Latest news with #Higgs
Otago Daily Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Christchurch agritech firm behind new tool to improve workplace safety
Christchurch agritech company Onside has unravelled a complex problem to come up with a map-based tool highlighting risk areas and increasing worker safety at many agriculture workplaces. The "industry-first" PCBU Enterprise platform has potential hazards laid out on a map so drivers, contractors and other workers entering a farm get an alert identifying them via an app on their mobile devices. Hazards are tailored to large agri-businesses and organisations legally bound to manage workplace risks. The software technology can also plot out other risk areas such as depots, machinery yards and processing facilities. In a partnership with meat processor Anzco Foods, the company has just rolled out the risk management tool over the past few weeks after a year of development and further testing. Trials are being carried out in other countries. Onside was co-founded by chief executive Ryan Higgs, Michael Falconer and Juliet Maclean in 2015 when they began working together initially in a large dairy farming venture in Canterbury. The online platform combines Onside's mobile app, which has already mapped more than 21,000 Australasian rural properties and logged millions of contractor and visitor check-ins, as well as machinery and plant movements. Onside said the data helped users easily manage health and safety, compliance and biosecurity risks. Mr Higgs said the PCBU Enterprise solution for large-scale agri-businesses was the company's most ambitious risk and safety product yet. The challenge was to make simple, easy-to-use software for operators from complex data flows, he said. "Ultimately, it was a problem that Anzco came to us to solve and it was around large-scale organisations like them which have a responsibility to ensure everyone part of the organisation understands the risks so they can be managed and stay safe. It's complex because of the scale of these operations so Anzco has thousands of farms and hundreds of truck drivers going to farms in all hours of the day and night." High-profile accidents, including significant fines against senior executives for breaching worker safety and health legislation, had reinforced the need for co-ordinated safety management across the agricultural sector, he said. Onside's initial idea resulted from the founders trying to track the movements of hundreds of workers, contractors and other visitors coming and going on 13 dairy farms. A first version was created to manage who was on the properties and keep everyone safe and informed. Nearly two years ago, Onside began working with Anzco to tackle the difficulty of managing safety duties in a supply chain and this has been extended to other companies and organisations. Risk areas such as loading yards, accessways, trucks, plants, paddocks, runways and irrigation trenches are marked out on the farm maps. Mr Higgs said likely users would be any organisation providing services to farms, orchards and vineyards. "They would be anyone who sends their team or third-party contractors out to farms and has an obligation under the law to manage the risk. Typically, we find these businesses really care about their people and actually want to ensure they are safe — so they could be ... another meat or dairy processor, freight companies, lines companies, insurers or banks." He said the platform followed workplace health and safety regulator WorkSafe's consult, co-operate and co-ordinate safety rules for duties overlapping in a shared workplace. This ensured everyone knew who was managing a risk to create a safer and more efficient supply chain. "Anzco took the initiative, deciding it wasn't good enough to wait for someone else to figure it out. The result is we've created what we believe is a world-first agri-enterprise solution that will improve safety outcomes across the sector." Among those involved during the testing was the National Livestock and Transport Safety Council (NLTSC). NLTSC president Derek Foley said it was a giant step forward for drivers' on-site safety. Mr Higgs said offshore trials included large poultry firms in the United States using the software to map out feed manufacturing sites, processing facilities and farms. "We have a big operation right across Australia and we've just started to make some progress in North America and we have trials running with companies in Mexico and the US."
Techday NZ
03-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Onside launches digital platform to boost agri supply safety
Onside has launched PCBU Enterprise, a digital platform aiming to address shared safety responsibilities in agriculture supply chains across Australia and New Zealand. New platform development The platform was developed in collaboration with ANZCO Foods, a major exporter of beef and lamb in New Zealand. PCBU Enterprise is intended to resolve ongoing challenges related to joint safety duties between enterprises, contractors, suppliers, and transport operators along the agri supply chain. The tool enables agribusinesses to form multi-party safety and risk networks. These networks allow companies to collaborate on managing shared risks, map areas of joint responsibility, communicate in real time, maintain accurate compliance records, and generate inter-business risk reports. Integration with Onside's existing mobile app, already deployed across more than 21,000 rural properties in Australia and New Zealand, allows users to log contractor and visitor check-ins as well as the movement of machinery and plants. Benefits for supply chain safety Ryan Higgs, Chief Executive Officer of Onside, commented on the significance of the new product: "PCBU Enterprise is our biggest and most ambitious agri risk and safety product yet. It sets a new standard for safety outcomes by ensuring enterprises, contractors, and suppliers share a transparent system that leaves nothing to chance when it comes to safety and shared risks." Nearly two years ago, Onside and ANZCO Foods began addressing the question of how to manage safety obligations that extend throughout the supply chain, rather than being confined by property boundaries. Higgs explained: "Loading yards, accessways, trucks, plants, paddocks, runways, irrigation trenches - anywhere operations intersect is where things can go wrong. You can't hide behind organisational layers when safety fails. With PCBU Enterprise, we're making WorkSafe's '3 C's' Consult, Cooperate, Coordinate applicable across multiple PCBUs. This clarity ensures everyone knows who's managing risk, creating a safer and more efficient supply chain." Higgs highlighted that for meat companies like ANZCO, shared safety responsibilities stretch across producer properties and involve transport firms. He added, "ANZCO took the initiative, deciding it wasn't good enough to wait for someone else to figure it out. The result is we've created what we believe is a world-first agri enterprise solution that will improve safety outcomes across the sector." Sector support and safety context The initiative has received strong support from the National Livestock and Transport Safety Council (NLT&SC), an organisation focused on improving safety and standards in New Zealand's livestock transport sector. Derek Foley, President of NLT&SC, said, "The implementation of PCBU Enterprise by ANZCO and Onside is a giant step forward for our drivers' on-site safety. NLT&SC members have appreciated the ability to be involved with the development and roll-out process. We thank both ANZCO and Onside for this initiative and their ongoing support for our drivers' safety." Recent developments in workplace safety have highlighted the urgency of improved management practices across the agricultural sector, given high-profile safety incidents and regulatory penalties for executives responsible for breaches in work health and safety obligations. Higgs noted, "Recent high-profile safety incidents, including significant fines against senior executives for PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) breaching worker safety and health legislation, have reinforced the need for clear and coordinated safety management practices across the agricultural sector." Availability The PCBU Enterprise platform is now accessible to agribusinesses in both New Zealand and Australia. It is intended to facilitate a coordinated approach to safety, compliance, and operations for organisations involved in agricultural supply chains.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Nancy Jiang
