This section highlights some aspects of the New Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA 2015), including:
HSWA 2015: Objective
The objective of The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers, and other people.
Information used in this section was retrieved from http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2015/0070/55.0/DLM5976660.html and worksafe.org.nz.
The objective of The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers, and other people.
The person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) is not necessarily one person. It is a business entity in most cases, but there could be more than one PCBU involved with a project; clients, principal contractors, and sub-contractors can all be PCBUs.
The ‘Primary duty of care’ of the PCBU is to ensure the health and safety of workers and anyone else who might be affected by the work done.
The PCBU must (as far as reasonably practicable):
Officers are people (including chief executive officers and directors) who have significant influence over the management of a business. An advisor is not considered an officer.
Sole traders have the responsibilities of both a PCBU and an officer.
An officer must take reasonable steps to:
Workers must:
Workers have the right to refuse to undertake unsafe or dangerous work.
Other People must:
Falling from height is the most obvious hazard associated with installing roof and wall cladding. There is a hierarchy of techniques and mechanisms for ensuring safety at height.
Secure temporary access must be provided when there is no permanent access to roof areas. Preferred means of temporary access include scaffolding, constructed work platforms, or mobile elevating platforms.
Roofing material deteriorates over time. Before beginning any work on a roof, inspect the roof surfaces to determine its condition and identify weak spots (e.g., abnormal corrosion).
Weather conditions may affect working conditions adversely.
Adverse weather conditions include:
Many falls from heights are caused by a lack of planning. Dangerous situations can be improved by identifying, assessing, and managing hazardous situations.
Scaffolds are a common way to provide a safe work platform.
Edge protection is used to prevent persons, objects, or materials from falling.
Edge protection may be:
See https://worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/working-at-height/working-at-height-in-nz/
Safety mesh protects workers against falling through a roof while they are installing cladding; it should be used in combination with appropriate edge protection. For more information about using Safety Mesh, see https://worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/working-at-height/working-at-height-in-nz/.
Safety mesh should comply with AS/NZS 4389 Safety Mesh.
Safety netting describes fall arrest systems using temporary netting. This must be designed and installed in compliance with Worksafe: Best Practice Guidelines, Safe use of Safety Nets.
Mechanical Access Plant includes:
Safety harnesses may be of Total Restraint type or fall arrest type.
Total Restraint types are preferable, they protect a person from approaching an unprotected edge
Fall arrest or Positioning systems limit the distance a person can fall
All safety harness systems must be adequately anchored, and in fall arrest systems rescue planning must be developed prior to use.
These mitigate the effect of falls by providing an energy absorbing landing area. They are generally applied where potential fall height is low.
