NewsBrief
Issue No.58 February 2008		TM

The Year of the Rat promises to be auspicious for two reasons.

First, those born in Rat years are recognised as leaders, pioneers, and astute business people who are charming, passionate, charismatic and very hard working – attributes all too familiar to our discerning readers.

Second, this year should finally see some progress in respect to improving compliance with HSNO. Sadly, but predictably, the Summer holiday period produced the usual daunting array of chemical-based incidents: warehouse fires, illegal stockpiling of hazardous waste, unwanted exposure to agrichemicals, factory explosions, record seizures of illegal drug laboratories, vehicle accidents, etc, etc, etc – apart from one intriguing incident involving ‘blazing milk tankers', this litany of ‘Acts of God', carelessness and outright negligence can only exacerbate public concerns about chemical safety, which eventually translates into calls for even more restrictions and costly regulation.

Labour Minister Trevor Mallard and Department of Labour (DoL) Workplace Group are presently examining NZCIC suggestions which could help to significantly improve the presently abysmal level of HSNO compliance. These include:

• Low cost, nationwide workshops to enable DoL, ERMA and the NZCIC to succinctly explain to employers and particularly those running SMEs, exactly what their HSNO compliance obligations are and how to satisfy them with minimal disruption and expense. The roadshow will begin in May and details will follow shortly (see the flyer at the back of this newsletter).
  
• An overdue public information campaign highlighting the need to maintain safe and healthy workplaces by ensuring chemicals are managed safely.
  
• Facilitating the availability of key compliance information, particularly Approved Codes of Practice.
  
• Targeting specific high-risk, high-hazard, non-compliant facilities for enforcement action.
  
• encouraging product stewardship by highlighting the activities of Responsible Care ® companies demonstrating successful initiatives.
  
• ACC accepting the PRINCE © audit for WSMP recognition and reward.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, even in an election year! What is clear however, is that the prospect of chemical suppliers legally withholding supplies from non-compliant sites where managers have declined offers of assistance to upgrade their facilities and staff qualifications to the required HSNO standards, is gaining traction.