S3.EP7: Cutting Through the Bullshit: Vanessa Crafts on Fixing NZ Health & Safety

Vanessa Crafts has earned a reputation as the badass of New Zealand health and safety.She’s asking the uncomfortable questions, challenging pointless box-ticking and pushing for practical reform that actually makes sense to the people doing the work.Vanessa joins Alex to unpack why too many health and safety systems are built for audits rather than humans, how major contractors are creating mountains of meaningless paperwork, and what needs to change if New Zealand genuinely wants better safety outcomes.They also get into:Why compliance doesn’t always equal safetyMaking legislation understandable for people on the groundHow leaders set the safety culture of a businessWhy trust and honest conversations change behaviourChallenging tier-one contractors and outdated requirementsBuilding OSHE and HARM over 10 yearsBecoming one of NZ LinkedIn’s most recognisable voicesUsing AI without removing human judgementHer ambitious plan to take StreamStack to Netflix, Neon and Disney+One of the most unbelievable workplace incidents ever reportedNo corporate jargon. No safety theatre. Just an honest conversation about keeping people safe and fixing a system that has lost touch with the people it’s meant to protect.Connect with Vanessa :https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-crafts-74143198OSHE & HARM:https://oshe.co.nz/Join StreamStack:https://streamstack.co.nz/Subscribe to The Puzzle Factory for more honest conversations about New Zealand trades, business and culture.Powered by NZ Trade Group.