Health and Safety Reform Bill passes first reading

The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill has passed its first reading, with Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden saying the reforms are designed to reduce compliance costs while improving workplace safety outcomes.

She said, “The changes in this Bill will make it easier to run a business in New Zealand by increasing certainty and removing fear, helping to ease costs of compliance and improve safety outcomes.”

A key change is strengthening Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs), which will now act as “safe harbours” for compliance, meaning businesses following sector-specific ACOPs will meet their health and safety obligations. The Bill also aims to clarify WorkSafe’s role, responding to feedback from businesses about inconsistent enforcement and lack of clear guidance.

Van Velden said uncertainty had led businesses to take unnecessary and costly actions that did not improve safety, adding the reforms will shift WorkSafe’s focus toward guidance on critical risks rather than expecting businesses to manage every possible risk.

She said this will help businesses better understand their responsibilities and access consistent support, stating, “Today is a win for practical, common-sense changes that will set businesses up for success in keeping people safe.” Additional changes include exemptions for small low-risk businesses from some requirements, clearer limits on director due diligence responsibilities, and confirmation that landowners are not responsible for recreational injuries unless work is occurring in the same area at the same time.

Image credit: Ben Iwara