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.
APEX in the Health & Safety Space
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
Fatigue Management & Minimisation
Te Whatu Ora’s fatigue management and minimisation steering group have published three guides for night shift workers, which reflect the principles to:
- provide accessible and nutritious food options for night workers;
- ensure staff have access supportive systems for napping, as an evidence-based means to reduce fatigue, for night workers;
- provide supportive transport options for fatigued workers.
Working Night Shifts
You can download our guide to night shifts through the link below:
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.
APEX Rules
Raise a Health and Safety Issue with APEX
List of Health and Safety Reps
NAME | EMPLOYER | PROFESSION |
Tania Arnold | Hawkes Bay | Pharmacist |
Sarah Austin | ACC (Christchurch) | Psychologist |
Donna Bartholomew | Waitemata | Dental |
Clare Berrill | Canterbury | Radiation Therapist |
Stephen Boyd | Northland | MIT |
Lynn Brott | Waitemata | Laboratory Worker |
Jahyung Byun | NZBS (Auckland) | Laboratory Worker |
Mark Cartman | Bay of Plenty | Physiotherapy |
Katie Chadwick-Smith | Hutt Valley | Anaesthetic Technician |
Rodney Chapman | SCL (Christchurch) | Laboratory Worker |
Poojaben Dave | Northland | Laboratory Worker |
Lauren Dix | Bay Radiology (Tauranga) | MIT |
Tina Hill | Hawkes Bay | Anaesthetic Technician |
Lucy Howard | Hastings | Pharmacist |
John Hutt | West Coast | Pharmacist |
Nadine Liddell | Capital & Coast | Anaesthetic Technician |
Casey Lowe | Pathlab (Rotorua) | Laboratory Worker |
Karla Marx | Waitemata | MIT |
Michelle Masters | Hawkes Bay | Laboratory Worker |
Tausie Munivai | Wairarapa | MIT |
Thabani Mzizi | Waitemata | MIT |
Rowan Peck | Canterbury | Psychologist |
Jo-Anne Peters | Waitemata | MIT |
Stewart Smith | Canterbury | Laboratory Worker |
Neil Spencer | MidCentral | Clinical Physiology |
Kathryn Stewart | Bay of Plenty | Physiotherapy |
Colin Taylor | North Shore | Anaesthetic Technician |
Sophie Trolove | Bay of Plenty | Physiotherapy |
Charlotte Vanhecke | NZBS (Christchurch) | Laboratory Worker |
Shaun Ward | Waitemata | Anaesthetic Technician |
Adam White | Waikato | Physiotherapy |
Rachel Wilson | Canterbury | MIT |
Lynnette Stebbing | Waitemata | Dental Therapist |
Nikki Childs | Tauranga | Pharmacist |
Tracey Borrie | Christchurch | Clinical Pharmacology |
Bevan Harden | Burwood | Pharmacist |
Agnes Mondala | Middlemore | Laboratory Worker |
Aileen Lamorena | Taranaki | Laboratory Worker |
Alison Agar | Christchurch | MIT |
Amanda Gilmour | Oranga Tamariki (Auckland) | Psychologist |
Arvin Keith | Taranaki | Laboratory Worker |
Brenda Lowen | SCL (Nelson) | Laboratory Worker |
Chantel Oberholzer | Whangarei | Laboratory Worker |
Charlotte McIntyre | Auckland | Radiation Therapist |
Clare Henderson | Taranaki | Dietitian |
Clare Watene | Tauranga | Anaesthetic Technician |
Courtney Wisnewski | Kaitaia | Laboratory Worker |
Deborah Wells | SCL (Invercargill) | Laboratory Worker |
Ellen Wright | Oranga Tamariki (Canterbury) | Psychologist |
Erin Michelle Pole | Gisborne | Pharmacy |
Fiona Turnbull | Hutt | MIT |
Hannah Feiss | Christchurch | MIT |
Helen Russell | Wellington | MIT |
Iepie Fekken | SCL (Dunstan) | Laboratory Worker |
Jake Kennard | Southern | MIT |
Jane Wester | Hastings | Laboratory Worker |
Jennifer Mills | Hastings | MIT |
Jocelyn McSweeny | Whakatane | Anaesthetic Technician |
Kimberley Winter | Christchurch | Radiation Therapist |
Leanne Buchanan | SCL (Invercargill) | Laboratory Worker |
Linda Currie | Pacific Radiology (Canterbury) | MIT |
Marielle Craven | Christchurch | Sonographer |
Megan Singlee | Hastings | MIT |
Megan Carlsson | Whangarei | Dietitian |
Nicole Fedorenko | Palmerston North | Radiation Therapist |
Patrick Gallagher | North Shore | Anaesthetic Technician |
Peter Johns | SCL (Invercargill) | Laboratory Worker |
Rebecca Lu | Christchurch | Laboratory Worker |
Reuben Jones | Whangarei | Laboratory Worker |
Rodney Smith | Christchurch | Laboratory Worker |
Rowena Moore | SCL (Timaru) | Laboratory Worker |
Salina Khammanivong | Whangarei | Laboratory Worker |
Simon Povey | Wellington | MIT |
Sophie Halliday | Wellington | Physicist |
Have questions?
We are here to help. Fill out the form below, send us an email or give us a call.