How can we lead the world in health & safety? Learn from Australia’s mistakes, says RICHARD COLEMAN.

Worker engagement in H&S will be only superficial in a top-down, authoritarian work environment. RICHARD WAGSTAFF makes the case for genuine industrial democracy.

Want to improve safety outcomes and help drive change? Of course you do. SARAH COLLEY suggests paying attention to teams will help.

How do you create a real sense of community and common purpose among a large group of H&S reps? JO VAN DEN BERG outlines the approach taken by Air New Zealand.

H&S rep CLAIRE WOOLDRIDGE-WAY has been acknowledged for her work in enhancing the mental wellbeing of her colleagues following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. She tells the story in the form of a film treatment.

In 2016 Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was struggling to meet its H&S obligations. Now it has become an example to others. JACKIE BROWN-HAYSOM looks at the turnaround.

The 2018 health and safety rep of the year tells JACKIE BROWN-HAYSOM she never turns down the chance to do something different.

The acquittal of Athenberry Holdings in the first defended hearing under the HSW Act raises important issues about the ability of a PCBU to “contract out” of its duties. SAM HOULISTON and JIM ROBERTS argue the court got it wrong.

The law says PCBUs on the same site must communicate, cooperate and collaborate. PAT KIRK puts a slightly different spin on what that means in practice.

When most of your workforce does manual handling every day, people will get sore. PETER BATEMAN reports on an initiative making it easy to put your hand up and get treatment, before soreness turns into injury.

SAMUEL MOORE is part of a team brought together to reform H&S laws in the Cook Islands. He reports on the process.

Have you considered becoming a mentor to other H&S practitioners? PHIL LEWIS-FARRELL outlines plans to boost numbers and offer a mentoring qualification.

Clients who don’t understand health risk can place occupational hygienists in an awkward position which challenges their professional ethics. DEREK MILLER explains.

Worker participation is at the heart of SafePlus, the H&S performance improvement toolkit. We outline SafePlus and get insights from an independent, accredited SafePlus assessor about how it has delivered value for his clients.

PHILIP ALDRIDGE outlines a wide variety of initiatives under way to address the current shortfall of qualified H&S advisers.

Health & safety is often presented in a way which fails to engage Pacific Island workers. PETER BATEMAN looks at a piece of research which suggests a more effective approach.

Dr MIKE CAUSER’s lucky break into occupational medicine was looking after one thousand crew on a cruise liner. Then his luck ran out.