ACC New Zealand

We enjoyed attending The Wellington Gold Awards last week which recognises workplace excellence in the Wellington community. 🙌 Congratulations to all the finalists and winners on the night, with a special mention to Sharesies for winning the 'ACC Employer of the Year' award. 🏆 Sharesies has been recognised for their impressive internal systems to support success at all stages of the employee life cycle. Examples include: 👏 fortnightly pulse checks 👏 six monthly engagement surveys 👏 regular performance feedback rounds 👏 engagement scores 6% above industry benchmarks 👏 a wellbeing program that covers all bases. Sharesies is proving that when it comes to workplace culture, they're always investing!

‘Your biggest asset isn’t your Ford Ranger, it’s your body’. 💪   That’s one of the messages behind one of Construction Health and Safety NZ (CHASNZ)’s flagship programmes Work Should Not Hurt. The programme offers evidence-based guidance customised to different trades to help workers understand their risk of injury and take practical steps to reduce it.   CHASNZ's Chris Polaczuk and Dr Stephven Kolose are presenting the programme at the International Ergonomics Association in South Korea this Thursday 29th August. You can watch the presentation live on Instagram @workshouldnothurt at 4:30pm NZST. We're proud to partner with CHASNZ and support the Work Should Not Hurt programme that aims to reduce workplace injuries and deaths in the construction sector. 🏗

We enjoyed attending the 2024 Seafood NZ Conference in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. 📍🐟 Our Chief Clinical Officer and Head of Health Partnerships, Stafford Thompson had the pleasure of speaking at the event. Stafford shared industry data around the most common types of injuries that affect the seafood industry. These being lacerations, punctures and fractures, many of these affecting the lower back/spine, finger/thumb and shoulder. We engaged with industry professionals and attendees about injury prevention and recovery at work. Thanks to those who shared with us their work-related injury experiences and challenges. Some honest insights we observed: 🔷 having injured people off work presents the challenge of reduced productivity 🔷 with reduced productivity, the challenge of then catering for the time lost 🔷 being injured often causes worry about personal finances being a burden to their loved ones and co-workers.  Thanks for having us Seafood New Zealand 🙌

A pharmacy on the South Island’s West Coast is helping spread the word about Nymbl, an ACC app helping to improve balance for older people. 🙌 If you visit the Westland Pharmacy in Hokitika, you might notice staff wearing a new badge that says: ‘Ask me about Nymbl’. 🗣️ They’ll tell you all about how Nymbl is designed to help older adults maintain their balance and show you how to download it for free on your smartphone. “Helping our older customers maintain their independence for as long as possible is really important to us,” says Marie Gill, the retail manager at Westland Pharmacy. “So when we were approached by ACC to see if we’d be willing to promote the app to our older customers, they got a resounding yes.” It’s helping to tackle a big problem. Falls are the most common cause of injury in New Zealand, accounting for 39 per cent of all ACC claims. 🚶 Every year, one-in-three people over 65 injure themselves in a fall. This figure rises to one-in-two for people over 80. Many of these falls result in serious injury, such as a hip fracture, hospitalisation or even death. “It’s a no-brainer really,” says pharmacy owner Graham Provis. “Many older people come in here to pick up their prescriptions, so we’re well-placed to promote this.” The Nymbl app is easy-to-use and fully-funded by ACC for all New Zealanders aged 50-plus. More info 👉 https://acc.nz/4fWGMX4

Paralympian Ben Lucas is well-placed to act as our Lead Disability Advisor. Aged 24, he became paralysed in a motorbike accident and faced an uncertain future. “You wake up the next day and go, ‘Oh my God, this is real. What’s my life going to be like? Everything’s changed.’ There’s a real fear of the unknown.” Getting into sport helped Ben regain his confidence. 💪 “Sport made me feel normal again – it gave me a sense of hope and purpose.” Ben took up wheelchair racing and went on to represent his country in two Paralympic Games, captaining the New Zealand team at both Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, and acting as Chef de Mission at Rio 2016. Ben’s first-hand experience of the power of sport as a rehabilitation tool is why he’s proud of our partnership with Paralympics New Zealand. We support the Para Sport Collective, a three-year initiative that supports pre-high performance Para athletes and coaches to achieve their goals. 🏅 “It’s giving Para athletes much needed support and direction so they can chase their dream of one day becoming a Paralympian. You have to work incredibly hard and make some sacrifices – but it’s worth it.” Ben says there’s no event in the world like the Paralympics and can’t wait for the action to get going in Paris. “You've got ordinary, everyday Kiwis who’ve got extra challenges in life. To see what people can do with what they might be missing is absolutely amazing.” 🙌 The 2024 Paralympics take place from 28 August to 8 September, you can follow the action live on TVNZ. 📺

