Gas Cylinder Records

Updated records (previously called registers) for LAB designs, LAB SP special cylinders, and UN importation have been uploaded to the WorkSafe website. These records have been cleaned up but are still spreadsheets that allow you to search by applying filters in the normal way. WorkSafe is intending to upload record data to a new database in the coming year, and to assist this, each record type has identical columns even though some are unused in a particular record.

As part of cleaning up the data, we have completed your requests for changes to individual entries made since that last conference. While we have attempted to include them all, we ask you to check that your requests have been implemented correctly. In this regard, please note that LAB2233 has wrongly recorded a water capacity of 9 litres. It should be 21.6 litres (Thanks to Reg, Fire Protection, Invercargill).

WorkSafe CAR team changes

Antony Kitchener has left WorkSafe to take up a position at Wellington Hospital. His experience in providing advice and information will be missed, as will his work in handling the test station authorisation process for the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017. Antony’s replacement is Mareike Ramsbottom-Isherwood, who will be responsible for test station authorisations. I am sure you will make Mareike welcome as she settles in.

Guide to Gas Cylinders

We are making final changes to a revised Guide to Gas Cylinders, using your input from the consultation last year. It is hoped that the revised Guide, aligned with the Health & Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017, will be published in the next two to three months.

Investigation

WorkSafe has used its new operational agreements with NZUA and IANZ to investigate concerns received from a test station. In this first case, NZUA investigated and reported to WorkSafe. We appreciate the support provided to the investigation by all involved.

WorkSafe intends the investigation approach to support and reinforce best practice by test stations. WorkSafe does not intend to take over test station responsibility where the issues can be amicably resolved between parties. The CAR group does have its own audit and investigation team that will take action if we are not happy with the outcome of an IANZ/NZUA investigation, or if the matter raises particularly serious health and safety concerns.

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