NZISM representative Helen Parkes (left) presents IOSH President Karen McDonnell with a traditional Maori carving to recognise the working partnership between both organisations in recent years.
IOSH has been recognised for its ongoing support of efforts to raise the standard of occupational safety and health advice in New Zealand.
The institution has worked together with the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM) to support the country’s safety and health professionals since 2009.
The relationship resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations in 2014, which gave members of both bodies the opportunity for mutual recognition.
The agreement has also seen IOSH and NZISM work together for the benefit of safety and health, including assisting each other in discussions with government and industry and sharing a commitment to developing the profession.
Representatives from both organisations met at IOSH’s The Grange headquarters, in Wigston, Leicestershire, on Friday 4 December, where NZISM presented IOSH with a token of appreciation of the work done between the two bodies.
The gift of a traditional Maori wood carving symbolising strength and unity between the two organisations was presented by NZISM representative Helen Parkes to IOSH President Karen McDonnell.
Ms Parkes, who is also a chartered member of IOSH and part of its Networks Committee, said NZISM has benefitted from having a “strong, interconnected global web of support” from IOSH over the last six years.
She said: “Safe and healthy work is a consequence of a society where people are valued and their uniqueness respected.
“In such an environment health and safety is not about fixing things, bureaucracy or rules. It is about people putting people at the heart of work.
“In this environment communities prosper and business thrives. Building capability is key to shifting attitudes towards a more mature view of health and safety.”
After accepting the gift from NZISM on behalf of IOSH, Ms McDonnell said: “I feel very strongly that my theme for the presidential year is partnership working, both within the IOSH networks and also through the memoranda of understandings and agreements that we have with other organisations like NZISM.
“It’s all about strengthening the connection between the various organisations across the world that share IOSH’s vision of a world of work that is safe, healthy and sustainable. We value the relationship with NZISM and hope to continue to support it in its work.”
Tony Rigg, NZISM’s national manager, has also written to IOSH to express his thanks for IOSH’s support.
He said: “Since 2009, NZISM and IOSH have worked together to raise standards of health and safety advice in New Zealand.
“More recently, the relationship between our professional bodies has strengthened to the point of becoming a formal reciprocity agreement. This will culminate in December 2015 with NZISM going live on a full accreditation pathway for members that is aligned with the IOSH accreditation pathway to chartered status.
“It would not have been possible for NZISM to deliver such a pathway without the significant support provided by IOSH. Our members now have a clear career pathway, with appropriate recognition – business can be confident that our members have been assessed and verified as meeting the necessary criteria.
“Ultimately this will result in better advice to business and better health and safety outcomes for New Zealand.”
An estimated 100 people a year are killed at work in New Zealand with around 800 other people dying annually as a result of work-related ill health.
