The Seafood Industry Training Organisation (SITO) offers FREE training in Injury Prevention. These are one-day workshops, held in a port near you, will show owners and skippers how to customise the Guidelines to their operation. There will also be a support person (mentor) based in your area who will be available free of charge to help you implement the Guidelines on your boat after the workshop. Attending the workshops and implementing the Guidelines on board your boat means you are eligible to apply for a 10% reduction in your current ACC levy.
For further information on the Guidelines and the training in your area, email Simon Reid on training@fishsafe.org.nz.
FishSAFE Workshop Dates 2007
WAIRARAPA
Friday 9 February |
TAURANGA
Friday 16 February |
KAIKOURA
Friday 23 February |
PICTON
Friday 2 March |
TIMARU
Friday 16 March |
CHATHAM ISLANDS
Wednesday 28 March |
GISBORNE
Wednesday 4 April |
NORTH AUCKLAND
Friday 13 April |
LYTTELTON
Friday 20 April |
WEST COAST
Friday 27 April |
MOTUEKA
Friday 4 May | |
FEDERATION CONFERENCE: WAITANGI
Wednesday 9 May |
TAURANGA
Friday 25 May | |
ACC Press Release
Small Businesses To Be Rewarded For Workplace Safety Schemes
21 March 2006
Over 180,000 small businesses which put workplace safety plans in place will soon be able to ask for a 10 per cent discount on their ACC levies.
From 1 April the government will introduce an ACC levy discount programme specifically aimed at small business employers and the self-employed in the agriculture, forestry, construction, road freight transport, motor trades, and in-shore fishing industry sectors.
"I'm delighted to offer government help to small businesses in these sectors which take workplace safety seriously," said ACC Minister Ruth Dyson.
"A large proportion of small businesses and self employed people work in high risk industries and they are less able than a bigger business to cope with someone being away while they recover from an injury.
"These changes recognise that small business owners can take a few fairly simple steps to improve workplace safety - and there will be a financial incentive for doing so," said Ms Dyson.
Eligible small businesses may apply to join the programme and if successful will receive a 10 per cent discount on their Employers' Account levy and/or Self Employed Work Account. ACC is working with industry associations and organisations to make workplace safety training available that is specifically tailored to suit small businesses in the relevant sectors.
"If a small business can show that it has identified workplace hazards and thought about how to manage them, and has staff who are experienced in health and safety and in emergency procedures, then it is likely to be a far safer place to work.
"This will benefit the business by making it more productive and profitable. ACC also benefits in the long term from reduced worker injuries in small businesses, and will give the business a discount on ACC levies," said Ms Dyson.
Contact: Ria Keenan, press secretary, phone (04) 471 9342, 021 227 9342, fax (04) 470 6784, email: ria.keenan@parliament.govt.nz
Angus Barclay, ACC Media Advisor, DDI: 04 918 4291
Questions and Answers
Which small businesses are eligible?
To participate in the workplace safety scheme that provides discounted ACC levies, the small business or self employed person must work in one of the following industry sectors: agriculture, forestry, construction, road freight transport, motor trades, or in-shore fishing.
To participate in the workplace safety scheme, the business or self employed person must also:
- have 10 or less full-time equivalent workers or liable earnings of no more than $380,000 a year;
- show they have relevant capability in hazard identification and management, injury and incident investigation, emergency readiness, and in training employees; and
- allow a possible site audit by ACC approved auditors.
Why have just six industries been chosen to participate?
This scheme aims to reduce accidents and injuries and the six industry sectors selected are those with the greatest risks of injuries. These six sectors cover 42 per cent of all small businesses in New Zealand but have 61 per cent of the accidents and injuries.
What benefits does a small business get from participating?
There are numerous benefits for a small business in participating in the scheme, including:
- a 10 per cent discount on ACC levies
- improved health and safety practices that lead to fewer work hours lost to injury
- greater opportunities to do work for organisations that require a documented health and safety system
- assistance with meeting obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act
Can a business do anything to ensure it doesn't miss out simply because it isn't eligible at the beginning?
The discount on ACC levies applies to the whole year's levies regardless of when in the year a business starts participating in the workplace safety scheme. For example, a business that joins the scheme in December 2006 will have its ACC levy discount backdated to the beginning of April 2006.
For more information visit www.acc.co.nz or www.beehive.govt.nz/dyson/
Media Release
12 May 2006
Fishermen improving safety for fishermen through FISHSAFE
“We’d like to make accidents and injuries a thing of the past,” says FISHSAFE Chairman Pete Dawson about the comprehensive, ‘best practice’ safety guidelines for small commercial fishing vessels. The guidelines were launched today by Minister for Transport Safety Hon. Harry Duynhoven at the Federation of Commercial Fisherman Conference in New Plymouth.
The guidelines and accompanying training were based on practical experience and hard-earned knowledge from past accidents and incidents and developed by FISHSAFE, a fishing industry led, industry/government partnership, set up to improve the safety performance of the New Zealand commercial fishing sector.
“Government working with industry will ensure that the guidelines are effectively utilised,” the Minister said.
“This shared experience will, I believe, also assist both Maritime New Zealand and the fishing industry in working more closely together in the future,” said the Minister.
Mr Dawson, a fishing industry leader and long-time fisherman, said that the guidelines were developed by the seafood industry and Maritime New Zealand working together with the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).
“Being involved in the development process has resulted in guidelines that are relevant to fisherman and will work for us. We’ve wanted them, we’ve worked for them and now we will use them. We are proud to have been involved in their development,” said Mr Dawson.
