11.07.2013

New workplace heath and safety system launched

On 1 July, a new workplace health and safety system was launched by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

New legislation, the Health and Safety (Pike River Implementation) Bill 2013, had its first reading on 27 June 2013. The Bill establishes the new, stand alone Crown agency – WorkSafe New Zealand – which will take over as the lead regulator of health and safety, most likely in December.

The Bill begins the implementation of many of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Pike River tragedy, and the Health and Safety Taskforce which reported back in April this year. Both sets of recommendations identified a key improvement for health and safety in New Zealand would be the establishment of a new, dedicated agency responsible for monitoring and enforcing health and safety in the workplace.

Changes are already being made by MBIE to the way it deals with investigations (up until December when WorkSafe New Zealand will take over): Key changes include the centralised triaging of all notifications to ensure consistency, and a shift in balance toward proactive workplace assessments, away from reactive occurrence investigations. The regulator will continue to attend the scene of accidents, but it will not respond to every notification.

Duty-holders, for example an employer, will be expected to play their part, and to review certain health and safety occurrences themselves. These ‘duty-holder reviews’ are an examination of what went wrong and why, and what the duty-holder has decided to do to prevent a recurrence. Duty-holder reviews will be assessed by investigations inspectors for completeness.

Do you need expert legal advice?
Contact the expert team at Hesketh Henry.
Kerry
Media contact - Kerry Browne
Please contact Kerry with any media enquiries and with any questions related to marketing or sponsorships on +64 9 375 8747 or via email.

Related Articles / Insights & Opinion

Privacy Commissioner to consult on Privacy Rules for Biometric Information
With the increasing use of facial recognition technology (FRT), retinal scans, and voice recognition by an array of different agencies, privacy concerns about its collection and use are set to be form...
24.11.2023 Posted in Business Advice
Fern forest NZ
Bioenergy in New Zealand: Fuels for the Future?
The energy transition from combustion fuels to low carbon alternatives is viewed as critical in the race to cut global CO2 emissions and reach climate targets.  We look at some of the opportunities p...
14.11.2023 Posted in Business Advice & Climate Change & Forestry
Will Wide BW
A well drafted will is a craft
The New Zealand do-it-yourself “DIY” attitude and way of life is not limited to home improvements, but sometimes also extends to wills.  Recently we had a DIY $5.99 fill in the blanks will acros...
07.11.2023 Posted in Private Wealth
rsz large pillars
Health and Safety: The Consequences of Dishonesty
Siddhartha Gautama said that lies are like huge, gaudy vessels, the rafters of which are rotten and worm-eaten, and that those who embark in them are fated to be shipwrecked.  Two remarkable health a...
03.11.2023 Posted in Employment & Health & Safety
Properly sequencing your Construction Adjudications: Henry Construction Projects Ltd v Alu-Fix (UK) Ltd
According to the UK’s Technology and Construction Court (TCC) (in Henry Construction Projects Ltd v Alu-Fix (UK) Ltd [2023] EWHC 2010) valid payment claims must be paid before the underlying merits ...
30.10.2023 Posted in Construction & Disputes
Key change to rules on distribution of surplus assets under the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022
On 5 October 2023, the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act) came fully into force, replacing the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (1908 Act). One of the key requirements under the 2022 Act is...
18.10.2023 Posted in Business Advice
Construction Framework Wide BW
Major milestone passed – NZS3910:2023 expected in time to fill Christmas stockings
As the most widely adopted standard form construction contract in NZ, NZS 3910 was more than ready for updated conditions given the changes in the industry since its last review in 2013.  After almos...
09.10.2023 Posted in Construction
SEND AN ENQUIRY
Send us an enquiry

For expert legal advice, please complete the form below or call us on (09) 375 8700.