WorkSafe New Zealand
Project Background
WorkSafe New Zealand is the national work health and safety regulator. WorkSafe works collaboratively with businesses, undertakings, workers and their representatives to embed and promote good work health and safety practices. Little is known about the prevalence of practices used to minimise silica dust exposure in the construction industry in New Zealand. This project sought to find out the prevalence of high-risk practices and seek to understand how workers are managing their exposure using common isolation or minimisation practices. The results will be used to inform WorkSafe construction and work related health programmes.
What we did
WorkSafe created a survey which we loaded onto iSurvey so we could collected data onsite using ipads. Our data collectors followed ethical processes which ensured that workers would be confident to answer honestly without being identified. Our team went to over 50 different building sites including construction, civil and residential to survey 250 workers
Outcome
The data we collected was used by WorkSafe with data from Auckland and Wellington to determine if their silica dust project Feecback onsite was very positive with the health and safety officer at one site commenting that he was pleased to help as the very action of collecting data onsite meant that subcontractors would think about dust safety practices.
Find out how we can help you
We’ll work with you to find out what’s working, where investment could be put to best use or how to improve anything not going to plan. We can help you define success and set tangible, measurable goals. And we talk in real language so you can understand and engage with the findings. We engage with the community to conduct community research and consultations for private companies, trusts, government agencies, NGOs and more. But we have a special interest in research that has a purpose - to better society and teach lessons. We aim to help those we work with build capacity to enact positive change.
