Clear Responsibilities For Health And Safety

Proposed law changes will bring clarity to the health and safety responsibilities of directors and managers, BusinessNZ says.

Changes announced today indicate that the routine management of health and safety in the workplace will in future rest solely with managers, not directors.

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says this clarity will be welcomed.

"Focusing health and safety responsibilities at manager level makes logical sense, as managers are best placed to know and manage what is happening in their place of work.

"For too long business directors have been operating under the impression that day-to-day health and safety management "might be" their responsibility. That impression has been caused by overlapping laws and regulations that are not clear regarding this responsibility, and directors have often ‘over-complied’ for fear of costly sanctions

"Removing regulatory duplication and clarifying who is responsible for day-to-day health and safety management will go a long way towards safer workplaces all over New Zealand.

"Managers will have more clarity about the responsibilities that belong to them, and directors will be able to better focus on governance and oversight of the business," Katherine Rich said.

Notes:

- The responsibility for day-to-day management of health & safety risks in the workplace rests at manager level, not director level.

- This has been clarified by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety today (2 April).

- Lack of clarity about the respective roles of managers and directors or owners has in the past led to confusion, duplication of responsibilities, and over-compliance by some companies.

- Clarifying that it is managers who bear responsibility for day-to-day management of health risks in the workplace will help managers do their job, and will allow directors to focus on their governance responsibilities.

- Directors are not absolved of all responsibility, however. That would be contrary to the overall risk management-based approach of the Act. They will still need to assure themselves that management are aware of their responsibilities.

- The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

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