If you see$ID … Tell Him

Aren’t we all a little overwhelmed with the new legislation, the Health & Safety at Work Act (2015) that just came into effect on 4th April 2016? What do we need to do to meet our legal obligations under the Act?

The term Safety in Design (SiD) is being used more often in conversations around the new Act. Will this cost us more money?

I have been overseas for a number of years working for a contractor engineering, procuring and constructing multi-million dollar power plants in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In both countries legislation requires SiD to be carried out.

The key message from a Contractor’s point of view is very simple:

• Neglect your duty of care for health and safety on capital plant and you are out of business
• Embrace local legislation early in the design, which will lead to capital cost savings

We have been practicing this approach for a long time already in the water industry in New Zealand. Our tools are established around the latest industry standards and are in daily use.

This paper outlines the following:

• Where does New Zealand stand in the health and safety space compared worldwide?
• Provides overseas lessons from a Contractor’s perspective
• Presents good practice Safety in Design principles
• Elaborates on potential cost savings
• Presents a case study.