Feedback Sought On Plan to Reduce Illness and Injury at Work

26 October 2011

Feedback Sought On Plan to Reduce Illness and Injury at Work

A consultation draft of a plan to improve the occupational health of New Zealand workers was released by the Department of Labour this morning.

It is estimated that between 700 and 1,000 New Zealanders die each year because of occupational disease and more than 17,000 new cases of work-related diseases are estimated to occur annually.

The Department of Labour's draft Occupational Health Action Plan is part of the National Action Agenda, to reduce death and injury rates in the workplace.

"The draft Action Plan proposes that priority be given to reducing exposure to five known occupational health hazards", says the Department's Deputy Chief Executive, Labour Group, Lesley Haines.

"These are occupational cancer, respiratory hazards, noise, skin irritants and psycho-social hazards," Ms Haines says.

"The Action Plan also focuses on developing the country's capability to address occupational health issues, and building relationships between government, industry and occupational health researchers and practitioners.

"Without these groups we cannot achieve the goals of the Action Plan - we need buy-in from everyone if we are to ultimately reduce the number of New Zealand workers dying and becoming ill because of their work," Ms Haines says.

The draft Action Plan was released at the Occupational Health Safety Industry Group conference in Wellington this morning. It is open for consultation until 16 November.

The consultation document of the draft Action Plan is available here.

More information on the National Action Agenda and the Partners in Action pledge is available online. www.dol.govtnz/whss/index.asp

ENDS

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