Thousands Trained to Improve Workplace Health and Safety

Thousands of workers around the country have now attended health and safety training courses aimed at bringing down New Zealand's alarming toll of workplace death and injury, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.Tomorrow is international Workers' Memorial Day, where workers around the world remember colleagues who have been killed on the job. The latest figures for New Zealand show 73 workplace deaths between July 2002 and June 2003.

"There are already 6000 workplace reps trained or enrolled for training on the CTU/ACC training courses," Ross Wilson said. "The training gives workers the opportunity to take responsibility and help to protect the health and the lives of their colleagues."

The training has taken place since the Health and Safety in Employment Act came into force almost a year ago, requiring most workplaces to have elected and trained health and safety representatives.

"Overseas experience shows that worker participation in health and safety makes for safer workplaces," Ross Wilson said.