ACC New Zealand

If you can't identify the hazard, then you don't know how exposed you are or how to control it. Construction Health and Safety NZ (CHASNZ) has had huge interest in the Energy Based Hazard Recognition programme they launched earlier this year. Get along to one of their free workshops in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, for more information and to register head to 👉 https://acc.nz/48eCJ52

Surfing is the leading cause of water-related injuries in New Zealand, so we’re helping surfers stay safe by spreading awareness of the need to ‘Have a hmmm’. For the first time, we’ll have a presence at the Aotearoa Māori Surfing Titles – one of the most prestigious events on the Aotearoa New Zealand surfing calendar. Throughout the event, ACC will be promoting a few proven steps that help to ensure people stay injury free and can keep doing what they love. We'll also be providing rongōa Māori services to attendees, who will make their way to the event from all parts of the country. Ben Kennings, Chief Executive of Surfing New Zealand, says the event has long been held in high regard and has unearthed several of the nation’s elite surfing talent. “The Aotearoa Māori Surfing Titles are the waka for a celebration of Māori surfing and two great days shared amongst one another,” he says. “But the focus has always been as much on bringing Māori surfers together as it has about high-performance surfing and competition.” In 2023, we accepted 4,400 surfing-related injury claims, which came at a cost of $11.17 million to help people recover. “The ocean is beautiful and provides a lot of joy – but it’s also bigger and more powerful than any of us and needs to be respected,” says ACC Injury Prevention Leader James Whitaker, who is heading to the Far North for the event this Labour Weekend. “To keep injury free, check it before you charge it and find something else to do if you have any doubts. Give others lots of room too – if someone’s up on a wave already, leave them to it.” Aotearoa Māori Surfing Titles 2024 📅 26-27 October 📍 Ahipara, Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) 🏄 Open Men, Open Women, U-18 Boys, U-18 Girls, U-16 Boys, U-14 Boys, Over 35s, Over 45s, Longboard, SUP More information on the Aotearoa Māori Surfing Titles and how to stay safe on the waves: https://acc.nz/3YBQ7gB

The Development West Coast Leading Light Business Awards recognise and celebrate business excellence in the West Coast region. ✨ We were thrilled to sponsor the ACC 'Employer of the Year' award, which recognises a business whose exceptional people practices, and culture contributed to the outstanding success of the business. Franz Josef Glacier Guides were the deserving winner of the ACC 'Employer of the Year' award this year. Their impressive health, safety and wellbeing culture includes access to medical insurance, counselling services, flu and other vaccinations, and more. Congratulations to Franz Josef Glacier Guides NZ ! 👏

Over the past decade, more than 170 people have lost their lives on our waters when using recreational craft – which range from powerboats and dinghies to jet skis, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Outside of these fatalities, we also accepted 4,148 water-related injury claims for recreational craft activity last year. These sobering statistics are why we’re supporting Safer Boating Week, which is all about getting safety to the forefront of recreational craft users’ minds as they gear up to return to the water after the winter months. “We want people across Aotearoa to enjoy the water this summer with friends and whānau,” ACC Injury Prevention Leader James Whitaker says. “One of the best things about living in this country is that our oceans, rivers and lakes are accessible and a playground for us all. But we all need to be well informed about the risks and understand what can go wrong, so we come home safe to our loved ones.” More info about Safer Boating Week and how you can stay safe on the water 👉 https://acc.nz/3NDiMeI

We were delighted to exhibit at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) annual meeting last week in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, with over 800 Australasian health professionals. This year, the theme was 'Partnerships in Practice', which focused on partnerships across the sector and with Māori and Australia’s First Peoples. This theme recognises that establishing genuine partnerships in leadership, decision-making, and governance is key to fostering equitable outcomes for women across both Aotearoa and Australia. Our teams from across ACC enjoyed being able to connect with obstetricians and gynaecologists to better support patients after a maternal birth or treatment injury. Thank you to all those who engaged with us during the event, and ngā mihi to Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RANZCOG! 🙌

Get ready to shake out with us this Thursday 24th October at 9:30am! 🕘 We're supporting our friends over at National Emergency Management Agency (NZ) by taking part in ShakeOut – Aotearoa's nationwide earthquake drill and tsunami hikoi. During the ShakeOut exercise, it's important to Drop, Cover and Hold for 30–60 seconds. Our injury data shows you're up to four times more likely to hurt yourself trying to get elsewhere during an earthquake. ShakeOut is a great way for all of us to learn and practice the actions to take before, during and following an earthquake or threat of tsunami. We all need to be prepared. An emergency can occur at any time, changing lives in a matter of seconds.

