Editorial: New act is a matter of balance

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

DID your kids climb any trees at school yesterday?

Perhaps best you make sure they don't from now on - new health and safety regulations came into effect yesterday and one school, fearing prosecution, has already banned arborial ascent.

Schools - along with community organisations and charity events - are also caught up in the Health and Safety at Work Act, and the threat of a hefty fine of up to $600,000 has prompted Greytown Primary to curtail what is for most children pretty natural behaviour.

The act's aim of reducing death and injury is to be lauded, but there is a worry that excessive regulations will lead to an overbearing nanny state; that we will hit Peak PC.

Even the chief executive of Worksafe New Zealand admits kids have always climbed trees - "And some of them have fallen and hurt themselves. I doubt that will change any time soon," wrote Gordon MacDonald.

Businesses are the main target of the act and they are already subject to some onerous and over-the-top regulations.

Office cleaners having to fill out hazardous substances paperwork just because they use a strong detergent is one they might care to look at. And the new and costly rules tightening the noose around raw milk have caused headaches for some small Whanganui producers.

There has also been comment that our statistically most dangerous industry, agriculture, is not classified as high risk under the new law.

But perhaps the acid test will be in the forestry industry - which sadly chalked up another death last week.

The new act was prompted by the Pike River mine disaster. One of the findings to come out of that tragedy was that the government had cut back on mine inspectors so there was no one to check on how dangerous things were at Pike River.

Now the onus has been squarely thrust on to employers. They need to show they have identified all risks and taken action to eliminate them as far as possible, or strong sanctions will follow.

That seems, on the face of it, fair enough, and there will be a new strata of inspectors to ensure compliance. The intentions are good; let us hope practical workings of the law are just as good.

Like tree climbing, it is all a question of balance.