New Health & Safety Legislation

[pooky]

Wait till you get to the directors part...as a favour to all you insomniacs out there, enjoy reading this. Note this is dated 2013, so not sure if any updates to come (but being government, I'm sure there will be.)

http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/all-guidance-items/directors-guidelines-on-their-responsibilities

[pooky]

..or this wee one page tome from those who must be obeyed...

http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/information-guidance/all-guidance-items/information-for-contractors-developers-landlords-clients-and-home-owners-factsheet/prevent-falls-information.pdf

[Perry]

Here's Your Sign - Wear It With Pride

Also another problem is, landlords need to know every intricacy of every renovation/repair/maintenance job to be able to understand the inherent hazards and safety aspects.

Which landlord has the time and money to get educated on ALL aspects of construction/repair/maintenance of running their properties?

At the end, we will just rely on our trades people to do their job, and for them to advise us what H&S is required.

If they fail at their job, then landlords get the blame? Lol, fun times huh?

There once was - in some piece of legislation (Commerce Act?) - a clause that specified
that if an entity held themselves out as a 'professional,' a certain expectation about their
performance was legally reasonable, for the person hiring them and paying their bill.

So what now?

I suspect a sudden increase in maintenance costs...ie, the roofer will now need scaffolding and at least 3 harnesses - tied to a portable crane. sigh

My brother is heavily involved in training for H and S in factories. it's a complex business these days!

And more GST revenue for Blenglish, Shonkey, et al.

Wait till you get to the directors part...as a favour to all you insomniacs out there, enjoy reading this. Note this is dated 2013, so not sure if any updates to come (but being government, I'm sure there will be.)

This is all part of the "I'm not responsible for the consequences my own actions"
loony liberal leftyism that's infecting this country.

Here's Your Sign!

[Perry]

..or this wee one page tome from those who must be obeyed...

More than half the falls reported to the Ministry’s Labour Group from the construction sector occur
from less than three metres, and most of these falls are from ladders and roofs. The cost is estimated
at $24 million each year.

Estimated, eh? (Desktop evaluation, perhaps?)

I wonder how many roofs are less than 3 metres high?

Ensure work on your building is safe.
If you observe unsafe work practices on your building, call . . .

The moral of that story: Once instructions are issued,
Do not visit the site until the work is completed.

[mrsaneperson]

The new H&S legislation coming in is all part and parcel of the great plan to control the masses under the Marxist dogma propaganda machine that NZ has now become.

During the time of Hitler , similar H&S safety rulings were implemented in Germany like the banning of square tables in cafes because someone might hurt themselves on a square edge so they instructed round tables to be used.

[Wayne]

I wonder how many roofs are less than 3 metres high?

Lots - the edge of most single story roofs is less than 2.4m (around 2.2 typically).
You don't fall from the top of the roof - you slide down and fall off the edge.

[pooky]

Oh my...could this be eugenics by disguise. The culling of the weaker roofers (who's limited H&S knowledge will have them fall off roof's in droves) to allow the stronger roofers to take control!
I've seen Wrath of Khan - I know where this will all end up - a madman on a spaceship!

But I'd be more interested to see how this actually plays out in the real world. I guess we'll all find out through the law of unintended consequences.

[Wayne]

Ladders are access devices not work platforms.
I want to install a TV aerial on the roof, near the gutter so I don't have to get on the roof itself.
So I can use the ladder to get up there but would need a platform of some sort to work from.
I really should scaffold to do the 20min job!

[pooky]

Wayne - Take comfort in the fact that you being alive after undertaking such difficult and strenuous work will confuse and befuddle those government scribes, huddled in clusters and drowning in their polyester suits.

[Perry]

Of course, the gummint doesn't give a hoot about roofers, you, me
or any other handyman or professional. In the event of an accident,
it's the costs to the gummint for all those 'free' services like health
care that's behind this. Cycle helmets are another good example.

[Bob Kane]

If you employ a contractor to do any work on your rental property (given that it is a business you are running), you are responsible for their H & S. How many people are aware of this change ???

Are you sure about this?
Sounds unworkable to me.
Have you misinterpreted it?

[Nice]

The whole proffessional Property Management industry is gearing up for this (or should be) but the laws will apply to anyone running a business; in this environment it applies to everyone managing their own rentals. Yes I am sure if this. Unworkable - maybe; but it will keep a whole bunch of beaureacrats employed.

[Bob Kane]

I still have my doubts about your interpretation.
I'm not a lawyer so I can't be sure.
Are you?
Are you saying one company can be held responsible for the safety of another company?
If that's the case, what happens when one company engages another, who engages another, who engages another company... Is the first company responsible for the safety of every subsequent company?
Hard to believe that will be the case.

[pooky]

A good question.

This stemmed primarily from Pike River, where the Directors - who in theory approve the business plans for the mine - we're unable to be held accountable for the deaths of the miners. There was an outcry on that.

The point is that Directors have always been held at arms length from the actual running of a business...that's what CEOs and Managers are for, right. The finger pointing usually flows downhill.

But the Government reaction is to hold Directors accountable - at least for the health and safety part. Directors strategise, so those strategies should include health and safety. (and historically, to save $$ H&S usually gets the short straw). In a good company, HR implement those H&S policies, and most current directors make sure they get noted as enforcing it. (it's why offices are suddenly getting flooded with A4 safety sheets on walls and little H&S cards on your desk (because of the nice plasticy paper, they're usually used as coasters, but hey, you were told.)

So that works quite well for companies/businesses.

But what about Property managers - or landlords in general.

Key phrases seem to be 'certified' - I'm assuming properly qualified, or working from a business. But I also suspect they mean certified from a H&S point of view. Is that possible?

Does a landlord need to verify the H&S of the business/tradie? A company director wouldn't..they'd expect HR or the person who sources the tradies to know what they were doing.
Some of us would expect the same from a Property manager, acting as our proxy.

Do businesses have a H&S code of compliance confirming they're good to go and follow H&S process?

I get the need for H&S. I think the specifics of what a landlord is to look for, need to be clarified.

Be good if Property Investor Magazine could do a piece on it and interview key players on what happens where. Like most things, it probably won't be as dramatic as we think but there will be knotholes to look out for. Just need someone to explain what they are. Maybe a property manager? How are they affected?

[ivanp]

Lots - the edge of most single story roofs is less than 2.4m (around 2.2 typically).
You don't fall from the top of the roof - you slide down and fall off the edge.

Wayne, you didn't account for any foundation, did you?

I've recently measured one of my houses that sits on very flat section and has about 30-40cm underfloor space - it has 2.9 meters from ground to eaves, so after adding gutters, height to the roof edge is about 3 meters. Any house on piles will have at least the same height to roof edge: 3 meters. If there is any slope (even smallest), the height increases quickly.

Given that most houses are built on sections with some slope, I would say that most single-storey houses have >= 3 meters from ground to roof edge. I can see only one type of houses that has less than 3m: a house that sits on a concrete slab on a very flat section - it will probably have a floor level of 30cm above ground, so 2.4m + 0.3m - 0.2m (allowance for eaves) = 2.5m from ground to roof edges.