December 2024 Newsletter

Sent: Dec 11, 2024, 8:03 AM

A word from the editor

Tēnā koutou katoa

Nau mai to our last newsletter for 2024.

Please send any information or news that you would like included in the next edition to gwandkg@gmail.com, news@hfesnz.org.nz or admin@hfesnz.org.nz

Ngā mihi nui / Meri Kirihimete

Karen Goodfellow, HFESNZ Editor

Chairman’s End-of-Year Message

As 2025 comes to a close, it is a pleasure to reflect on a year filled with milestones, challenges, and significant progress for HFESNZ. Below are some of my reflections of 2024.

One of the standout achievements was the successful conclusion of the Workforce Development Programme (WDP), which has laid a robust foundation for the future of HFE in New Zealand. The programme’s six workstreams ranging from professional development to education pathways have been instrumental in increasing the number of HFE professionals while promoting training and growth opportunities across the workforce. It’s also great to see so many new faces to the society, especially HFE students and HASANZ/HFE scholarship recipients who are the future of our society. Thank you for coming on board and thank you to those (staff) who will help shape your HFE futures in Aotearoa.

Our Annual 1-Day Conference in September was a highlight. With the theme of collaboration and connection, the event showcased the passion and innovation of our members through presentations on musculoskeletal disorders, injury prevention, governance, sleep, industry, regulatory HFE tools and many more. It was inspiring to see the warm camaraderie and the networks formed during this event.

The establishment of the HFE Postgraduate Course at AUT marked a significant milestone for education. This programme will equip the next generation of professionals with the skills needed to address evolving challenges in the workplace. Similarly, our efforts to support education through guest lectures and partnerships with academic institutions have strengthened the link between theory and practice.

The commitment to enhancing membership processes led by our amazing PAB team has been another key focus. Revisions to the membership framework, including the introduction of new categories and improved professional pathways, reflect our aim to create an inclusive and supportive community for all HFE practitioners. Thank you, Leanne, Rachael, Nicola, Sarita and the PAB team for your valuable contributions in 2024, your dedication has not gone un-noticed and will set us up well for the future.

Thank you to our HASANZ reps (Hamish, Joanne, and Vanessa). You have all done an amazing job advocating and lobbying for us in that space. Thanks to our WDP workstream leads (Fiona, Dave, Liz, Hamish, Rebecca, and Vanessa) for your contributions as well.

Despite the successes above, 2024 has also been an extremely difficult year for many of our members. Numerous organisational restructures and redundancies have been extremely stressful, and some are still feeling those effects today. Please hang in there! Thank you to those who have reached out to me and the committee for assistance in 2024. Through our help, via support letters on behalf of HFESNZ, we have been able to make a difference to some of those roles effected. Unfortunately, there are many more that we couldn’t help especially my friends in the regulator. Our thoughts are with you all and we wish you the best through these difficult times – kia kaha, fa’amalosi. Thanks to those who have been sharing HFE vacancies, we will continue to share these opportunities as they come in so, please keep an eye out on our website or society emails.

As we look forward to 2025, our priorities remain steadfast, increasing public and disciplinary awareness/collaborations with HFE, leveraging the successes of our work with WDP, nurture and supporting our HFE student cohort, growing our membership, and find ways to keep HFE at the forefront of the minds of kiwi businesses and organisations who seem to have forgotten our ‘worth’ this year. My advice for our members in 2025, be patient, keep looking for those opportunities and share it when you can. If there is nothing to share then ‘create’ it and lean on us (committee, PAB etc) to support you where we can. After seeing the warmth and support at this year's HFESNZ conference in Wellington, no one in HFESNZ should be alone, so please look out for each other.

Next year the committee has confirmed that our multi-day conference will be held in Christchurch. A date is yet to be finalized. If you are Christchurch-based, available, and keen to help out please reach out to us. Outside of the conference, we are still in need of new ideas and perspectives for our committee. If you are keen to step up for the roles of HFESNZ Chair, Secretary or committee please get in contact with us. Have a think about it while you eat your Christmas ham!

To my fellow committee members, thank you for your efforts this year especially Carole and Karen for your hard work on administrative and newsletter duties for HFESNZ.

To ALL our members, I wish you all a joyous holiday season and a happy new year. It’s been a pleasure being your Chair in 2024. Be safe and enjoy your much deserved break.

Regards

Stephven

Membership Update

Welcome to our new members:

Jacques Taylor
Thomas Lindsay

Please also note that membership renewal invoices have been sent out. If you could please get these paid in a timely manner or if you have any questions, please email me: admin@hfesnz.org.nz.

Update from Professional Affairs Board

Kia ora from the PAB.

We’ve had a particularly busy year in 2024 and it’s hard to believe that it’s the end of the year already. We assessed five re-certifications and have been busy developing the new application system. While we still have a bit more work to do, we are on track for a 2025 launch – although there might be some fine tuning needed along the way. The aims were to increase the number of Professional Members and simplify the application process.

Looking forward to 2025

As you will know, next year we will launch some exciting new membership changes:

We are introducing two new membership options ‘Early HFE Career’ general member and ‘Fellow’ Professional Member categories.
We will launch a new application process that is aligned with the competency framework which aims to simplify the application process.
From the 1st April we are introducing the new continuing professional development (CPD) system which will require all Professional Members to complete annual CPD – more on this in the new year.
We will be updating the website to reflect these changes and are looking to apply to HASANZ to have all our Professional Members eligible for the HASANZ Register.

