AuSAE - Health and safety made simple and pragmatic - ACC subsidy for health and safety advice

Health and safety made simple and pragmatic - ACC subsidy for health and safety advice

26 May 2021 2:30 PM | Anonymous

You can have the best health and safety policies in the world – but unless staff actually use them, they won’t do much good.

That was the problem facing Steve Wilson, General Manager of Lower Hutt commercial signage company, Sign Foundry.

“Our health and safety policies and procedures were all written out, but they used to sit in a cupboard and weren’t being used or followed properly,” Steve says.

“For example, staff weren’t using their personal protective equipment when they went into the manufacturing room, like they were supposed to. That was a big issue for me because their wellbeing is important to me.”

The company sought advice from health and consultant Steve Logan, of SL Safety Consulting, who came up with ideas for making health and safety ‘simple and pragmatic’ by building it into the way people worked.

“Steve focused on practical things we can do – like keeping everyone’s PPE in drawers right beside the manufacturing room door, so it’s convenient to put on just before you go in.”

Sign Foundry, which also has operations in Auckland and Christchurch, has to deal with a broad range of risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of its staff. These include working at heights to install signs and working with chemicals. Staff also sometimes work under tight deadlines or in stressful situations – like when the company stayed open during last year’s Lockdown 4 to create Covid-19 signage for other essential businesses like supermarkets.

Since SL Safety Consulting came on board, Sign Foundry has been able to make some big improvements in health and safety really quickly, Steve says.

“We now do regular toolbox talks where people can speak up if they’ve seen something unsafe. And we have an incident reporting system that means we can catch issues early and deal with them before they cause bigger problems.

“We also do a lot more inspections on our gear, particularly our height and harness equipment.”

Another benefit is that Sign Foundry has been able to achieve the highest level of accreditation in the SiteWise scheme – a prequalification system that grades companies’ health and safety capabilities and is used by many large businesses when they are selecting suppliers.

“Previously, we had only managed to get SiteWise Orange accreditation. Moving up to Green accreditation has given us a real competitive advantage when pitching for work.”

But the biggest advantage is knowing staff are safer, Steve says.

“I can rest easy at night knowing that everyone will get home safe and sound every day.”

Video: https://youtu.be/31lMYLUkkuA

Other information There is an ACC subsidy to help SMEs in construction and manufacturing gain access to qualified health and safety professionals through the HASANZ register.

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Strengthening Trans-Tasman Connections: AuSAE and Tourism New Zealand Business Events Renew Partnership

Association professionals across Australia and New Zealand have even more reason to explore trans-Tasman opportunities. AuSAE is proud to announce the renewal of its longstanding partnership with Tourism New Zealand Business Events, celebrating 11 years of collaboration.

For over a decade, this partnership has strengthened connections between the two countries, helping associations expand networks, share knowledge, and deliver world-class events.

Toni Brearley, CAE, Chief Executive Officer at AuSAE, said:

“Our partnership with Tourism New Zealand Business Events has opened doors for association leaders to plan unforgettable events and connect with peers across the Tasman. Together, we’ve created opportunities, shared knowledge, and elevated the experiences of our members and their delegates. This partnership reinforces our commitment to fostering strong trans-Tasman collaborations, helping associations innovate, grow, and deliver outstanding value to their members.”

Helen Bambry, Business Events Manager at Tourism New Zealand, added:

“Partnering with AuSAE means we can directly support association professionals in bringing their next international business event to New Zealand – offering assistance, funding, and support to ensure exceptional experiences for both organisers and delegates.”

Watch the Tourism New Zealand Business Events video

What this partnership means for you

For Australian associations:

Receive expert guidance and support to bring conferences or member events to New Zealand.
Access funding assistance through Tourism New Zealand Business Events.
Expand your network and build partnerships with New Zealand peers and industry leaders.
Deliver international experiences for members and delegates just across the Tasman.

For New Zealand associations:

Strengthen professional connections with Australian association leaders through AuSAE’s network.
Share expertise and collaborate on professional development, governance, and member engagement initiatives, and more.
Gain visibility within the broader association community in Australia and New Zealand.
Access opportunities to host international association events and delegates in New Zealand, boosting local engagement and knowledge exchange.

About AuSAE:

The home for association professionals, the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) is the leading - and only not-for-profit, member-based - organisation supporting association professionals in Australia and New Zealand. For 70 years, AuSAE has been a trusted partner for those working in associations, providing professional development, support, and networking to help association leaders achieve organisational goals, advance their careers, and strengthen the wider sector.

About Tourism New Zealand Business Events:

Tourism New Zealand Business Events provides expert guidance, funding, and support to attract conferences, incentives and corporate events to New Zealand.

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For more information about AuSAE, please contact Toni Brearley, CAE:
Toni Brearley, CAE
Chief Executive Officer, AuSAE
E: toni@ausae.org.au
T: + 61 458 000 155

To apply for funding and support to host a conference in New Zealand contact Helen Bambry:
Helen Bambry
Business Events Manager, Tourism New Zealand
E: Helen.Bambry@tnz.govt.nz
T: +61 415 933 325

The Australasian Society of Association Executives

Contact us:

Email: info@ausae.org.au
Phone: 1300 764 576 (within Australia)
Phone: +61 7 3268 7955 (outside Australia)
Address: Unit 6, 26 Navigator Place, Hendra QLD 4011, Australia