14 May 2019
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
PO Box 805, Wellington 6140
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Jonathan Davis
Fax +64 4 382 3589
FYI.org.nz
Em
ail [email address]
Websi
te www.dia.govt.nz
Kia Ora Jonathan
Re: Your Official Information Act request 18/19-0646, dated 11 April 2019
In regard to your Official Information Act (the Act) request, which was received by the
Department of Internal Affairs (Department) on 11 April 2019.
You have requested:
1. All correspondence/emails and briefings relating to the health and safety standards of the
Department of Internal Affairs Office on 120 Victoria Street. This information can also be any
correspondence/emails discussing why and how Victoria Street accommodation is not fit for
purpose.
2. All correspondence/emails and briefings that contain discussions around unsafe working
conditions at 120 Victoria Street, and what measures are being taken to ensure workplace
conditions are appropriate and safe.
3. All correspondence/emails and briefings that shows the Department's Office on 120
Victoria Street is, or is not compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
On 18 April 2019 and subsequently on 30 April 2019, the Department attempted to contact
you to invite you to refine the request, as our initial scoping identified that your current
request would require us to search thousands of documents to identify information that
may fall within scope. We explained that due to substantial manual collation and research,
the Department would be likely to refuse parts of your request under section 18(f) of the
OIA.
We confirmed that we would be able to provide a partial response to part 2 of your request
in relation to the measures undertaken by the Department to ensure workplace conditions
at 120 Victoria Street Office are appropriate and safe.
As we have had no response to our attempts to contact you to refine the request, we are
now refusing parts 1 and 3 of your request in full, and part 2 of your request in part, under
section 18(f) of the Act as the information cannot be made available without substantial
collation and research.
We are providing some information in response to part 2 of your request, in relation to the
measures that are being taken to ensure workplace conditions at the 120 Victoria Street
property are appropriate and safe.
Measures being taken to ensure workplace conditions are appropriate and safe
The Department is committed to providing healthy, safe and appropriate work environments
for all of its approximately 50 sites across New Zealand and overseas.
The site at 120 Victoria Street has a current Building Warrant of Fitness that ensures all
specified systems are regularly inspected, maintained and are operating as designed.
All staff have access to a booking system that enables them to report hazards at any of our
sites, including the 120 Victoria Street site. There is also booking system for property faults,
enabling staff to lodge any issues or concerns they have with any physical aspects of the site.
As of this date we are not aware of any unresolved reported Health and Safety issues for the
site.
All staff are required to complete a health and safety induction training within the first week
of commencing work at the Department as part of our 90-day onboarding process.
There are six Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) available to support staff at the 120
Victoria Street property. HSRs are representatives of the workforce that bring matters of
health and safety to the attention of managers at the site, the Health and Safety team or the
Property Group as required. The branch on site also has a health and safety committee that
meets quarterly at the site. The Committee is made up of HSRs from the 120 Victoria Street
site (and other sites), a Branch Health and Safety Coordinator (at the site) and
managers. This forum enables issues of health and safety to be raised within the branch and
if necessary communicated to right level of managers within the branch or organisation to
get the issues resolved. Both the Branch Health and Safety Coordinator and Management
Representative sit on the Department’s National Health and Safety Committee
When a hazard or incident is lodged, a process to ensure that controls to minimise or
eliminate is in place. This involves the manager or team leader being alerted to the issue
who then states what practicable steps could be taken to reduce the risk; when the hazard
was investigated; and action taken. Hazards are also discussed at Branch Health and Safety
Committee meetings and regular site safety checks are undertaken. These processes ensure
that measures are effective in the management of hazards and incidents to maintain a safe
and healthy work environment.
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If you have any feedback or questions about the Department’s response, please let us know
at
[email address]
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or Freephone 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Harley Spence
General Manager Property
Shared Services Branch
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