Accountability
by Barry Dyer
Employers accept they are responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. This is achieved by implementing a recognisable management system, whether the business is an SME or a multi-national chemical supplier.
The other fundamental ingredient, often forgotten, is accountability.
Responsibility for compliance is typically delegated in larger businesses, particularly those with multi-faceted hazardous operations and products. High hazard sites involve complex facilities and machinery, and volumes of hazardous substances. Safely managing the risk arising from site hazards and operations is demanding, requiring knowledge and skills often not readily available. As a result, compliance remains an ongoing challenge for both management and staff, particularly in SMEs where expertise and resources may be extremely limited, or even non-existent!
Suppliers must ensure the product is:
Approved for use in New Zealand
Correctly classified under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) legislation
Accompanied by a compliant Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
and
Displays a compliant label
The most hazardous substances require Approved Handlers. Site facilities may require annual test certifi cates, confi rming the tanks, pipelines and danger zones are fi t for purpose.
HSNO compliance is a joint effort involving the Department of Labour (DoL), Responsible Care NZ, the supplier and the customer. Working in concert, participants provide the technical advice and products and services required to enable the customer to demonstrate compliance with minimal effort and cost.
Given public concern about chemicals, the DoL focus on identifying high hazard sites is timely. Using the unique CHEMSAFE® HSNO software, DoL inspectors and HSNO enforcement officers can quickly provide site operators with a free and accurate checklist of site compliance requirements, while contributing to a national database of chemical hazards.
This brings us to the issue of accountability. After ten years of encouraging compliance, it is appropriate DoL steps up enforcement and holds negligent business operators to account. In response to the plaintive cry “I don’t know what to do or how to do it”, DoL inspectors, enforcement officers and suppliers can provide free site compliance advice. Penalties are severe and a successful prosecution could ruin the business. The conscientious employer wishing to comply has everything to gain by seeking HSNO compliance advice.
The only outstanding question is: Are you prepared to be held accountable?
Barry Dyer is CEO of Responsible Care NZ and is holding a seminar on Managing Chemicals in Safe Workplaces. See the seminar timetable for details.
Responsible Care NZ (RCNZ) represents the majority of multi-national and local chemical suppliers in NZ. RCNZ offers advice concerning safe chemical management, required by our workplace health and safety and environmental protection legislation.