If you are keen to be one of the first to trial the new Professional Member application process, or you are currently a Professional Member and would like to join the PAB we would love to hear from you. Please email: profmember@hfesnz.org.nz

A huge thank you!

I would like to acknowledge the commitment and hard work the PAB has undertaken this year to update the system and make these changes for the benefit of HFESNZ. A huge thank you to Rachael, Nic, and Sarita for your continued effort and support.

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday break and look forward to 2025.

Leanne Hunter | PAB Convenor

HASANZ Update

Join the HASANZ Register!

The HASANZ Register has been enhanced. The Register connects businesses with qualified and competent workplace health and safety professionals throughout New Zealand.

For professionals who meet the Registration Standard, it is now easy, fast, and free to join!

Being listed on the HASANZ Register provides recognition and credibility, showcasing your qualifications and competence to potential employers. It is an essential tool for career advancement, helping you stand out.

Applying to be on the HASANZ Register is now easy, fast and free. Visit HASANZ Register, complete the online registration form, and upload proof that you qualify, e.g. that you are a Certified Professional Member of HFESNZ. If you have your membership number and proof that you are eligible, the application should take about 5 minutes.

https://www.hasanz.org.nz/hasanz-register/join-the-hasanz-register

HFESNZ is also exploring the possibility of expanding HASANZ Register eligibility to include Associate and Technical Professional Members who hold appropriate insurance.

New WorkSafe CE engagement - will be meeting in late January

ACC Project

The project addresses ACC’s weekly compensation costs by focusing on key areas such as return to work, recovery, rehabilitation, and intervention. HASANZ proposes a discovery project, which will be completed over six months. HFESNZ missed off this, but I have already made a plea that we be included. I think the group as a whole recommended that the processionals need to be involved in this.

Spotlight on associations

In 2025, HASANZ will share spotlight posts on our Associations, promoting their work. We will invest in these posts to help them reach the widest audience. We can use text, text with photos, graphics, or video, but unfortunately, we can only have a single link. Please let me know who we should ask for content or collaborate with to create content.

Letters of support

If your association submitted to MBIE on the proposed additions to Schedule 2, the list of Occupational Diseases in the Accident Compensation Act 2001. Please let me know so that HASANZ can write a letter in support of our submitting associations' expert opinions.

Work Force Development

The committee has begun initial discussions on several options on how best to utilise the remaining Work Force Development Funds. This amount is $31,413.88. This process of allocation to achieve best value for money for the society will be a considerable focus for the committee for 2025 and we will keep you all informed on our progress.

General News

In celebration of CIEHF’s 75th anniversary this year, Think Human is an exhibition which brings together people, products, places and procedures to celebrate a world that's designed to be both safe and productive, comfortable and enjoyable.

Open to 23^rd February 2025.

https://ergonomics.org.uk/events-calendar/think-human.html

Webinar: 11 December 2024

11^th December (please note this is Free to register for CIEHF members)

The committee would like to welcome Dr Dwain Allen as a new informal member to the committee. Dwain will officially be accepted as a permanent committee member at the next AGM. Dwain has enthusiasm for building connections with a range of research-practitioner groups and to open collaborative opportunities for the society.

Te Kura Whai Pakihi Massey Business School

Press Release on new positions at Massey-Congratulations David.

Professor David Tappin is a work and organisation scholar, co-director of the MBS Healthy Work Group and a Certified New Zealand Human Factors and Ergonomics Professional. His research focuses on the design and management of work systems to ensure that work is, at a minimum, psychosocially and physically sustainable.

Before joining Massey in 2011, Professor Tappin spent two decades conducting industry-based research in New Zealand. He co-founded a consultancy and later worked at Scion Research, specialising in work systems analysis for primary industries and manufacturing sectors. He believes that understanding the reality of work is essential to changing it and applies a pragmatic paradigm and participatory approach in his research.

Professor Tappin has been involved with five large government funded multi-disciplinary research projects, leading two of them. His research has contributed to the development of codes of practice, policy guidelines and industry resources, as well as academic outputs. His research experience shapes his teaching, research supervision and professional mentoring.

2025 AUT Courses

Occupational Ergonomics (RHAB801) is now open for online enrolment to study in 2025.

This is a 30-point two block course (running in March and May) with content covering a wide range of Human Factors and Ergonomics topics. You can find the detailed course information here: RHAB801 Occupational Ergonomics Descriptor.

You can enrol by following the link https://apply.aut.ac.nz/ OR emailing fhes.administration@aut.ac.nz for assistance with your application.

Please note you can also apply for ICE1 Individual Course Enrolment if you are interested enrolling in Occupational Ergonomics (RHAB801) as a standalone course and not committing to a postgraduate qualification.

If you intend to enrol on Occupational Ergonomics (RHAB801) please do so soon, as this will greatly assist with planning and ensure the course runs.

Please do not hesitate to email Marck Boocock (mark.boocock@aut.ac.nz) to find out more about the course, or the administration office (fhes.administration@aut.ac.nz) if you have any questions about enrolling.

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