Since enabling access to rongoā Māori as a rehabilitation service in 2020, we've funded more than 77,000 sessions and helped over 10,000 ACC kiritaki across the motu. 💙 Pita Pene, a Māori matua from the Waikato, experienced a long and emotionally challenging recovery from knee surgery. But, with the support of our ACC Hāpai programme, he was able to make a full recovery and return to a fulfilling, independent life. Our ACC Hāpai team provide kiritaki Māori (Māori clients) and their whānau with culturally responsive support, grounded in tikanga Māori (Māori values and principles). “The support of the Māori ACC whānau has turned my life around,” Pita says. “It’s made me feel like, ‘I am here for a reason.’ Having that assurance that they’re there for me just gives me confidence to get back out there into the community.” 💪 Pita was so moved by the impact of the Hāpai programme on his life, he wrote a waiata (song) about his healing journey to acknowledge those who supported him. His waiata is based on a traditional Māori proverb: “Ehara taku toa he takitahi, ko taku toa he toa takitini (My strength is not mine alone, but is of the collective).” We're touched by Pita's waiata and are proud to provide culturally responsive support through the Hāpai programme as part of our continuing efforts to deliver equity for Māori. 🙌

Our Deputy Chief Executive - Strategy Engagement and Planning, Andy Milne, shares how we're partnering with WorkSafe New Zealand and Safer Farms to help farmers across the motu get home safely every day. Tragically, accidents involving quad bikes have claimed the lives of four farmers across Aotearoa in the last month. It’s a sobering reminder to look at what you can do to keep yourself and others safe on the farm, especially during the busy lambing and calving season.

Final call for applications for our ACC Postgraduate Scholarships! 🗣️📣 If you're commencing your Master’s research in 2024 or 2025, you might be eligible for an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship. These scholarships support research to understand more about the complex challenges and emerging trends in injury prevention and compensation. Applications close this week on Friday 15th August. You can find more information on eligibility and how to apply here 👉 https://acc.nz/3S19EU2

Congratulations to FirstMate New Zealand for winning the ACC 'Workplace Safety and Wellbeing' Award at last week's Seafood Stars Awards. 👏 FirstMate is a charity that has been recognised for their outstanding dedication to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of fishers and their whānau. They provide guidance and resources to help fishers navigate the challenges they face working at sea. 🙌 We'd like to acknowledge the team of Navigators at FirstMate who continue to support and give back to the fishing community. They know what fishers go through because many of them have been through it too. We're proud to sponsor this award and thank Seafood New Zealand for organising the Seafood Stars Awards! 🐟

Last month, our Prevention and Partnerships teams had the privilege of touring the new warehouse facilities of our national Medical Consumables supplier, Onelink in Auckland. 📍🏭 This visit provided us with a valuable opportunity to gain deeper insights into the mahi that happens behind the scenes, ensuring our kiritaki receive the right items promptly and efficiently. 🙌 We also engaged in some great kōrero about ongoing initiatives and opportunities for future improvements. Building strong partnerships with our suppliers is essential to achieving exceptional outcomes for our clients. Together, we can continue to enhance our services and deliver even greater value. 🤝 We are excited for the next chapter of our journey together. Thanks for having us Onelink - Connected to Health! 👋 📷 L-R: Chelsea McNeil, Alaine Shaw, Jennifer Venimore, Tina Nikoia, Anushka Nand, Rachael Buckingham, Garth Selby, (photographed by Rochelle Knight).