Health & Safety

Improving and protecting our health and safety at work is a massive part of what we do as a union.

Unions provide a balance in the workplace and help address the inherent inequality of power in employment relationships and nowhere is that more important than when it comes to protecting the safety of our members and others in the workplace (including patients, visitors and students).

We provide support and advice on the full range of health and safety issues you will come across at work: understaffing, fatigue, bullying and harassment, hazardous materials, radiation risks, RSI, moving and handling, high caseloads, infectious diseases and occupational stress.

We are committed to ensuring safe workplaces and ensuring health professionals are empowered to look after the safety of their workplaces and themselves.

Our collective agreements contain health and safety provisions including:

• Limits on hours of work and minimum rest periods;
• Provision of protective clothing and equipment;
• Support for employees on ACC;
• Meal and rest breaks;
• Provisions to prevent bullying and harassment;
• Agreements on workloads, rostering and/or staffing.

Your APEX delegates, advocates and health and safety representatives are available to assist you on all matters related to health and we give advice and support to APEX health and safety representatives. Contact us for more information.

APEX runs annual health and safety training for health and safety representatives and delegates. Our last training was in April 2024 and covered:

• Health and safety systems;
• The big 4 tools for HSRs– health and safety committees, incident reporting, PINs and ceasing unsafe work;
• Risk assessment;
• Bullying and harassment;
• Case study of unsafe practice in a pathology laboratory; and
• Designing health and safety interventions.

If you have an interest in Health & Safety and are not yet a representative, get in touch with us at events@apex.org.nz. Becoming a Health & Safety representative will ensure that you are kept up to date with news in the Health & Safety space, as well as giving you a chance to register for APEX Health & Safety training next year.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing resources

Click on the links below to access health, safety and wellbeing resources.

• The APEX Health and Safety Handbook – A Guide to the Hazards in the Healthcare Industry
• APEX Health & Safety Representative Handbook
• Covid-19 Resources
• Understanding Burnout
• Bullying and Unprofessional Behaviour Resources
• National Laboratory Engagement Group – Managing Fatigue and Best Rostering Guideline
• Medical Imaging Technologists Best Practice Rostering Guidelines
• MIT Lead Aprons Best Practice Guideline
• Midnight Shift – Your Handbook for Understanding Nights

My Health & Safety Plan

Health & Safety issues in the workplace can be complicated with many moving parts. It can be overwhelming gathering and presenting the relevant information to your employer/PCBU. This Health & Safety Plan is designed to get you thinking about the information you will need in order to present an effective case for change. Click the button below to download ‘My Health & Safety Plan’.

Health & Safety Representative Handbook

Worker Participation Agreement

A national Worker Participation Agreement has been signed between unions and Te Whatu Ora, click below to read.

KEEP SAFE: Protecting yourself from violence & aggression in health care.

Violence and aggression towards workers in health care remains a major problem affecting all APEX members and not enough is being done to keep healthcare workers safe, particularly in Te Whatu Ora. In order to highlight some of the major issues and how to keep yourself and your colleagues safe we have put together a health & safety resource.

WORKING NIGHT SHIFTS

You can download our guide to night shifts through the link below:

Raise a Health and Safety Issue with APEX

List of Health and Safety Reps 

Have questions?

We are here to help. Fill out the form below, send us an email or give us a call.