At ecostore, the health and safety of our people is a priority and core value that drives our operations and decisions every day. While we’ve worked hard to create a safe environment, we recognize there is always room for growth and improvement, and we are committed to evolving our practices to keep everyone safe.
In March 2023, an incident occurred where a colleague sustained a chemical burn eye injury at our manufacturing plant. Following this, and with the involvement of WorkSafe, we recognized there were areas where we could and should have done better. Specifically, we identified gaps in training, personal protective equipment (PPE), and the provision of appropriate first aid assessment and treatment.
Following the incident described above, WorkSafe conducted a thorough investigation, which led to ecostore being charged with an offence under the Health and Safety Act. In response, we applied for an Enforceable Undertaking—a formal agreement with WorkSafe that provides an alternative to prosecution and leads to better HSW (Health, Safety and Wellbeing) outcomes for both the organisations involved and the wider community— which WorkSafe agreed was an appropriate course of action. This agreement reflects our commitment to accountability and continuous improvement whereby we will implement actions that go beyond our own business.
Our ongoing focus is on transforming our health and safety culture from one where there was disconnection between the auditable system and practical engagement, to one that is proactive, engaging, and rooted in prevention and education across our entire business. This commitment to health and safety is foundational to our mission and improvement journey.
We are pleased to see the release of the Project Whakahaumaru Harm Reduction plan for manufacturing, which has been initiated by ACC and led by EMA on behalf of the wider industry. This action plan gathers a wide range of perspectives and provides vital insights enabling manufacturing businesses like ecostore to identify improvement opportunities and focus preventative measures in key areas where harm is likely to occur.
Insights into harm experienced in manufacturing businesses around New Zealand will help guide the way companies lower the rates of occurrence in their operations. Insights include:
In which businesses do the highest rates of incidence occur? The highest incidence rates are observed in businesses with 6-99 full-time employees, particularly within the subsectors related to wood, food, metal, furniture, and equipment.
Who has the highest injury rates? Younger workers under 30, workers over 60, ethnic minorities, and temporary factory workers.
What types of injuries are most common? Musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries
In addition to ACC data that encompasses accidents, the majority of harm occurrences are attributed to chronic psychosocial issues (such as stress and mental health concerns) and chronic physical harm. These types of harm can be challenging to identify, as they develop over an extended period, however are equally as important to address as part of a wider HSW plan.
This information is now guiding our strategies for creating a preventative culture, staff training, equipment and workstation design, and monitoring for chronic health issues.
We invite other manufacturing businesses to learn from our story; build health, safety and wellbeing and a workplace culture of safety into every level of their operations; and ensure their valued team members go home to their loved ones safe and well from the manufacturing workplace.
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