Keeping abreast of danger

By JANINE OGIER


Some jobs are inherently dangerous, such as those of police officers, rescue staff, chemical workers and machinery operators, and then there are jobs which seem innocuous but, in truth, could involve danger.

Society has changed in recent years and armed robbery and violent behaviour has increased.

So jobs once considered straightforward now incorporate training on how to deal with unruly and abusive customers, and what to do when faced with a person in a balaclava waving a gun.

Employees often have to practise what to do in such dangerous situations.

BP staff working on company-owned sites today are more highly trained and skilled in health and safety than their counterparts five to 10 years ago, says BP media and sponsorship manager Diana Stretch.

"The hazards in our industry have always been there - working with dangerous goods and vehicles, food safety issues, working on the forecourt with moving vehicles, robbery and, occasionally, burglary.

"We are continually looking for ways to improve the way that we manage the risk of these hazards."

Staff receive extensive training through an induction programme and on-the-job training. Issues covered include dealing with and handling dangerous goods through to food handling and customer service.

Security measures include making sure sites are well lit, having surveillance camera systems, having a closed door policy at night so payment is made through the night pay window, and running a cash handling programme so money held on the premises is kept to a minimum.

Compliance with legislation such as the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, the Resource Management Act, the Building Act, the Health and Safety in Employment Act and the Food Act means staff such as those at BP are far better able to deal with potential hazards than they have been in the past, Stretch says.

At fast-food chain KFC, staff receive security training as part of their induction in the first six weeks of employment and role playing of different situations is included.

"The training programme talks about security and episodes that might happen and how you deal with it, so it is taken seriously," says Vicki Salmon, chief executive of Restaurant Brands, the parent company for KFC in New Zealand.

Training has been updated in the past seven years to incorporate new security technology, Salmon says.

Managers have more intensive training and regularly reinforce and remind staff of security measures.

"I don't think it is any more dangerous than any other job," she says.

Service and Food Workers' Union national secretary Darien Fenton says violence and danger in the workplace has increased, but workers can be unaware of it.

"Where there are face-to-face meetings with the public there is a higher risk than there used to be," she says. "But it's often not until something happens that people realise the risks are there."

Health funding changes mean carers in rest homes and those working with intellectually disabled people sometimes face violence, when 10 years ago that would not have happened, she says.

And the mounting responsibility placed on security guards makes theirs a far more dangerous job than it used to be.

"There is a range of violent situations that can arise, not necessarily just for people who are working in fast food," Fenton says.

The union covers 25,000 workers such as food service staff, airline ticketing staff, casino workers, carers in nursing homes, and security guards.

Fenton is disappointed that some employers still have the attitude that dealing with violence is just part of the job.

Last year's Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act places more responsibility on employers and they can be heavily fined if they don't take care of health and safety issues in the workplace, she says.

It also encourages more employee involvement in determining health and safety measures.


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