Manufacturing ACC Health & Safety Subsidies
ACC and HASANZ have teamed up to provide a health & safety (H&S) advise subsidy. This is initially targeted at manufacturing companies with between 6 and 99 employees. The initiative has just been launched.
Companies can only access H&S advice from people on the HASANZ Register. We see this as the start of Government incentives that will continue to direct people and promote the HASANZ Register.
The logic behind the subsidy is to provide access to H&S professionals for the small to medium sized business. The amount of the subsidy relatively small. ACC will pay 50% of the cost of the advice, up to $500 for companies 6-50 employees, and $1,300 for companies 51-99 employees.
It is still better than nothing.
ACC is focusing on manufacturing because it has the highest number of injuries with more than a week away from work across all industries. Also, based on ACC data 2018, the manufacturing sector has the highest number of businesses, estimated employee numbers and claims costs, along with the construction sector.
The subsidy is intended to help with the first or next step in the journey of improving H&S performance. It is not intended to absorb all the costs associated with H&S. The following gives you an idea of what can be done.
Action Plan: The plan should respond to the question: what are we going to do to have better health and safety in this workplace? An action plan is a documented list of objectives, activities, tasks, timelines, responsibilities and other information that outlines how a H&S gap will be addressed or the overall H&S of a workplace improved.
Improvement Activity: It should respond to the question: what has the health and safety consultant helped us to implement to improve the health and safety of our workplace? An improvement activity are the actions and/or tasks that have been implemented to address a gap or improve the overall health and safety of a workplace.
As Health & Safety Brokers we can link you with the appropriate HASANZ registered consultant anywhere in NZ. Our job is to find the most experienced in your section of industry and current H&S shortfall areas.
If you want to find out more about the manufacturing focused subsidy then please contact John Gould, our ManageOSH Manager on john@managecompany.co.nz or 0800 747 569.