Published 8 May 2017
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3 min read
What are Health and Safety Checklists from WorkSafe New Zealand?
WorkSafe New Zealand, a government agency dedicated to promoting healthy and safe work environments, provides a valuable resource in the form of health and safety templates. These templates serve as essential tools for businesses and organizations to streamline their efforts in compliance with safety regulations and promote a culture of safety.
Importance and Benefits of Using These Checklists?
Organizations usually stick with paper-based checklists when conducting inspections and other health and safety-related tasks. These checklists from Workplace NZ can be integrated into a highly customizable digital template that allows users to easily use and edit. Using these checklists for workplace health and safety also offers multitudes of advantages, including:
Effectivity and Convenience of Use – Using a digital checklist makes it easier to stay organized by storing all reports in one place. Your team won’t need to collate and summarize your checklist because it is automatically generated via reports.
Compliance with Regulations – Regulatory bodies set strict guidelines for workplace safety. Using these checklists helps businesses ensure they comply with these regulations, avoiding potential fines and penalties.
Enhanced Accountabilityand Response Time – With clear checklists in place, responsibilities for safety measures are easily assigned right after conducting an audit/inspection. Instead of waiting days to assign important actions to your team, you can do it in minutes within the same platform.
How Can Organizations Utilize Digital Templates to Improve Workplace Safety?
These organizations have utilized digital checklists in their daily processes to improve their workplace safety and compliance regulations in New Zealand and other neighboring countries:
Kiwi Rail
Kiwi Rail oversees the management of railway infrastructure spanning the entire length of New Zealand, a formidable task given the country’s rugged terrain. When earthquakes occur and cause extensive damage to both rail and road networks, the Kiwi Rail team truly excels.
National Storage
When COVID-19 struck, National Storage had to implement changes across all levels of its operation to ensure the safe maintenance and operation of its facilities for both staff and customers. To address this, they developed a COVID checklist within a digital platform, all of which aligned with the guidelines issued by WorkSafe New Zealand. This straightforward checklist was designed for swift adoption and implementation, effectively managing the flow of people accessing their self-storage units around the clock.
National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC)
NAFC, which operates as a business unit under AFAC (the National Council for Fire, Emergency Services, and Land Management), plays a crucial role in facilitating a unified national framework for the supply of specialized aerial firefighting resources. They manage the acquisition of a fleet of highly specialized firefighting aircraft, ensuring their readiness for deployment by emergency service and land management agencies in various Australian states and territories.
In the past, inspections were conducted using traditional pen-and-paper methods or static documents. However, the adoption of a digital platform now guarantees that NAFC maintains consistent standards across various states and territories, ultimately resulting in a more reliable firefighting fleet.
Aircraft undergoes assessments prior to being deployed for firefighting purposes, with the operator conducting checks in the spring or early summer, followed by additional compliance assessments by the fire authority. Additionally, ad hoc inspections are carried out when issues arise, and location checks of airbases and helipads are performed to ensure their safety.
