Committee
Minutes - Thursday 20 September 2007
Thursday , 20 September 2007,
10.00 am to 12.45 pm
Centre for Public Health Research, 102 Adelaide Road, Wellington
ATTENDEES
Present: Professor Neil Pearce (Chair), Professor John Langley
In Attendance: Mark Wagstaffe
(NOHSAC Secretariat), Carla Wild
Apologies: Dr Evan Dryson,
Professor Philippa Gander
Minutes by: Mark Wagstaffe
and Carla Wild
1. WELCOME
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Previous
Minutes and Action Points
NOHSAC Minutes of 26 July 2007 were reviewed and the Committee agreed
that they were a true and accurate record of the meeting with the following
amendments:
As there was no Action Point 2, the remainder of the Action Points should
be renumbered.
Page 4. First bullet point to read: “Occupational Disease and Injury
for women”.
All action points were reviewed
Proposed: John Langley
Seconded: Philippa Gander (via email)
3. NOHSAC Operations
Changing Work Environment:
Implications for Occupational Health Safety in New Zealand, Workplace
Research Centre, University of Sydney – Progress Report.
The Project is progressing. Unfortunately Professor Gander was unable
to join the teleconference on 6th August. John Langley commented on
the changing work environment and whether ACC was looking at occupations
where the number of employees is likely to increase, e.g. logging, and
thus the likely injury occurrence. Mark Wagstaffe advised that NOHSAC
will receive the draft report on 19th October and could comment on this
then.
Action 1: NOHSAC Secretariat to provide comment
on the draft WRC Report due for release on 19 October 2007
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 19 October 2007
Efficacy of Codes of Practice
– Joint Project with ASCC, Canberra – Progress Report
Mark Wagstaffe will attend a meeting with the Researchers next week
to discuss the findings to date and future directions for the project.
The issue of Codes referring to Standards, which are too expensive for
SME's to buy, has been noted as a fundamental problem with regards to
Codes of Practice.
Evaluation of the Social
and Economic Return on investment in an ACC Scheme.
John Langley advised that
ACC has put out an RFP to evaluate the social and economic return on
investment of an ACC scheme, targeted at the scheme level rather than
the operational level. He may become involved but will keep a watching
brief.
Action 2: John Langley to keep NOHSAC advised
of developments of the above research.
Responsible: John Langley
Target Date: Ongoing
Indicators – Serious Work
Related Injury
Colin Cryer has been contracted
by Statistics NZ to see if valid indicators can be produced for serious
work related injury sing hospital data linked with ACC data. His report
appears to confirm that there will be a ‘serious’ indicator for the
first time. NOHSAC will ask formally for a copy of the report.
Action 3: NOHSAC Secretariat to request a copy
of the Statistics NZ report.
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 30 September 2007
Occupational Health and Safety
in Small to Medium Enterprises
The draft was RFP tabled
and the content was approved. The RFP will be placed on the GETS site
for responses to be considered in December.
Action 4: NOHSAC Secretariat to place the RFP
on the GETS web site
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 13 November 2007
RFP – Women's Occupational Health
and Safety in New Zealand
Decision on whether to proceed with this will be considered against
other priorities and decided at the next meeting
Action 5: NOHSAC to consider the RFP for decision
at next meeting.
Responsible: NOHSAC Committee
Target Date: 13 November 2007
Guidelines for Determining
Work Relatedness of Disease and Injury
Mark Wagstaffe will draft an RFP for guidelines determining work relatedness
of disease and injury which will cover:
• Concepts/categories of work relatedness
• Acute and chronic work related injury and disease – criteria that
you use around:
- acute injury
- acute health effects
- chronic injury
- chronic health effects
• Review what happens in terms of legislation and what is the actual
practice with regard to diagnosis and compensation. Mark Wagstaffe will
also look at the Coroners model in Australia.
Action 6: NOHSAC Secretariat to prepare a draft
RFP for Guidelines determining work relatedness of disease and injury.
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 13 November 2007
Update on the Workplace Health
and Safety Strategy (WHSS) – Craig Armitage, Department of Labour
It was agreed that the MOU between Department of Labour and NOHSAC needs
to be finalized.
Craig discussed various aspects of the WHSS and initiatives within the
Department of Labour:
• The Government has provided additional Occupational Health & Safety
funding for core activity in Department of Labour. In four years’ time
the Department will have 30 – 40 additional inspectors. There is a project
in place to ensure these steps are implemented and examine what specific
technical expertise is required.
• Department of Labour has developed an on-line self-assessment tool
for small to medium sized businesses to help them with health and safety
issues.
• Department of Labour is working with CTU and similar agencies on the
productivity output from Health and Safety legislation rather than concentrating
on regulatory compliance.
• Department of Labour is consulting on the review of the definition
of serious harm. 116 submissions were received and from the themes that
have emerged, it is likely the definition will change. They have been
categorised into:
- Coverage of soft tissue injuries,
- Injuries or illnesses not relating to a single event - pointing towards
some expert diagnosis.
- Threshold for reporting obligations for non-employees – how would
business be expected to have knowledge of a member of the public.
- Definitions around falls and related issues such as physical contact
with moving objects.
• Fatality and injury statistics – this was discussed with Statistics
NZ with regard to the ISMAP panel, and will also be discussed with Transport
and ACC and possibly Health, The Department is trying to help Statistics
NZ in their injury management role. There has been realization that
the policy agencies should plan what sort of information is required
on a combined basis.
