Nick Engelmann, General Manager Technical Services, Safe365

 

As the first Tōtika accredited prequalification scheme on the New Zealand market, Qualify365, a Safe365 product, has already helped hundreds of New Zealand businesses achieve some great results under the framework.

 

For those not aware, the Māori term Tōtika translates in English to ‘effective, straight, appropriate or correct’. This is a great term to describe the quality and comprehensiveness of what is rapidly becoming the preeminent health and safety prequalification scheme in Aotearoa New Zealand.  Qualify365 has not only been a prequalification assessment process for our clients to attain their Tōtika certification, as required now by many supply chain owners across NZ, but also a valuable learning tool for our clients to improve their business.

 

One area that has been particularly valuable is the question concerning Health and Safety Policy.

 

“The organisation shall have a signed health and safety policy that sets out leadership and commitment requirements for good health and safety practice.”

 

With a lot of businesses still loosely aligned to the older NZS4801:2001 standard, this has been a clear area of improvement. To meet the ‘Performing’ criteria under Tōtika, clients are required to have a signed policy document that is reviewed at least two yearly, signed/dated by top management that shows how the business is organised to deliver health and safety (including high-level responsibilities and accountabilities). The policy shall include a statement to commit to:

• Legal Compliance
• Good Practice
• Consulting with workers on health and safety matters

 

Generally, this is satisfied by way of a health and safety policy statement - a short, sharp one-page document. Referencing the more recent ISO45001:2018 standard, we have worked with our clients in aligning them to the newer standard requirements: why aim for just performing when you could achieve ISO best practice!

 

Under the ISO 45001:2018 standard, a health and safety policy shall include:

• A commitment to provide safe and healthy working conditions for the prevention of work-related injury and ill health and is appropriate to the purpose, size and context of the organization and to the specific nature of its OH&S risks and OH&S opportunities;
• A framework for setting the OH&S objectives;
• A commitment to fulfil legal requirements and other requirements;
• A commitment to eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks (see 8.1.2);
• A commitment to continual improvement of the OH&S management system;
• A commitment to consultation and participation of workers, and, where they exist, workers’ representatives.

 

In addition to these points, we help our clients ensure that their policy:

• is available as documented information;
• is communicated within their business;
• is available to interested parties, as appropriate;
• and of course that it is relevant and appropriate to their business!

 

We enjoy helping our clients gain value from what’s traditionally been a basic compliance exercise where the value has been placed with the supply chain owner, with little value often unlocked for the contractors or suppliers actually completing (and paying for!) the prequalification process and executing the work at the ‘coal face’ – something that Qualify365 is committed to balancing by offering genuine value to both contractor and client, at a market leading price, and we’d love to help you too!

 

Can we help you with attaining your Tōtika prequalification? Email me to discuss your needs: nick.engelmann@safe365global.com or visit www.qualify365.co.nz .