Feedback On The Minister For Workplace Relations And Safety’s Call To Reduce Ambiguity For Health And Safety Compliance

CHASNZ welcomes suggested improvements to the Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP) model as outlined today by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety. This is consistent with CHASNZ’s submission to MBIE on improving the regulatory setting for Health and Safety.

We further endorse the intent to encourage industry groups to play a role in writing practical and evidence based guidance that improves health, safety and wellbeing.

Since 2017 CHASNZ has engaged with government, workers, and industry to deliver guidance and tools that make construction worksites safer, enhance productivity and reduces the burden of ineffective safety work. There has been considerable call from the building and construction industry for additional clarity on how businesses may achieve the standard of reasonable practicability. A construction ACOP with an associated safe harbour principle would assist in meeting this need.

The safe harbour concept is encouraging for smaller construction businesses who would benefit from simple and effective safety management guidance as well as large procurers of construction services and designers who may be unsure about their leadership, contractor management and engagement expectations.

Critical to the future success of a revised model will be for the minister to rapidly develop outcome based quality standards that encourages principle based ACOPs rather than a prescriptive approach that will limit creativity and flexibility at the worksite. We look forward to engaging with industry, government and worker representatives to achieve this.

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