(Craig Armitage left the meeting)
4. Guests: gradual process
panel
Schedule 2 IPRC Act (Occupational
disease)
Hazel Armstrong advised that 24 gradual process disease/infections have
been recommended to be added to the Schedule. noise induced hearing
loss has not been added to the schedule. The additions to schedule 2
are now making their way through the Order in Council process.
Paul Cressey – ISMAP
On the Minister’s recommendation, the Gradual Process Panel met with
the Chair of ISMAP. Paul Cressey is involved in health information and
linking claimants with PHARMAC etc. Likely date of the next meeting
is 24 or 26 October and Hazel Armstrong suggested that this be a combined
meeting of ISMAP, NOHSAC and GPP.
Neil Pearce said that for both occupational injury and disease surveillance
it was necessary to have a unit which is responsible for them, along
with an Expert Advisory Committee. In the case of occupational disease,
there was no such unit in existence currently, and, Public Health Intelligence
might be the most practical location for basing such a unit.
NOHSAC and the Gradual Process Panel jointly resolved to recommend there
be an Advisory Committee for Occupational Disease Surveillance and that
NOHSAC and the Gradual Process Panel advise the Minister that the two
committees were willing to jointly take on that role.
The two committees would agree to jointly establish an Expert Advisory
Committee and follow the recommendations in “The National Profile of
Occupational Health and Safety in New Zealand”. It was suggested that
PHI might host the surveillance unit with NOHSAC and GPP jointly being
the Expert Advisory Committee. However, the first step would be to set
up the Expert Advisory Committee which would make recommendations, call
for applications and recommend where such a unit should be based.
It was agreed that the Chairs should write to Hon Ruth Dyson advising
that NOHSAC and GPP wish to advise jointly.
Action 7: NOHSAC Secretariat to advise on possible
joint meeting of ISMAP, NOHSAC and GPP at the end of October.
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 1 October 2007
Action 8: Chairs of GPP and NOHSAC to write to Hon Ruth Dyson advising
their wish that the two committees should jointly constitute the Expert
Advisory Committee for surveillance of occupational disease.
Responsible: Neil Pearce/Hazel Armstrong
Target Date: 15 October 2007
ACC Research – Peter Larkin
Peter Larkin provided a list of the ACC’s current projects:
• Noise induced hearing loss incidence study – reporting October 2010
• Intervention study RFP re the above coming out in next few months
• Effective health interventions in the agriculture sector – reporting
end 2009
• Hazardous substances in small businesses
• Hazardous airborne substances in the wood products sector
• Occupational lung cancer study
• Literature review – reviewing guidelines for occupational lung cancer
– due to report in October.
• Forearm pain guidelines being developed – due to report in December
And those completed:
• Burden of occupational health
• Musculoskeletal disease in the seafood processing industry – which
is now a pilot funded by FRST.
He mentioned that in their revised overall research strategy, gradual
process was one issue which was identified.
(Peter Larking left the meeting)
Guests – Gradual Process Panel
– continued
Medical Practitioners
Currently there is no funding for occupational medicine training. If
funding was available, training could be run through universities with
the trainees undertaking placements in various industries. It was noted
that the Irish diploma qualification in occupational medicine is not
recognized in the UK or EU (?) but it is being accepted in some cases
in New Zealand.
Chris Walls agreed to prepare a paper on the topic and provide statistics
on numbers and training of occupational physicians.
Other Business
• Hazel advised that the GPP is waiting on two reports from the ACC:
public awareness of occupational disease, and a treatment provider survey.
• ACC/Department of Labour are setting up an A-Z web-based tool for
occupational disease for general practitioners and Hazel suggested that
NOHSAC should look at the content.
• With regard to noise induced hearing loss, Kevin Morris will be invited
to next GPP meeting to talk about how they accept or reject cover.
• Neil Pearce agreed to draft a letter to the Ministers of Health and
MoRST – those responsible for the HRC – with a copy to Hon Ruth Dyson
on the subject of having the national workplace health and safety strategy
recognised in the HRC’s priority scoring system.
• John Langley suggested that a regular update from ACC on what research
is being funded would be good.
• It was suggested that a survey on the young workforce would be interesting.
It was agreed to hold one formal joint meeting a year, but that the
Chairs would be welcome to attend at any time.
Action 9: Chris Walls to prepare a paper on Occupational
Health Training and provide statistics on occupational physicians.
Responsible: Chris Walls
Target Date: December 2007
Action 10: NOHSAC Secretariat to look at ACC/Department of Labour’s
web based tool for occupational disease for general practitioners.
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 30 October 2007
Action 11: The Chair to write to Ministers of Health and MoRST, with
a copy to Hon Ruth Dyson, on the subject of having health and safety
in the priority score.
Responsible: Neil Pearce
Target Date: 15 October 2007
Action 12: NOHSAC Secretariat to arrange for a regular update on research
ACC is funding.
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 13 November 2007
5. GENERAL BUSINESS
New Chief Executive at Department
of Labour to be invited to a NOHSAC meeting.
Action 13: NOHSAC Secretariat to arrange for the
new Chief Executive, Department of Labour, to attend a future meeting.
Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe
Target Date: 13 November 2007
Meeting Closed
The meeting closed at 12.45 pm, 20 September 2007.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th November 2007.
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