Nancy is a personal finance staff writer at Forbes Advisor. She has penned stories covering entertainment and music, politics, business, travel, and money. Her concert attendance (250+ and counting), masterful budgeting, and Lorde/Frank Ocean expertise makes her uniquely qualified to speak on low expenditure without sacrificing on leisure. She attended Boston University for journalism and political science and would jump through many hoops for her cat Higgs, though she hopes it never has to come to that. Expertise Personal finance Politics Culture Entertainment Achievements Personal finance writer and journalist Other Publications Education Boston University (B.A. Journalism, minor Political Science) Professional Memberships
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Harry Higgs odds to win the 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic
Harry Higgs will be among the golfers teeing off from June 26-29 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, MI. If you're wanting to wager on Higgs this week, there are a slew of betting options available. Rocket Mortgage Classic details and info Watch golf on Fubo! Higgs odds to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic The current odds on Higgs to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic are +35000. If you decided to bet $10 on Higgs, you'd end up with $3,510.00 if he won. PGA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 8:58 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Higgs odds to finish in the top 5 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic The latest odds on Higgs to finish in the top five at the Rocket Mortgage Classic are +7000. If you decided to wager $10 on Higgs, you'd end up with $710.00 if he did so. Higgs odds to finish in the top 10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic Other betting markets for Higgs at the Rocket Mortgage Classic Other popular golf wagers include choosing who will be in front at the end of the first round, or whether a player makes the cut. Sportsbooks also offer odds on one-on-one matchups and 3-ball matchups (three players grouped together, teeing off at the same time) for every golf tournament. Just choose who you think will perform the best in that particular round; that's all that matters. Higgs recent performances Higgs hasn't won any of the 15 tournaments he has participated in this season, though he has earned one top-five finish. Higgs has finished in the top five once in his past four events. Higgs has an average finish of 61st with a personal best of finish of 52nd at this tournament.
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Death Stranding fans realise where they've heard famous character's voice before
The release of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach on June 26th will see the return of several characters from the original game, and fans of the franchise have only just realised where they know one of the actors from Death Stranding's much-anticipated sequel, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, is set to hit PlayStation 5 on June 26th, with many familiar faces from the original game making a comeback. Like its predecessor, the follow-up uses motion capture technology to accurately depict the actors' likenesses in the game rather than having celebrities voice characters who bear no resemblance to them. Norman Reedus brings the lead character, Sam, to life, and there's a star-studded supporting cast, including Lea Seydoux as Fragile and Elle Fanning as Tomorrow. However, one returning character from the first game that has fans buzzing is a man named Higgs, and gamers are just now recognising his actor. In Death Stranding, Higgs is the head of a terrorist group called the Homo Demens, who aim to trigger a mass extinction using a godlike creature known as an Extinction Entity. He's often seen wearing a mask, but we do catch glimpses of his face several times. Higgs is portrayed by Troy Baker, a name that might not ring a bell unless you're one to scrutinise the credits of other games, but you've likely heard his voice before. Troy boasts an impressive filmography, and if you've played a video game in the past two decades, chances are you've heard his voice. However, fans were left astounded upon discovering that he also lends his voice to one of the most cherished video game characters of the past decade - Joel Miller from The Last of Us. Troy is the voice behind both instalments of the game, which have recently been adapted into a successful TV series, and he has received acclaim for his emotive performance. He also voices the lead character Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite, Snow Villiers in Final Fantasy XIII, Batman and several other characters in the Lego Batman games, and Samuel Drake, Nathan Drake's brother, in the Uncharted series. The actor even provides voices for online games, including Agent Jones in Fortnite and Loki in Marvel Rivals. Despite his extensive career, Troy's fans believe that Death Stranding and its sequel could well be the actor's "magnum opus", as they lauded his impressive performance in the role. A Reddit discussion led several people to express their surprise at realising he was the actor behind some of their favourite video game characters, hinting at his remarkable versatility. One person compared him to actor Daniel Day Lewis, stating: "Can you really say Daniel Day Lewis has a magnum opus? The guy is just fantastic in everything he's in. Not bad, not good, fantastic. Troy is fantastic in everything he's in." Another added: "I didn't even know he was Joel the first time I played The Last of Us!". Back in 2022, Troy opened up about his experience playing the baddie Higgs in Death Stranding, expressing gratitude towards director Hideo Kojima for placing his "trust" in him and giving him the freedom to shape the role distinctively. During a chat on the Kojima Productions website, he shared: "A huge amount of trust has been extended to me to make choices and to be daring in those choices. It's the responsibility of Kojima and the team to then shape those choices into what makes the most sense for the story. I try not to edit and self-direct. I just try to go for it and wait for someone to tell me to stop." He also lauded Norman Reedus' "work ethic" and hailed Kojima as a blend of "cocktail of controlled chaos and creative genius". Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is set to hit shelves on June 26th exclusively for PlayStation 5.
