Health and safety reform

A range of legislative, operational, and regulatory changes will be made to transform performance across the system.

These changes will ensure businesses know what to do to comply with the laws and regulations.

Read the Minister’s announcement - Going for growth: cutting health and safety red tape(external link) — beehive.govt.nz

About the work health and safety regulatory system 

The work health and safety regulatory system is made up of the:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 
• supporting regulations, safe work instruments, standards, approved codes of practice, and guidance that sit under the HSW Act
• regulators that implement the law and support people to comply through engagement, enforcement, and standard setting
• people and organisations authorised by the regulator or regulations to certify or licence businesses for high-risk work and activities.

About the consultation

In June 2024, MBIE supported the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety to undertake substantial consultation on work health and safety with a roadshow across the regions and a discussion document and submission form on the MBIE website. The point of the consultation was to ask New Zealanders about what’s working well and what needs to change.

The consultation ended on 31 October 2024, with over 1000 people having their say. A major theme of the feedback was that as it stands, businesses don’t know what they need to do to manage risks and meet their health and safety duties.

Objectives of the reform

The Minister for Workplace Relations has identified the following main objectives of the reform:

• focus the work health and safety system on critical risks
• reduce unnecessary costs for businesses, especially small businesses
• improve outcomes for businesses, workers and all New Zealanders, and
• increase business certainty about what to do to comply.

Timing of the reform

These objectives will be achieved through a range of legislative, operational and regulatory changes to transform performance across the system.

• The first phase of this work is to sharpen the purpose of the Health and Safety at Work Act to manage critical risks and clarify the boundaries of the Act.
• The second phase is to make legislative and operational improvements to increase businesses certainty and public confidence in WorkSafe.
• The third phase is to work on a regulatory relief package to address sector specific pain points.

The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety will seek Cabinet decisions on further issues in the coming months.

People will have the opportunity to have their say on the changes during the Select Committee process.

Background documents