Health & Safety Industry Updates
- Preventing bullying and responding to bullying at work
Learn here what clubs should be doing to prevent and respond to bullying - National online register of verified workplace H&S professionals
Thinking about bringing someone in to help your club with H&S? Check here to make sure they are verified. - Hazardous substances update including:
– Training your staff and the new rule regarding recording training
– New rules for storing toxic and corrosive substances
*Remember – many cleaning products are considered hazardous substances and even if these are handled by external cleaners, the club still has a responsibility to ensure they are correctly trained and substances safely stored.
• Asbestos Regulations
These regulations came into full effect on 4 April 2018. Read more about what is required of clubs. Also see detailed information on Asbestos Management Plans. - Notifiable events
Are you aware of what constitutes a ‘notifiable event’? See detailed information on what one is and what to do.
*Remember – if you have a notifiable event you are obligated to notify Worksafe, you also need to notify Gymnastics NZ as the governing body.
Gymnastics NZ Health & Safety Guidelines
The Gymnastics NZ Health & Safety Guidelines for Clubs was rolled out in June this year along with a wide range of templates and additional resources. This collection of resources has been compiled specifically for gymnastics clubs and we are one of only a few sports who have access to this level of support tailored specifically to our sport.
Even with a wide range of resources at your fingertips, it can be daunting to know where to start – this month we encourage you to start working your way through the guidelines and contact your Relationship Manager for help getting started or moving forward. Supporting clubs to improve H&S is a key priority for the team this year and they are happy to help get you started and offer support and guidance along the way. H&S in its entirety is a big task, but don’t let that put you off, every small step moves you closer to where you should be.
Go to the Members only Health and Safety resources.
Gymnastics NZ Event Health & Safety Requirements Update
This year we introduced several new requirements for clubs hosting qualifying competitions. These were designed to help clubs to meet their health and safety obligations in relation to events.
We will be reviewing these requirements for next year and on the basis of feedback received throughout the season, will also be looking at event duration and equipment safety as part of the licencing process for 2019.
The new requirements resulted in new initiatives being trialled by clubs and regions to further improve health and safety at events. An example of this is in the Wellington region where the use of colour-coded lanyards was piloted to indicate coach levels (elementary, junior, senior). The suggestion came from a Head Judge who thought it would assist event managers to know who should be on the floor at competition. The scheme has been well-received in the region and also picked up by several clubs outside of the area. In order to keep costs down, the region has one box of lanyards that travels to each competition.