“Maritime New Zealand and ACC have been fantastic to work with and we’ve really been on the same page with this. We all want the same thing – safer fishing practices – and their support is very, very positive.
“The FISHSAFE guidelines are about us (fishermen), for us and this initiative shows we are willing to go further than we are required by law – we take our responsibilities, and in this case people’s lives, very seriously.”
To complement the guidelines and training, FISHSAFE has developed an accompanying mentor programme throughout New Zealand, with FISHSAFE mentors identified and located in fishing ports around the country to be a local point of contact for fishermen in their area. The mentors will assist fishermen to implement the guidelines and associated training, ensuring success of employment of the guidelines.
The guidelines are accompanied with associated injury prevention training for fishermen and an ACC levy discount scheme, which gives fishermen that complete the training, the opportunity to apply for a 10 percent reduction in their ACC levy.
The Minister and commercial fishermen were treated to a first-hand look at the guidelines in practice on a vessel in the Port of New Plymouth following the launch.
For further information please contact:
Christl McMillan
Manager, Education and Communication
Maritime New Zealand
DDI + 64 4 494 1259
Mobile +64 027 552 4873
Joanna Garty
Communications Advisor
New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Ltd
DDI +64 4 802 1841
Mobile +64 027 414 0439
Background Information:
FishSAFE is a fishing industry led, industry/government partnership with the aim of developing strategies to improve the safety performance of the New Zealand commercial fishing sector.
The target audience of the guidelines are the owners, operators and crew of fishing vessels under 24 metres in length.
Membership of FishSAFE is open to individual fishermen and representative organisations, as well as government agencies with an interest in health and safety in the commercial fishing industry. Current active membership includes representatives from the following organisations:
- NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen
- Maritime New Zealand
- Seafood Industry Training Organisation
- Accident Compensation Corporation
- New Zealand Fishing Vessel Owners Association
- Greymouth Fishermen's Association
- Port Nelson Fishermen's Association
- New Zealand Fishing Industry Guild
- Tuna New Zealand
- New Zealand Seafood Industry Council
- New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council
- Sanford Ltd
- Talleys
- Te Ohu Kai Moana
- Sealord Group Ltd
- New Zealand School of Fisheries
Speakers at FishSAFE Launch
Pete Dawson – Chairman of FishSAFE and the Federation of Commercial Fishermen.
Pete is a long time fisherman and advocate for safety, with over 35 years operational experience as a qualified and practicing St John Ambulance paramedic in the Port Lyttleton volunteer ambulance service. He has recently retired the position of Operational Manager there, to take over the administration outfit. Pete’s passion for safety stems for seeing the damage done at the other end. He has been a member of the Fishing Industry Association’s Catching Sector committee, Fishing Vessel Owners Association and on the board and Deputy Chairman of the Maritime Safety Authority (now Maritime New Zealand). Pete has also been on the FishGroup committee which brought about the formation of the FishSAFE group to implement the recommendations to decrease accidents in the fishing industry.
Dave Morgan – Deputy Chairman of Maritime New Zealand.
Dave represents Maritime New Zealand’s involvement in FishSAFE which has been one of partnership with industry groups in developing strategies to improve the safety performance of the New Zealand commercial fishing sector. Dave was formerly President of the New Zealand Seafarers Union. He has also served on the Marine Council and the New Zealand Shipping Industry Training Board, and was a member of the Shipping Industry Review Team that made strategic recommendations to the Minister of Transport in 2000. He is currently the New Zealand representative on the Board of the Pacific Forum Line. He became a member of the Maritime New Zealand Board in July 2001 and was appointed Deputy Chairman in June 2004.
Phillip McIntosh – National Manager, Workplace Safety - Injury Prevention, ACC.
Phillip has responsibility for ACC's occupational injury prevention programmes. Prior to joining ACC he was director of Massey University's Centre for Ergonomics, Occupational Safety and Health, and was previously the national health and safety manager for the NZ Fire Service and, prior to that, the Department of Conservation. His earlier health and safety career was in the Department of Labour as an Inspector and, subsequently, a manager in the department's OSH Service.
Barbara Johnsen – General Manager of the Seafood Industry Training Organisation (SITO).
SITO facilitates and develops training qualifications for the seafood industry. SITO has been involved in the development and implementation of training around the Safety Guidelines. SITO is a business unit of the NZ Seafood Industry Council (SeaFIC), which promotes the interests of all sectors of the seafood industry. SeaFIC has provided communications support for FishSAFE.
Hon. Harry Duynhoven - Minister of Transport Safety and current MP for New Plymouth.
Before entering parliament Harry worked as a registered electrician prior to becoming a technical teacher. He was the head of the Engineering Department and Guidance department at New Plymouth Boys’ High School. Harry has three children with his wife Margaret.
Also available for interviews:
Dave McIntosh (FishSAFE mentor for Auckland)
Daren Coulston (FishSAFE executive member)
Situations Vacant
– FishSAFE Mentors Wanted
FishSAFE is looking for further people who are interested in being part of its mentor network. These people will play a vital role in supporting vessel owners and skippers and helping them to implement the health and safety guidelines efficiently and effectively. FishSAFE needs mentors from all regions of the country and sectors of the fishing industry.
The mentors will:
- Help organise the training workshops in a particular area
- Support owners and skippers on how to tailor the guidelines for their boat/operation
- Be an ongoing local resource on Safe Ship Management, FishSAFE and hazard management
Although the details
are yet to be finalised, it’s likely the mentors will be funded on a per-boat
basis. We want people who can help take the mystery and frustration out of the
health and safety process for the people on the water.
Interested people should contact Simon Reid on 0274 357 013 or email:
fishsafe@fishsafe.org.nz