NOHSAC - National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee - Komiti Tohutohu Mahi A-Motu Hauora me te Haumaru
  

Committee Minutes - Thursday 26 July 007

Thursday , 26 july 007, 10.00 am to 2.00pm
boardroom, Museum Hotel, 90 Cable Street, Wellington

 

ATTENDEES


Present:  Professor Neil Pearce (Chair), Dr Evan Dryson, Professor John Langley and Professor Philippa Gander

In Attendance: Mark Wagstaffe (NOHSAC Secretariat)

Apologies: Anne-Marie Feyer,

Minutes by: Mark Wagstaffe

1. Previous Minutes and Action Points

NOHSAC Minutes of 4 May 2007 were reviewed and the Committee agreed that they were a true and accurate record of the meeting with the following amendments:

Item 8: Delete the second sentence “Mark Wagstaffe suggested a national and international review (in a comparable country to New Zealand).”

Item 8: second bullet to read “Philippa Gander suggested looking at the occupational workforce”.

All action points were reviewed

Proposed: Evan Dryson Seconded: Philippa Gander

2. NOHSAC Operations

Release of National Profile of Occupational Health and Safety in New Zealand: Report to the Minister of Labour.


The report and the accompanying Technical Reports were released at midday. The reports have been distributed to all the organisations and persons who were consulted during the project and also the standard NOHSAC mailing list.

Action 1: NOHSAC Secretariat to include press releases in future committee papers.

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: Ongoing

Changing Work Environment: Implications for Occupational Health and Safety in New Zealand – Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney – Progress Report.

Project is progressing well. The first teleconference was held on the 2cnd July. Professor Gander will join the next teleconference on the 6th August

Efficacy of Codes of Practice – Joint Project with ASCC, Canberra – Progress Report

A survey form has been placed on the NOHSAC website for Workplace H&S representatives and Employers to provide feedback to the researchers .

3. Guest - Hazel Armstrong, Chair Gradual Process Panel

The Panel is keen to work on data collection following on from the surveillance by NOHSAC and to focus around occupational disease. They will be looking at the recommendations and working through them.

The Gradual Process Panel is coordinating a meeting of occupational physicians later in the year.

A date is to be set for a joint Gradual Process Panel/NOHSAC meeting in September or November.

Action 2: NOHSAC Secretariat to set up joint meeting with Gradual Process Panel.

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: 1 September 2007

4. Future Research

Occupational Health and Safety in SME's.

The RFP was discussed and it was agreed to amend the Service Specification to cover the following headings:

• Problem statement

  • specific characteristics of H&S in SME's
  • percentage of workers in SME's
  • percentage of overall burden from SME's


• International review

  • problems
  • best practice –
  • OH&S practice
  • surveillance of disease/injury
  • surveillance – control of exposures

• New Zealand review: how does NZ measure up?

  • what do the agencies do?
  • what do the SME's do/think

• Case studies


• Conclusions

NOHSAC secretariat was asked to draw up a provisional list for case studies. The budget for the project was set at NZ$60 – 80,000.

Action 3: NOHSAC Secretariat to prepare draft RFP on Occupational Health and Safety in SME's based on the above template and a provision list for case studies and email to the Committee for approval. .

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: 7 August 2007

Other future research topics:



NOHSAC Secretariat was asked to provide a list of possible future research topics for the next meeting. This should include:

• Occupational Disease and injury in women
• Occupational Disease and injury in Pacific Island and Maori
• Guidelines for determining work relatedness for disease and injury
• Occupational Disease and injury for New Immigrants

The Secretariat was also asked to prepare a draft RFP for the first of the above list using the format for the OH&S in SME's.

Action 4: NOHSAC Secretariat to prepare a list of possible future research topics including those listed above.

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: 1 September 2007

Action 5: NOHSAC Secretariat to prepare a draft RFP for “Occupational Disease and injury in women”.

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: 1st September 2007

5. Meeting dates for 2007/08

These will be determined by email but to be timed for a date:
• in the last two weeks of September
• in the two middle weeks of November

Action 6: NOHSAC Secretariat to send an Email to Committee members asking for preferred dates for meetings in September and November.

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: 3 August 2007

6. Chief Coroner

John Langley has met the Chief Coroner who is keen to work with NOHSAC re developing a module for the Coronial Department to gather statistics and publicize work related injury and disease. It was suggested that a future NOHSAC meeting could take place in Auckland to enable the Chief Coroner to attend.

Action 7: NOHSAC Secretariat to liaise with Chief Coroner regarding his attendance at a future NOHSAC Meeting.

Responsible: Mark Wagstaffe

Target Date: 15 August 2007

Meeting Closed


The meeting closed at 2.00pm, 26 July 2007.