Health and safety updates

Mastercraft Kitchens Wellington is progressing a number of internal initiatives aimed at maximising the wellbeing and safety of our work family alongside streamlining our overall operation.

We have replenished our pool of first aiders and fire wardens, ensuring better coverage across the business.

This includes five team members completing the Health and Safety Representative: Initial Certificate (Unit Standard 29315). Four of these team members have also been appointed to the company’s newly-formed Health and Safety Committee (HSC).

Nigel Dickson, who recently took on the role of company OSH and inwards goods manager, says this certification is a significant empowerment to ensuring staff safety.

“Each of our health and safety reps now has WorkSafe NZ authority to issue a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) and shut down machinery if ever a dangerous situation were to develop,” says Nigel.

“Fortunately (touch wood), we’ve never come close to any such situation arising here. But this initiative from management demonstrates the care for and faith in staff within this business.”

Nigel says one of his biggest personal takeaways from the one-day course is that prioritising health and safety is as much about protecting individuals as it is about safeguarding the business.

“We all want to go home safely at the end of each day and be able to come back and continue earning a living tomorrow – that is the priority.

“But what people might not think about is that if something bad were to happen, then the business owners – the persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) – could well be prosecuted and face major fines or worse. One incident could therefore send the business under and we would all lose.”