Working in the ngahere is unlike many other jobs. The office is the whenua, shaded by rākau, susceptible to the elements with many moving parts and unpredictable risks.
To keep our eight iwi and hapū-led projects safe, Henry Samson, of Samson Safety Solutions, has been with us since inception.
Henry’s job is to provide technical support to the Kaimai Mamaku Restoration Project to build capability and proficiency in appropriate Health & Safety practices, developing a wellbeing culture in all aspects of conservation work, and regularly auditing Health & Safety processes to facilitate continuous improvement.
Wellbeing and safety at work is mainly about having situational awareness, Henry says.
“It’s really about coaching the teams and asking, ‘Are you doing this in the safest possible way?’”.
Each year, Henry gets into the bush with each team to spend a “day in the life”, observing and auditing their health and safety practices.
He says it’s the favourite part of his job.
“The walk in the bush is worth doing. It builds relationships and trust so the teams feel comfortable picking up the phone and emailing me to ensure all their safety stuff is compliant and up to speed,” he says.
“That yearly hīkoi is the icing on the cake! I get to go bush walking with great people, and help them along the way!”
Cultural safety is integral to the iwi and hapū-led teams, and they include this into every-day health and safety through karakia.
He says the KMRP teams has improved immensely from when they first started in 2022.
“There’s been a phenomenal difference from when they started. All the teams are open to learning and developing thor skills. Because I've been there from ground zero and built plans around what they’re doing, we've built strong relationships and their safety management is overall very good.”
Louise Saunders, MKMT CEO, says Henry is a great addition to the team.
“Henry comes with a background in pest control so he understands this work more than most and he’s committed to embracing a te ao Māori kaupapa approach to health and safety.
“Having independent oversight of our teams health and safety practices ensure our team can continuously improve ensures they’re performing at the best possible level,” she says.
