Charter Commitment – Overlapping Duties

Workplaces overlap at many points, and this is also true with health and safety. All individuals and organisations have both upstream and downstream responsibilities for the safety and wellbeing of others.

Subcontractors on site must not only ensure their own health and safety, but also those around them who may be affected by their activities. Health and safety obligations can also overlap in a contracting chain, where contractors and subcontractors provide services to a lead contractor or client.

The key points to remember are;

• You must consult, cooperate and coordinate with other PCBUs when working in a shared workplace, or as part of a contracting chain.
• You should always build health and safety into contract management.
• Discuss and be aware of what work is being carried out.
• Agree on the health and safety controls that should be in place.
• Agree who is responsible for what.

An interesting recent development in New Zealand is that NZ Panels Group will no longer supply engineered stone to fabricators who do not sign up to a voluntary accreditation scheme to protect workers from silica dust. According to CHASNZ data, currently only 26 out of 130 fabricators in New Zealand were fully accredited.

NZ Panels Group is also shifting from engineered stone with high levels of crystalline silica (more than 80%) to products containing no more than 40%.

This is a fantastic example of leadership in the supply chain to improve outcomes for workers exposed to the risk.