Tēnā koe Andrew

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act request received by WorkSafe
New Zealand on 29 August 2024.

 

WorkSafe New Zealand will respond to your request under the provisions of
the Official Information Act.

 

Please contact [1][email address] if you have any
questions.

 

Ministerial Services

8 Willis Street

Wellington

W    [2]worksafe.govt.nz

 

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Kia ora Andrew

 

I hope you have had a good weekend. I am emailing you regarding your
Official Information Act (OIA) request (below) to WorkSafe of 29 August
2024:

 

In light of recent reporting of systemic healthcare staffing shortages to
the public health system, I had a few inquires under the OIA for Worksafe
in regards interactions with the Ministry of Health in conducting its
legislative function of enforcing safe working conditions for both workers
and the general public.

1.      Please provide all information, reports, and internal
communications over the last five years regarding concerns raised about
inadequate staffing in the healthcare sector under the Health and Safety
at Work Act 2015.

2.      How many complaints or reports has Worksafe received over the last
five years related to inadequate staffing in medical facilities operated
by the Ministry of Health? Please provide a breakdown by year and type of
complaint (e.g., unsafe working conditions, overwork, lack of sufficient
staff, etc.)

3.      Please provide data on notifiable incidents reported to Worksafe
over the last five years that mention inadequate staffing as a
contributing factor. Include the nature of these incidents, outcomes, and
any follow-up actions taken.

4.      How many investigations has Worksafe conducted in the last five
years into incidents or complaints where inadequate staffing was
identified as a potential hazard in medical facilities? Please provide
details of the findings, outcomes, and any recommendations made.

5.      Has Worksafe identified any patterns or trends over the last five
years related to inadequate staffing in healthcare facilities in the
course of undertaking its investigation or research function? If so,
please provide details, including any sector-wide guidance or warnings
issued.

6.      Please provide details of any enforcement actions taken by
Worksafe over the last five years in response to inadequate staffing in
medical facilities operated by the Ministry of Health, including any
Improvement Notices, Prohibition Notices, or prosecutions.

7.      What steps has Worksafe taken to ensure compliance with the Health
and Safety at Work Act 2015 in relation to staffing levels within
healthcare facilities as a result of workplace assessments or audits?
Include any specific initiatives or audits carried out.

8.      Please provide data on work-related injuries and illnesses in
medical facilities operated by the Ministry of Health over the last five
years where inadequate staffing was mentioned as a contributing factor.

9.      Has Worksafe conducted or reviewed any studies or reports on the
impact of inadequate staffing on staff or patient safety in healthcare
facilities? If so, please provide copies or summaries of these findings

10.     What proactive measures has Worksafe recommended as part of its
investigation(s) to address the risks associated with inadequate staffing
in healthcare facilities? Please include any guidance provided to
healthcare employers or industry bodies.

11.     What recommendations has Worksafe made to the Ministry of Health
or healthcare providers to mitigate the risks associated with inadequate
staffing, and what actions have been taken in response?

 

We have looked into your request and have established that we would likely
need to review hundreds of files to see if they are within scope as
inadequate staffing would be recorded in the free text field, we would
like to invite you to consider narrowing your request.

 

Actioning your request in its current form would likely take up a large
amount of WorkSafe resource and we may refuse the request under section
[1]18(f) of the OIA, that the information requested cannot be made
available without substantial collation or research.

 

Information about Provisional Improvement Notices can be found on our
website [2]Provisional improvement notice (PIN) | WorkSafe

 

As an alternative approach to your request, we would be able to provide
you with:

 1. PINS are between workers and PCBUs. WorkSafe only become aware of a
PIN if it referred to use for formal review. WorkSafe could provide
you a table that for PIN reviews lists the year, facility, and primary
concerns raised by the workers in the PIN for the last five years
 2. Details of any prosecutions taken by WorkSafe over the last five years
in response to inadequate staffing in medical facilities

 

The refined request would provide you with the opportunity to review and
consider the information. If you then wish to make a further request for
more details about a specific area, you are welcome to do so.

 

Please note, any clarification or amendment of a request is considered to
be a new request for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory
timeframe for response—see section 15(1AA) of the Official Information
Act.

 

Thank you for replying.

 

Ngā mihi

Fiona

 

Ministerial Services

8 Willis Street

Wellington

W    [3]worksafe.govt.nz

 

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[8]WSNZ_2769-Maori-email-sign-off-with-twitter-v1-2

 

[9]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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References

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1. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publ...
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3. http://www.worksafe.govt.nz/
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9. http://www.govt.nz/