– IT’S DONE AND DUSTED WITH NZ SAFETY BLACKWOODS
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), every business has a responsibility to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers, and that others are not put at risk by the work of the business.
A safer workplace is a better workplace says Craig Rowntree, manager at NZ Safety Blackwoods Technical Solutions, talking about the risk of dust and airborne particulates and safer noise levels in the workplace.
MANAGING THE RISKS – DUST
Does your business process involves activities that generate dust? If dust extraction/ removal is improperly managed, dust and airborne particulates can be ingested, this can lead to workers (and the public) develop respiratory illness and lung disease. Hazards are many and varied.
“Monitoring the level of exposure to a certain gas or dust on a worksite is part of an effective risk assessment and management programme. The NZ Safety Blackwoods Technical Solutions team can work with you to recommend solutions that provides peace of mind and compliance,” says Rowntree.
Some examples of where dust is a particular hazard are:
• Construction: frame and truss manufacturing and wind-blown dust from exposed surfaces such as bare land and construction sites
• Aggregate manufacture: wind-blown dust from stockpiles of dusty materials such as sawdust, coal, fertiliser, sand and other minerals
• Dust caused by vehicle movements on sealed or unsealed roads and yards
• Agriculture and forestry activities
• Mines and quarries
• Road works and road construction
• Municipal landfills and other waste handling facilities
• Collision repair: panel and vehicle sanding
• Industrial operations, including grain drying and storage, flour mills, mineral processing, cement handling and batching, and fertiliser storage and processing.
NOISE? IT CAN BE A PROBLEM
Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) affects 100,000 New Zealanders. About 30% of all workers in New Zealand are exposed to hazardous noise at work at least a quarter of the time.
“Noise at work can be harmful to hearing, but hearing loss is preventable if you adopt noise control measures, NZ Safety Blackwoods can help you ascertain those levels and alert you to corrective measures required. Vigilance and monitoring is key to compliance and a safer workplace,” says Rowntree.
“The noise level over an eight-hour period should not exceed 85 decibels as an average. This applies, whether or not your employees are wearing hearing protection.”
NEED SOLUTIONS THAT REDUCE THE RISKS?
“If your business needs effective tools to measure and manage risks for your team then get in touch,” adds Rowntree. “We work with a lot of businesses and we’re so focused on safety, it’s in our name. Let’s talk.”
To find out more visit www.nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz or phone NZ Safety Blackwoods Technical Solutions directly for more information on 0800 832 732.