Welcome Clarity And Relief For Business With New And Improved Access To Guidance

A Forum of 440+ CEOs is pleased to see one of its key recommendations to improve New Zealand’s poor health and safety record has been included in health and safety reforms, announced this morning.

Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Hon Brooke van Velden today said changes would be made to the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) model to provide more certainty to business.

“In our submission to the Minister last year the Forum was clear to point out that while the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is not the problem, the absence of supporting regulations and guidance leaves businesses unclear about their responsibilities,” says Francois Barton, CEO of the Forum.

“This was not only a key aspect of the Forum’s recommendations to improve New Zealand’s health and safety system but was also a key recommendation in a Joint Submission of 60 companies, supported by the Forum.”

Workers in New Zealand are 60% more likely to be killed at work than in Australia, and 500% more likely than in the United Kingdom – and the Forum’s most recent State of a Thriving Nation report put the cost of New Zealand’s poor health and safety performance at $4.9 billion in 2023 alone.

“The absence of supporting regulations and guidance in New Zealand is leaving businesses unclear about their responsibilities,” says Francois Barton.

“In our submission we urged the Minister to ensure industry feedback is actively and continuously incorporated into new regulations as well as best practice from better-performing peer countries, and to develop simplified, clear guidance alongside business and industry which makes clear the expectations of good practice.”

“It’s great to see the Minister listening to business to move to a greater use and focus on ACOPs and to help businesses to manage new and emerging risks, rather than waiting on often years-long changes or updates to regulations.”

“The Forum also welcomes the initiative for industries and others to develop ACOPs which will help to also provide tangible examples and practical tools to support businesses of all sizes.”

“While today’s update will support New Zealand businesses to understand how they can do the right thing by their people and organisation, if we’re to truly make real progress against New Zealand’s poor health and safety record the Minister must also put forward a much-needed comprehensive plan to improve our performance.”

“If we closed the gap with Australia tomorrow, we would save $1.4 billion – this is an opportunity not to squander to reduce the avoidable burden of harm to our workforce while also growing the economy.”

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