SME are not health and safety specialists so it is natural they have questions about the subject – particularly given the number of Acts. Regulations. Standards and other requirements they have to meet.
We are always happy to answer any questions you may have free of charge – we would rather you were in a position to make decisions informed by the experts. So feel free to CONTACT US. These are the questions Winsland’s SME clients in Auckland are asking – they will be common across NZ.
- Do you provide a health and safety system?
- Yes,Winsland do provide a health and safety system – see here for details. But first we should discuss whether you actually need one.
- How much paperwork do we actually need?
- You absolutely need some. How much depends on the nature and size of your business. You likely have most of what is needed already – but it may not be organised and will likely have some gaps.
- Do I need and APP?
- No. Don’t waste your money. We have one that is FREE and covers everything a SME will ever need. – details are here
- What are our critical risks?
- Great question and one you need to answer and document, along with your controls. You can do this yourself or we can help
- How do we handle a visit from Worksafe?
- Just be open and honest. From the start get it right – induct / sign them in and check they have the correct PPE needed for your site. If you need support, we can be there to assist.
- What is an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and what does it mean for me?
- Essentially you need to follow any ACOP that applies to your work. If you have concerns, we can advise.
- How do we get staff to take safety seriously without constant supervision?
- Another good question and one that is more fundamental to health and safety performance than paperwork. We have years of experience with this and are happy to talk through strategies with you.
- What’s the best training for our people?
- There are lots of technical training providers out there – there is not much between them but we are happy to make recommendations. For softer skills such as supervision, chemical management, incident investigation, risk management, permit to work, Winsland site safety awareness training, we deliver courses on request.
- What signage do I need?
- This depends on your business and the nature and layout of the premises
- We just had a serious workplace incident – what do we need to do?
- If is an injury, first look after the injured person and make the situation safe. Then leave things and notify Worksafe or ask us to do this for you. If it is a serious equipment failure such as gas leak or collapse of a structure, its the same sequence of actions.
- Do we need to report every incident? Which ones are legally required?
- Only notifiable events defined in the legislation. If in doubt, ask us as it is not always clear.
- Can you help us create a simple emergency plan?
- No problem
- What do you charge?
- The options are set out here. The standard industry rate in 2026 is $175 per hour. A daily rate would be $1200. Under our partnership arrangement the cost would work out considerably less depending on how much support you need and the seniority of the consultants involved.
- Is it true we don’t need to worry about risks that are not critical?
- That is the current proposal for change in legislation
- Do I need fall protection?
- Yes if there is any risk of fall from any height. The form of fall protection must be appropriate to the risk. Call us to discuss options.
- We are having too many accidents – how do we turn it around?
- We work with many companies on precisely this. We can help identify your current state and options for turn around. This is what our Winsland Health & Safety System Implementation is designed to do.
- We are introducing some new plant- can you support our project team with this?
- Yes – we have a lot of experience with this. See here for our interim support arrangements
- How often do i need to refresh my scissor lift training?
- There is no mandatory refresher time for this or similar training – despite what training providers say. If the person is using the skill all the time a five-year refresh may be useful, but an internal check by another competent person may be sufficient. If the skill is seldom used, then two years may be appropriate. Bottom line it is what is required to ensure the person is competent and it does not need to be a course.