2023 – Safety Charter….. A year in review

2023 has been a significant year for the Safety Charter, with the celebration of our ten-year anniversary, held in conjunction with our first ever one-day conference.  This was a great opportunity to re-connect and celebrate the people involved with the origins of the Safety Charter and learn about the latest in mentally safe work practices.

The 10-year period reflects the arc of health and safety from a physical safety and compliance focus, to understanding the importance of both safety culture and psycho-social safety.

The Mentally Safe Work conference featured an international line-up of presenters with a great mixture of evidence-based theory and practical steps to take in the workplace. The Conference dinner provide an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge members.

In addition to the conference and celebration dinner, the Safety Charter held workshops on

• Leadership
• The Invisible Enemy (small particles and dust)
• Avoiding long-term injuries (strains and sprains)
• Managing your Mental Health Workshop
• Thriving in the workplace.

Charter members were also invited to two networking events – held in March and October:

• Cathedral Re-instatment Project
• Canterbury/West Coast Air Rescue Services – with a focus on critical risk

A special thank you to our range of presenters, most of whom donated their time to the Safety Charter in giving their presentations.

In February and then again in June we were fortunate to host members at Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre (Metro Sports) and in November at Te Kaha Stadium (Christchurch multi-use arena). Contractors gave members a rundown on the health and safety procedures used on these sites. A huge thank you to both CPB Contractors and BESIX Watpac for their commitment to engaging with the community on their respective projects.

The BIMSafe project continues to be developed, with significant changes in the way the project is going to be delivered. The Advisory Group has been proactive in continually improving the scope and range of the project, with many new case studies coming onboard. Several of these were featured in the ‘Beyond the Blueprint’ summit held in November.

The Safety Charter also supported both Clyne & Bennie Tradie Health Toolbox events; Waghorn Builders Resilience Breakfast and Canterbury Westland Master Electricians Trade Event, along with featuring in the June SafeGuard Magazine.

I would like to thank all our volunteers; Health and Safety Leaders Group, Professional Services Working Group and BIMSafe NZ Advisory Group for their tireless efforts in organising and supporting these events, these people are the heart and soul of the Safety Charter, and all have a passion for helping others along their respective health and safety journeys.