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Sorting out Health & Safety for your small business in NZ (the perfect guide for your business operating in residential homes)
Sorting out Health & Safety for your small business in NZ (the perfect guide for your business operating in residential homes)

H&S tips, guidance and good practice for small businesses in New Zealand

Updated over 6 months ago

As a business, whatever your work or setup is, it's important that you think about health and safety as part of your planning. Firstly make sure that you have processes in place for the following areas:

  • Hazards and risks

  • Training and competency

  • Emergencies and incidents

  • Plant, machinery, and equipment

  • Hazardous substances

  • Health monitoring

  • Consulting and sharing information with workers

  • Inductions

Working On-site

This could be on a construction site managed by someone else or completing a renovation or maintenance work at a customer's house.

Have your Team Pack Plus with you

This is a sturdy, water-tight Site box that acts as a portable Hazard Board that is taken from job to job. It has a QR code for simple inductions for your clients. Included is a workbook that outlines all relevant information and hazards, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit.

Start off on the right foot

It's important that at the start of your day or job you assess the risks involved. Complete a Risk Assessment on the HazardCo App, it will assist with checking that your work area is safe and any new hazards are identified and managed.

Complete a Task Analysis (if required)

Carrying out high-risk work? Use the Task Analysis feature on the HazardCo App, which will assist with determining what controls need to be put in place for the hazards that are present. It’s important to make sure that everyone involved in the work understands the controls that are put in place and are able to provide feedback. You may need to provide a copy of the Task Analysis to the main contractor, so check with them before starting work.

Safety discussions

Share and capture what's happening on-site, and upcoming works with workers through the Toolbox Meeting feature on the HazardCo App.

Report all incidents

It is important to report all incidents, injuries and near misses that happen on-site no matter how minor. Reporting and investigating incidents allows the cause to be determined as well as implement actions to improve on how the task can be done safer and better. Use the HazardCo App to report all incidents. Ensure you notify the Builder (if applicable) as soon as possible.

Check your vehicle

Keep your work vehicle in check by completing a Vehicle Checklist on the HazardCo App. This keeps a log of your odometer readings, service due dates and questions checking the condition of your vehicle and your emergency equipment. e.g. first aid kit and fire extinguisher.

Review and monitor

Everyone on-site plays an important role in keeping the workplace safe. One way to review hazards and ensure controls remain effective is to complete regular Site Reviews. You can complete a Site Review for your specific work area in the HazardCo App. You may also be asked to join in on an inspection or audit with the main contractor. You can now also create and update Tasks in the App for workers to follow up on, this includes the site location, priority, and due dates.

Tasks

You can now also create and update Tasks in the App for workers to follow up on, this includes the site location, priority, and due dates.

Health & Safety Documentation

Health & Safety records is a key way of showing that Health and Safety is active on-site and provides evidence in areas like incident investigations and learnings that are shared from these. This can be in either digital or physical format. Use the HazardCo tools on the App and Hub for all your health and safety needs.

“How often do you need to complete health and safety documentation?”

Using the HazardCo App, we recommend minimum and good practice benchmarking for your Health and Safety Documentation on-site.

Documentation

Minimum

Good Practise

Risk Assessment

1 per week

1 per day

Toolbox Meeting

2 per month

4 per month or when high risk work is planned

Vehicle Check

1 per month

At least 1 per month

Documentation

Requirement

Incident report

For any incident that occurs

Task analysis

For and high -risk work that occurs

Hazard/Risk register

For all work related risks

Hazardous substances register

For all hazardous substances - Remember to have Safety Data Sheets available.

Note: Your client or main contractor may specify any other requirements when it comes to providing health and safety documentation on-site.

Stay Focused On Health & Safety

No matter the size of your job it's always important to factor health and safety in. Plan ahead, understand the site rules, consult and keep up to date with health and safety information shared on-site, report hazards and incidents promptly, and ensure you stop and reassess if things or conditions change.

Need Help?

Don’t forget, as part of your membership, you get access to the HazardCo team, including our H&S advisory team and incident support, so just give us a bell on 0800 555 339 or at info@hazardco.com and we can chat with you on how to get the best out of your membership using our simple HazardCo products.

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