Ex CEO of Maritime NZ to aid health & safety practitioners

Ex CEO of Maritime NZ and Civil Aviation Authority to lead improvement in health and safety practitioner capability

The NZISM have today announced the appointment of Russell Kilvington as the inaugural Chair of the NZISM Advisory Panel. Russell’s key roles will be to guide the full implementation of the NZISM’s internationally aligned accreditation pathway for all generalist health and safety practitioners in New Zealand and to ensure that NZISM helps the newly created Worksafe NZ deliver its target of improved occupational health and safety across all sectors of our society.

The NZISM accreditation pathway supports the recommendations of the Independent Health and Safety Taskforce and subsequent Government Working Safer Blueprint, and will lead to improved levels of health and safety capability in New Zealand. The voluntary accreditation of generalist health and safety practitioners will provide industry with assurance of practitioner competence, and improve industry access to competent advice.

As the first CEO and Director of Maritime New Zealand(MNZ), formerly the Maritime Safety Authority, and subsequently the CEO and Director of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Russell’s senior experience in guiding health and safety regulatory functions and activity will be invaluable to the NZISM. Both MNZ and CAA have always held the responsibility for health and safety in their industry sectors, a situation which continues under the new Worksafe NZ regime.

This includes Commercial Fishing – one of the top 5 high-­risk priority sectors for the Government. While at MNZ, Russell was instrumental in setting up FishSafe: a project to improve health and safety in this sector body which continues to deliver to the present day.

Tony Rigg, National Manager of the NZISM, says that this appointment comes at a particularly exciting time:

“Too frequently is industry being provided with health and safety advice from unqualified, inexperienced people calling themselves health and safety practitioners – this has to change – New Zealand communities deserve better protection. Industry needs the guidance and assistance of competent capable health and safety practitioners if health and safety performance in NZ is to improve, and if the Government is to achieve its target of a 20% reduction in serious injuries and fatalities by 2020.“

Russell Kilvington says:

“As recent history has shown us, there is still so much to do to improve occupational health and safety in our country. There is also a new and exciting opportunity to do something about it. I am honoured and proud to begin an association with a key organisation that can play a major role in that task”.

The NZISM is the leading professional body for health and safety practitioners in New Zealand -­ with over 800 members nationally. The NZISM provide support to health and safety practitioners, and assurance to industry of practitioner competence.

The NZISM operate a professional membership pathway in New Zealand in conjunction with IOSH, the world’s largest professional body for health and safety professionals.

NZISM is a voluntary not for profit incorporated society which was founded in 1972 with National coverage through an extensive and growing branch network.

www.nzism.co.nz

ENDS

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