Work has begun on health standards for operational personnel

The new Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017 (Sections 31 – 35) enables the Board to prescribe physical and psychological health standards to ensure operational personnel are able to undertake duties that may be required of them without undue risk to their safety, health and wellbeing. 

We need to ensure the policies and systems we have in place meet the requirements of the Act. Accordingly, the Fire and Emergency NZ Safety, Health and Wellbeing project team have started work to look at what the ‘health standards for operational personnel’ mentioned in the new legislation might mean for our personnel.

Rest assured a lot of work needs to happen before any decisions are made, and it will be done in close consultation with the Unions and Associations that represent all our people. While this work is being done, nothing will change.

This is very early days but what has happened so far is:

• The Fire and Emergency NZ Board has asked for recommendations on the design and development of health standards to meet the requirements of the Act by July 2018.
• An initial meeting was held including senior representatives from the five Unions and Associations and senior operational managers. Those at this meeting agreed that health standards will include physical health, physical fitness and psychological health – in line with operational risks related to physical safety, and work-related health and psychological wellbeing.

Most of those who attended the initial meeting are likely to be confirmed as part of the official Working Party, to be determined shortly. Together the Working Party will determine terms of reference for the work, frequency of meetings, involvement of subject matter experts in a variety of areas, key decision points and communications to the organisation. 

The main focus of this work will be to maintain people in their operational roles – career and volunteer – wherever possible. A range of support options will be looked at when work-related health and wellbeing risks are detected early. The timing of any further work will be guided by the Board’s review of the Working Party recommendations next year.

Alison Barnes is the Safety, Health and Wellbeing Lead on this work, and she is working closely with the Working Party and Unions and Associations. 

We will keep you all updated with progress as this important work is continued.