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Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

The foundation of this thesis rests upon previous research conducted as part of a QuakeCoRE summer scholarship project which investigated the health and safety regulations for utility workers within Aotearoa and in relation to the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (CES). This project highlighted that the primary Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 was not directly applicable to these workers, given the unique set of risks and dangers. Additionally, the same research found that, in the absence of adequate intervention mechanisms, there is a reliance on internal health and safety procedures and standards, which may be compromised in an emergency scenario. A key element of Aotearoa’s disaster response framework regarding utility workers is the use of emergency powers, whereby the Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management may order utility workers, by proxy, to undertake any order during a state of national emergency or a national transition period.4 This power appears to be unrestrained and creates tension in relation to human rights and worker’s rights. The endangerment of utility workers in a disaster scenario is a global issue, with extensive research suggesting the involvement of utility workers within the immediate aftermath of disasters across many jurisdictions.5 This thesis investigates the involvement of utility workers in emergencies in two different jurisdictions, alongside the legal and non-legal protective measures taken within these jurisdictions to safeguard their mental and physical health.

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

For 150,000 Christchurch school students, the 12.51 pm earthquake of 22 February 2011 shattered their normal lunch time activities and thrust their teachers into the role of emergency first responders. Whether helping students (children) escape immediate danger, or identifying and managing the best strategies for keeping children safe, including provision of extended caregiving when parents were unable to return to school to retrieve their children, teachers had to manage their own fears and trauma reactions in order to appear calm and prevent further distress for the children in their care. Only then did teachers return to their families. Eighteen months later, twenty teachers from across Christchurch, were interviewed. At 12.51pm, the teachers were essentially first responders. Using their usual methods for presenting a calm and professional image, the teachers’ emotion regulation (ER) strategies for managing their immediate fears were similar to those of professional first responders, with similar potential for subsequent burnout and negative emotional effects. Teachers’ higher emotional exhaustion and burnout 18 months later, were associated with school relocation. Lower burnout was associated with more emotional awareness, ER and perceived support. Consistent with international research, teachers’ use of cognitive reappraisal (re-thinking a situation) was an effective ER strategy, but this may not prevent teachers’ emotional resources from eventually becoming depleted. Teachers fulfill an important role in supporting children’s psychosocial adjustment following a natural disaster. However, as also acknowledged in international research, we need to also focus on supporting the teachers themselves.