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Pike River Mine tragedy leads to new safety guidelines

06/06/2013

I recently attended a conference in Auckland where the conference focus was on the future following the Pike River Royal Commission and the Independent OH&S Workplace Taskforce reviews – and what a brilliant conference this was. Personally, I found it ‘moving’ at times, especially when a presenter talked about the brave 29 men who lost their lives at Pike River.

One of the key findings and recommendations in the final report of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy, was a health and safety guideline for directors – Yahoo! The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Institute of Directors have got together and produced a set of good governance guidelines – I would go further and say these guidelines are better than ‘good’, they are brilliant and long overdue.

Although the guidelines are voluntary, should something turn to custard, the courts are highly likely to look at them as a guide to what good corporate health and safety practices looks like.

With the aim of the new guideline being to “help promote a better workplace health and safety culture in New Zealand”, I hope directors will make this guideline their new best friend; and like any best friend, you listen to it, seek advice from it, nurture and respect it.

A copy of this governance guideline is available here.

Health and safety should be part of everyday business, it makes good business sense.

 

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Whakatū | Nelson

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