$3.9 million granted to improve workplace safety
As part of our five-year investment to influence change in the workplace, we've awarded grants to organisations who are leading the way with workplace safety.
Wellbeing is a key part of a healthy and safe workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic and its global impact has shone a spotlight on wellbeing and the need for businesses to look at a wider range of risks for their workers.
To support positive change in this space, ACC has awarded grants of almost $4 million to five organisations across the motu.
The grant recipients are:
- Agriculture Leaders Health and Safety Group
- Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum
- Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
- New Zealand Trucking Association
- OneScope Incorporated
The grants are part of our $22 million investment over five years to influence change in workplace health and safety in New Zealand, particularly in high-risk sectors. The injury prevention grants programme was introduced in 2019.
Helping keep Kiwis safe at work
“We’re delighted to announce the latest recipients and to be supporting initiatives that will lead to safer and more productive workplaces,” says Virginia Burton-Konia, ACC Workplace Safety Manager.
“We’ve now awarded grants to 20 organisations in the last four years – and we’re really encouraged by the progress they’re making, relationships they’ve enhanced, and learnings they’ve put in place as part of this important mahi.”
Proposals in this funding round were sought on two priority areas – reducing psychosocial harm, and sector leadership.
Worker wellbeing
The New Zealand Trucking Association has been awarded $850,000 over three years to look at psychosocial risks for workers in the transport industry.
Psychosocial risks are aspects of workplace design and management that may cause psychological or physical harm. This includes high work demands, low social support, and low rewards, which could lead to poor outcomes like injuries, stress, and sleep disorders.
With their grant, the New Zealand Trucking Association will develop tools and resources focused on mental health and wellbeing.
The Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum have also been awarded a grant to address psychosocial hazards — focused on the manufacturing sector.
This initiative, granted $950,000 over two years, will identify risks to mental health and wellbeing in manufacturing workplaces and make changes to how work is designed and done.
Building better work
Two of the recipients will focus on improving health and safety in construction, one of New Zealand’s highest risk industries for injury.
The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand’s initiative will help residential construction workers improve and maintain their health and wellbeing and prevent injury.
Awarded $900,000 over two years, the Foundation will take learnings from the successful Farmstrong programme, which focuses on the mental wellbeing of farmers and agricultural workers.
OneScope, a collective group of New Zealand owned Labour Hire agencies, have been awarded $450,000 over two years for their initiative focused on construction labour hire.
Traditionally, on-hire employees (who are employed by a recruitment agency and then placed into a business to complete a set piece of work) have higher rates of onsite injuries and poor mental health outcomes.
The project will develop tools for on-hire employees to manage psychosocial risks by using a ‘Good Work Design’ approach — which considers a holistic view of the workplace —and leveraging innovative onsite technology.
Sector leadership
The Agriculture Leaders Health and Safety Action Group’s initiative focuses on providing leadership in the agricultural sector. The sector has one of the highest rates of workplace injury and deaths in the country.
Awarded $750,000 over three years, the Group will put in place a new ‘Farm Without Harm’ strategy to reduce injuries long-term, and work closely with farming businesses and workers within the sector to influence change.
More information
This is the fourth time we’ve offered the workplace health and safety grants as part of our injury prevention programme for businesses. More information can be found on the ACC website.