Professional and Specialist Services Group vacancies during their restructuring period.