Kate Wilkinson

Wellington, Jan 29 NZPA - A review has found the Department of Labour's workplace health and safety strategy is sound but needs to be rejuvenated and reprioritised.

When the strategy was put in place in 2005 it was decided to review it three years later and today's report looked at the 2005-2008 period.

Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson said she was concerned about deaths in workplaces. Figures for last year put serious harm incidents at 6141. In five months in the latter half of 2009 there were nine deaths in the construction industry -- one more than the entire 12 month period before. Four of the deaths were from falls.

The review said the strategy was working but key priority areas had emerged from consultation with bosses, workers, academics, industry groups and others. They were:

* An improved focus on and delivery of occupational health;

* workplace capability, guidance and standards -- especially for small businesses;

* sector-based approaches, such as accreditation in high risk industries;

* competency standards for health and safety professionals, and

* worker participation in workplaces, including health and safety representative training.

Stakeholders said the strategy needed to be rejuvenated and wanted to be more involved, thought across agency leadership and cooperation could be better and they wanted a finite set of action areas for collective focus.

"The review is clear in that we are doing a lot of things well and progress is being made, but more needs to be done at ground level," Ms Wilkinson said.

The construction industry had improved its safety performance and now subsectors of the industry needed work.

"Part of the focus will be to ensure greater communication and coordination with industry bodies and small businesses, so that workplaces are aware of the causes of harm and do not repeat the same mistakes."