After 11 years working for Steel Construction New Zealand and the last six-and-a-half as manager, Alistair Fussell has left to run his own business. Bob Hawley, chairperson of SCNZ says it soon became apparent after commencing as acting manager in 2009 that Alistair had the skills to take on the position full time. “He has […]

By Jo Bailey Engineering is an ‘incredible’ profession for young graduates, particularly in the current climate, says Dr Charles Clifton, a Professor who educates the next generation of structural engineers at the University of Auckland’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “The demand for engineers is probably the highest I can remember. It is an […]

Five years ago you would have been hard pressed to find scaffolding on your average residential house build. You probably wouldn’t have seen safety nets or harnesses either. And fall arrest systems such as air bags were totally out of the question. But you might well have seen a painter using a fully extended ladder […]

By Jo Bailey New standards for height safety equipment are a work-in-progress, as new technology introduced over the last few years has significantly changed the industry. “Some of our current standards are now pretty old and haven’t been updated until now due to costs. At the moment the AS/NZ Standards Committee has started a new […]

If employers with staff working at heights can answer three questions about their projects with a definitive ‘yes’ they should be on the right track to providing a safe environment for their employees and meeting the new Health and Safety regulations, says industry expert Doug Carson. “The first question to answer is ‘do you have […]

By Jo Bailey Weathertightness of structures has been a hot topic in New Zealand since the leaky building crisis became public in 2002. New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors (NZIBS) executive member Nick Gaites says it is impossible to tell the exact numbers of homes affected. However, the weathertightness expert says after years immersed in […]