Managing work-related health often receives less focus and resources than managing workplace safety, but the harm is real with over 600 to 900 deaths a year from ill health caused by work exposure. Keeping workers healthy is as important as keeping them safe.
Safeguard’s inaugural HealthRISK Conference is designed for people who feel comfortable dealing with safety but who are more apprehensive about tackling health.
The conference aims to provide attendees with the tools they need to manage health like safety and to provide a better understanding of some of the key health risks that affect New Zealand workplaces.
Join us on Tuesday 6 July in person or via livestream as we shine the spotlight on work-related health.
Safeguard events team
| 08.30am | Registration and coffee |
| 09.00am | Welcome from the MC Helen Sadgrove CFIOSH,Head of Health, Safety & Wellbeing, St John |
| 09.10am | How do you apply a critical risk framework to a health risk? The Department of Corrections is currently developing their approach to the management of critical risks. The Department has some fairly unique challenges in developing this system due to the nature of the work they do, and the people undertaking that work. In this session National Manager for Safety & Wellbeing Strategy & Systems, Mike Woodcock, shares insights into how health risks are being factored into the Department’s critical risk journey and the challenges this work presents. Mike Woodcock, National Manager Strategy & Systems, Safety & Wellbeing, Department of Corrections |
| 09.50am | Leading Health & Wellbeing through a risk lens: how to identify your business health risks and transform the way Health & Wellbeing is delivered in your organisation. When considering the health risks faced by their workers Fonterra moved from a one-size fits all to a fit-for-purpose approach which places the individual worker at its heart. Head of Health & Wellbeing Terry Buckingham shares how they put a risk-based system in practice; the benefits, challenges and sustainability. Terry Buckingham, Head of Health & Wellbeing, Fonterra |
| 10.30am | Morning break |
| 10.50am | Fresh thinking from the regulator The WorkSafe team share the latest thinking on work-related health and what they are looking to achieve; consider what good looks like in mentally healthy work; and discuss the effect of the work-related environment and job design on musculoskeletal disorders Catherine Epps, General Manager Health and Technical Services, WorkSafe |
| 11.50am | Legal roundup of health-related case law A number of health-related prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work Act have come before the courts in recent years. Sam Houliston will discuss these key cases, and what they tell us about staying on the right side of the law. Sam Houliston, Senior Associate, Hesketh Henry |
| 12.20pm | Lunch |
| 1.00pm | The tension between consent and privacy Under the law an employer must protect workers against harm to their health, safety and welfare by eliminating or minimizing risks arising from work. But how does this fit with a worker’s right to privacy in matters relating to their own health? This tension can lead to interesting and practical challenges for a health and safety professional who is trying to create a healthy and safe work environment. What are the legal and practical implications and who is best placed to manage the tension – HR or Health & Safety? Fiona McMillan, Partner, Lane Neave |
| 1.40pm | Cancer agents at work It’s a fact that work-related cancers and respiratory illnesses cause more harm than work accidents. Human carcinogenicity classifications are not static, for example in recent years night shift work moved to the 2A category: probably carcinogenic to humans. The first step is to identify known and suspected carcinogens in your workplace. This session provides an overview of health risks that may be present in your workplace. Associate Professor Andrea ‘T Mannetje, Massey University Centre for Public Health Research |
| 2.20pm | Afternoon break |
| 2.40pm | Something’s in the air Exposure to airborne contaminants is one of the most common risks to workers health. The Breathe Freely campaign adopted and adapted by the New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society aims to increase understanding of the risks and their management. Reduced exposures and long-term health impacts will be a measure of its success. Suzanne Broadbent, Principal Scientist, HaS Ltd |
| 3.20pm | Session to be announced |
| 4.00pm | Final remarks and conference close Helen Sadgrove, CFIOSH, Head of Health & Wellbeing, St John |
Helen Sadgrove CFIOSH, Head of Health, Safety & Wellbeing, St John
Helen is currently Head of HSW at St John. She is a Chartered Fellow of IOSH and NZISM. Her career spans over 20 years as an inspector, consultant and manager. She has been involved with multiple interesting projects including the grounding of the Rena, the Independent Taskforce, designing SafePlus, reviewing regulators performance as HSW regulators and work for the Ombudsman. When not at work, Helen loves mountain biking and cooking.
Mike Woodcock, National Manager Strategy & Systems, Safety & Wellbeing
Mike Woodcock is National Manager of Safety & Wellbeing Strategy & Systems at the Department of Corrections, where he provides strategic leadership to enhance work-related health, safety and wellbeing across 150 sites, 10,000 staff, 40,000 offenders and 2,000 partner PCBUs. Prior to his role in Corrections, Mike has held leadership roles in Health and Safety for over 15 years and has been in New Zealand with the Department for 2.5 years. Prior to this, Mike spent much of the career in the UK where he was most recently Head of Health and Safety Risk and Assurance for EDF Energy (one the UK’s ‘big six’ energy providers) who operate coal, gas, renewable and nuclear generation assets. Mike holds a degree in Ergonomics and a Post-graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management.
Terry Buckingham, Head of Health & Wellbeing, Fonterra
Terry Buckingham leads Health and Wellbeing for Fonterra across 12,000 employees in NZ and 22,000 globally. Terry supports a team of Occupational Health Nurses, Rehabilitation Advisors and a Wellbeing lead across Fonterra’s operations in New Zealand.
Terry has a background in generalist H&S roles including Consulting, Finance & Insurance and Tertiary Education sectors over the past 20 years. Since his career start in Nursing in NZ and overseas he has led successful teams in transforming the way Health and Wellbeing is led and managed in the Workplace.
Terry holds a Masters Degree in Workplace Health Promotion and a Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Safety.
Sam Houliston, Senior Associate, Hesketh Henry
Sam was admitted as a solicitor and barrister of the High Court of New Zealand in 2006. He commenced legal practice as a health and safety prosecutor with the Department of Labour. In private practice, he has specialised in employment and health and safety law, and routinely advises employers and unions on health and safety compliance and enforcement matters. Sam is recognised in the Asialaw Profile Directory 2021 as a 'Rising Star'.
Fiona McMillan, Partner, Lane Neave
Fiona is a Partner of the employment law team and commenced her career with Lane Neave in 2007. Fiona specialises in assisting employers with all employment law related advice including collective bargaining, independent external investigations and human rights commission matters. She regularly represents employers in Mediations, Employment Relations Authority Investigation Meetings and the Employment Court
Fiona was Counsel on the leading case on penalties – Borsboom v PVT Limited and the leading case on union discrimination – Lamont and Others v Ritchies Transport Holdings Limited.
Fiona was nominated for Young Lawyer of the Year at the 2016 Law Awards.
In 2020, Fiona was named in the Doyle’s Guide New Zealand as a recommended Health and Safety Lawyer. Fiona has also been recognised in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a leading employment and health and safety practitioner in New Zealand.
Click here to view COVID-19 information for attendees
6 July 2021, Eden Park Auckland
(ends 15 June)
$595 + GST (save $100)
(ends 15 June)
$545 + GST (save $100)
For any event enquiries please email eventsanz@thomsonreuters.com or call 021 247 7144