Puataunofo Manukau Pilot Project
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The Puataunofo Manukau Project
Kite angaanga, kia mate kite, tangata kite maani is kite kainga
At work, be safe, be wise, make it home (Cook Island)
Concepts, vision, principles and action
Concepts
Puataunofo is a popular flower found in the Pacific and a Samoan concept that refers to the integral centre of flowers in the Pacific. Puataunofo is the name given to the Health and Safety project as it symbolises a collaborative opportunity for key stakeholders to work together and improve workplace health and safety for Pacific workers in Manukau.
Vision
Puataunofo Manukau Project's vision of 'Health and Safety for Pasefika workers in Manukau' contributes to raising awareness of health and safety for Pacific workers so that when they leave their families for work in the morning they can "Come home safely".
Leadership
The key purpose of the Puataunofo Manukau Project Team was to provide strategic and operational leadership coordinating the different stakeholders as they worked together towards achieving the vision and delivering on key goals and objectives through practical initiatives.
The vision was achieved through approaches which included:
- Connectedness: Partner agencies that connected with Pacific workers were brought together to provide support, share information, resources and help develop programmes targeted at workplaces involving Pacific peoples.
- Co-ordination: The coordination of agencies activities and the development of collaborative workplace safety programmes.
- Communication: A holistic approach to marketing and communications
Policy Context
Key policy initiatives provide a context and support under which the Puataunofo Manukau Project was developed. These polices include:
Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015
This strategy aims to lift New Zealand's workplace health and safety performance and reduce the work toll to achieve healthy people in safe and productive workplaces. Pacific people are a priority group under the 'vulnerable workers' strategy. [www.whss.govt.nz]
The New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy
This strategy promotes a safe New Zealand, becoming injury free. Key objectives include raising awareness and motivation for improved injury prevention among government and non-government organisations, the wider community and for specific setting's such as workplaces, schools and homes. [www.nzips.govt.nz]
Effective Collaboration
Puataunofo Manukau Project team met regularly to develop and implement the initiatives. Based on recommendations from the Department of Labour Health and Safety inspectors and the Puataunofo Manukau Project, companies in Manukau that employ Pacific staff were approached about being involved in the project. Contact was made with agencies having an interest in health and safety in workplaces including Enterprising Manukau, Employers Manufacturing Association and Safe Communities Foundation.
Guidelines for Inclusion into the Puataunofo Manukau Project
A set of informal guidelines were developed by the project team to assess which sites were suitable to participate in Puataunofo Manukau.
Key principles for inclusion:
- Whether the company had high numbers of Pacific workers in what the Department of Labour refer to as high risk industries[1]
- Whether engagement in the project, in utilising services and products developed by the Project, would raise awareness about work and safety issues for both employers and their Pacific employees
- The physical location of the business was based in Manukau
Puataunofo Manukau Project Initiatives
The following activities formed the basis of the Puataunofo Manukau Project:
Health and Safety Workshops
The Health and Safety inspector from Manukau Hans Key, conducted meetings with managers and company health and safety coordinators to secure dates and venues along with a number of potential attendees. Using culturally appropriate protocols the workshops were delivered over a period of 1.5 - 2 hours, concluding with a shared lunch. A total of 83 people participated in 6 workshops delivered at the following organisations:
- APN Print (23)
- Heller Tasty (9)
- Big Tuff Pallets (25)
- Amcor Kiwi Packaging (26)
The workshops had a PowerPoint presentation showing pictures of hazards and safety themes. Workshop attendees shared stories of work safety experiences. ACC presented a brief overview of their role in assisting the prevention of injury in the workplace and concluded their presentation by presenting prizes in a question and answer session.
Responses to the presentation were positive with lunch providing additional opportunities for further feedback from workers and conducting one on one evaluation interviews.
Communications Strategy
The project team developed a multi strand approach to a communications plan which combined traditional communications methods such as written information with contemporary holistic and culturally effective approaches for Pacific audiences. This included the development of a Communications Resource Kit, using Radio 531pi community talk back programmes, the health and safety song project and the concept of a portable visual resource such as a DVD.
Other communications activities included having media in attendance at the Health and Safety breakfast, including Radio 531pi, Spasifik Magazine and Samoa Times. Great White Productions and One Pacific Productions had video coverage of the breakfast and developed an edited version available on DVD. Radio 531pi organised a live phone-in during the breakfast providing an opportunity to promote Puataunofo on prime time radio. Additional resources included green bucket hats printed with the logo 'Health and Safety Manukau' and the CTU Komiti Pasefika and EPMU distributing health and safety messages and information through union networks, websites and social networking forums such as bebo.com. See Appendix 9.
Communication Resource Kit
A Communication Resource Kit was developed with information and resources from partner agencies. Around 200 packs were distributed at the breakfast and workshops and the ASB Polyfest health and safety volunteers from Wesley College. See Appendix 5.
