Occupational Health and Safety at Massey celebrates significant milestone

The event was attended by current and former staff, alumni, and industry partners, and provided an opportunity to look at the growth of the discipline at Massey and celebrate the considerable contributions it has made to the field both nationally and internationally.

Head of School of Health Sciences, Associate Professor Rachel Page, says that the future of OHS teaching, learning and research at Massey is looking very bright. “Current enrolment numbers are strong for both undergraduate and postgraduate level, and we have some exciting educational developments in specialist areas such as occupational hygiene, hazardous substances, human factors, ergonomics, and occupational health nursing.”

WorkSafe New Zealand Chief Executive Phil Parkes acknowledges the history of collaboration they have had with Massey over the years.

“WorkSafe and our predecessor agencies have a productive history of partnering with Massey University in many health and safety areas. It’s great to see how Massey’s Occupational Health and Safety programme is evolving to respond to how work is changing. I look forward to continuing this collaborative relationship."

History of OHS at Massey

Massey was the first university in New Zealand to lead the development of tertiary education in OHS, with the establishment in 1979 of the Diploma in Safety Management, supported by a grant from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

Enrolments in OHS programmes at Massey have grown significantly over the years, which has increased the university’s reputation as experts in the field. Over the past 43 years, the OHS programme has produced over 800 diploma and bachelor graduates, 100 master’s students, and 10 PhDs.

As well as this, the university’s academic engagement with workplace health and safety regulatory agencies and government organisations stretches back over 40 years.

In the 1980s, university staff developed a certificate programme for the then Department of Labour Health and Safety Inspectorate and provided specialist training courses in hazard identification and management and occupational hygiene.

In the 1990s, the university provided specialist courses for ACC injury prevention staff on health and safety auditing, and injury prevention programme evaluation methodologies.

In more recent times, Massey’s OHS staff have developed and delivered specialist training courses for WorkSafe New Zealand’s new health and safety inspectors.

Academic staff have also provided specialist technical advice to WorkSafe New Zealand in a number of areas. Associate Professor Ian Laird was appointed a member of the Occupational Health Advisory Group (OHAG), which provided advice to WorkSafe’s Board. He was also appointed to the reference group for the development and implementation of the SafePlus assessment tool and appointed as a member of WorkSafe’s Technical Noise Forum.

This year, Associate Professor Laird was presented with the Countdown Lifetime Achievement Award at the NZ Workplace Health and Safety Awards.

Associate Professor Laird says Massey can be very proud of the OHS programme and the overall success and contribution that its graduates have made to society. “It’s very heart-warming to see past students achieving and contributing so much to New Zealand workplace health and safety, with some even being nominated and successful in national health and safety awards and other distinctions.”

Current OHS at Massey

At present, the university offers four distinct qualifications in OHS:

1) Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

2) Bachelor of Health Sciences (Occupational Health and Safety)

3) Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Occupational Health and Safety)

4) Master of Health Science (Occupational Health and Safety)

In addition, key OHS courses are integrated in a range of complementary qualifications, including the Graduate Diploma in Emergency Management, and OHS staff contribute to teaching in the Bachelor of Construction (Management).