Congratulations to Plumbuilt Plumbing Ltd who won the ACC 'Employer of the Year' award at the 2degrees Auckland Business Awards North and West Auckland. 👏 This award recognises exceptional people practices and culture that celebrates the importance of employee well-being, safety, and development. Plumbuilt's commitment to individual growth and fostering a supportive environment has set them apart as one of Auckland’s top employers. Their initiatives and programmes have shown their dedication to employee well-being and building genuine connections in business. Their template for success has given rise to three other Plumbuilt Branches around the country with a fifth branch opening in 2025. Well done Plumbuilt! 🏆

We’re proud to be promoting Māori health and wellbeing by continuing our support of the IronMāori multi-sport event, which is returning to its roots for the latest edition next month. 🙌 Heather Te Au-Skipworth and Wayne Skipworth founded the only indigenous multi-sport event in New Zealand in 2009 with the vision of promoting health, wellbeing and longevity, from mokopuna through to kaumātua. 💪 Fifteen years after the launch of IronMāori, the annual triathlon has returned to the place where the idea was conceived, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga. Heather came up with the IronMāori concept while working at Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga as a health coach. Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga is a family-focused organisation working with whānau to achieve their goals and general wellbeing. It’s now taken up the wero (challenge) to progress the event, alongside more than 80 whānau services currently delivered that align with the same vision. 👏 ACC has supported IronMāori for the past six years with Deputy Chief Executive for Strategy, Engagement and Prevention Andy Milne saying it’s a natural fit. “We believe in the kaupapa of IronMāori and we want to support whānau to live well,” Andy says. ACC research shows Māori are more likely to experience a serious injury than non-Māori but overall are less likely to make an injury claim. Māori make up 16.7 per cent of the population in Aotearoa but only 12 per cent of all ACC claims. “If you have an injury, don’t tough it out – taihoa ake and get help. ACC is here for you and your whānau to help you recover and get you back doing what you love,” Andy says. Read more about IronMāori and how the event is empowering Māori to achieve their health goals 👉 https://acc.nz/3A2Pjb4

Thanks to everyone who made a submission during our levy consultation, we appreciate you taking the time to give us your feedback. 🙌 We received nearly 8,700 total submissions and 6,925 sentiments (agree/disagree). Most of the feedback we received related to the motor vehicle account and motorcycle proposals, with 6,515 responses on these topics. We’re now reviewing all the feedback and will take it into consideration before we present our recommendations to the Minister for ACC. The Government will then make the final decisions on how the levies and the levy system will change for the next three years. Find out more about what we heard during the levy consultation 👉 https://acc.nz/408Kc3J

Our Annual Report shows we accepted 2.04 million new injury claims in 2023/24, supported injured people with over $4 billion of treatment and rehabilitation services, and paid almost $3 billion of compensation payments. The ACC scheme, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in April, continued to grow in 2024, with new injury claims increasing by 3.6 per cent on the previous year and new weekly compensation claims up by 3.9 per cent to 165,000. “The hard work and dedication of our people embodies ACC’s commitment to improving lives every day. It’s why we’ve been around for 50 years and why we will be here in the future,” ACC Board Chair Dr Tracey Batten says. “We’re focused on being as efficient and effective as possible. This year, that included delivering savings in our operating budget and re-investing in 250 additional frontline roles to help our clients get better faster.” Find out more and view our 2024 Annual Report 👉 https://acc.nz/3BHmOjy