Pacific Radio Media CampaigN
Radio 531pi is a Pacific Media Network radio station, broadcasting to the greater Auckland region with news, views, entertainment and music. It is popular for ethnic specific Pacific programmes and provides a forum for Pacific communities to discuss and debate relevant issues. As one of Auckland's most popular radio stations for Pacific communities in Auckland, it was contracted to provide community talkback forums to deliver work and safety messages and to raise awareness among listeners.
The programme included a schedule over one week of 8 ethnic specific Pacific language programmes at various times. The Accident Compensation Corporation via Injury Prevention Consultant, Ezra Talamahina, worked with Hans Key to deliver a training programme for the radio announcers leading up to the Pasifika Festival. The training workshop for radio announcers was useful in that it provided the background information necessary for them to ask the right questions on health and safety in workplaces. Announcers put calls through to ACC Injury Prevention Consultants or Department of Labour Health and Safety inspectors.
Five live interviews were conducted on Radio 531 pi, two during the day and three in the evening. The day time interviews were held during peak hour drive time shows and conducted in multiple Pacific languages.
Health and Safety Song Project
The project team decided to use the popular medium of music and song to help promote its key messages. The work to develop a health and safety song was further developed by the communications and health and safety policy teams of the Department of Labour with the idea to promote a national song competition via New Zealand's national Pacific network. Niu FM was selected as it is relevant to the youth market, measurable and effective, with a broader national appeal.
The Department of Labour partnered with Pacific radio broadcaster Niu FM and Dawn Raid, to communicate the health and safety message throughout New Zealand Music month via a 'Write your Rights' song competition.
Listeners had the opportunity to use the health and safety rights message as inspiration for their own original songs. Using Pacific beats and Hip Hop loops on the www.niufm.com and www.dawnraid.com websites. Listeners added their own lyrics and submitted entries to the 'Write your Rights' competition.
The winner Hokimaianahera (Angel) Rosier was announced at the 2008 Pacific Music Awards at the Telstraclear Events Centre, Auckland on 31st May 2008 with copies of their composition made available for public distribution.
Workers Safety DVD Project
The project team looked at two proposals to develop a DVD that would incorporate Pacific stories and music as a communication tool to encourage individual and community engagement. See Appendix 11.
The Department of Labour approved funding for a health and safety DVD targeted at Pacific workers. Consultation and engagement with Department of Labour Pacific Advisory Group Workplace and the Puataunofo Manukau Project team provided some background information and support to the DVD project. This 10 minute documentary features Finauga Sau and Isaac Fuean telling their personal stories of serious accidents in the workplace intercut with re-enactments of their stories and tied together with voice-over narration. The DVD titled 'Come Home Safely' has been produced and copies of the DVD will support future Puataunofo workshops and Pacific community presentations.
Pacific Health and Safety Breakfast
The purpose of hosting a health and safety breakfast was to promote and lift the profile of both the Puataunofo Manukau Project and the Pacific Health and Safety messages. The event held during the ASB Polynesian Festival, brought together key stakeholders and a cross section of Pacific leaders and representatives from the community, workplaces and schools. See Appendix 7 and 8.
The event was successful with over 80 people attending the breakfast including Andrew Little, National Secretary EPMU, Manukau's Mayor Len Brown and former Deputy Mayor Sua Viliamu Sio. Pale Sauni was the MC providing a humorous atmosphere and Pastor Lui Ponifasio shared spiritual messages, linking workplace safety to personal stories affecting Pacific workers and families.
Feedback from those in attendance was very positive with the Mayor inviting Puataunofo to Enterprise Manukau business luncheon meetings.
The Project team conducted a debriefing of the event and concluded that it was well organised, well attended, and well received by all the Project partners and had the strong backing of both the Mayor and his deputy. Other comments made at the debriefing are contained in Appendix 10.
Passport to Safety Project
Passport to Safety is a web-based, self-paced learning and test programme aimed at young people 15-24 years old, who are preparing to enter the part-time/casual work force for the first time. The programme can be taken on an individual basis or as part of a coordinated approach through a range of avenues such as schools or workplaces. This programme highlights the individual's rights and responsibilities regarding safety in the workplace, a method by which to address these issues, identification of hazardous situations and ergonomic requirements.
Successful participants are awarded a 'Passport to Safety' that can be attached to résumés to demonstrate their basic awareness of workplace health and safety. See Appendix 17. Puataunofo Manukau promoted this programme to schools involved with the ASB Polyfest.
The Department of Labour sponsored 500 Passport to Safety certificates for Pacific youth with Safe Communities Foundation providing the training. Five schools expressed an interest:
- Pukekohe High School
- Wesley College
- Otahuhu College
- Mangere College
- Papatoetoe High School
[1] Industries with high levels of personal injuries and work place claims