Health & Safety Bill Clears First Reading Hurdle
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden has welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill, which will reform New Zealand's work health and safety law and regulations.
"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," says Ms van Velden.
The Bill addresses concerns businesses had in two key ways. First, by increasing available guidance and support through a strengthening of Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) giving businesses access to guidance that is tailored to their own industries and easier to keep up to date than regulations.
"ACOPs will now act as 'safe harbours' for compliance, meaning that if a business complies with their sector's ACOP, they have done enough to meet their health and safety requirements.
"Secondly, the Bill will clarify WorkSafe's functions.
"A major theme in the feedback we received from businesses was that they don't know what they need to do to manage their risks and meet their obligations. I also heard concerns about a lack of guidance, regulations not keeping pace with best practice, and uncertainty about WorkSafe's approach as the regulator arising due to inconsistency and heavy-handedness in punishment.
"This all results in a feeling of fear and uncertainty that leads businesses to take unnecessary actions to protect themselves, creating more costs to the business without actually making workers any safer.
"The Bill will require WorkSafe to move from an approach of expecting everyone to address every possible risk, towards one in which WorkSafe provides guidance on the critical risks a workplace must address to meet their obligations under the Act.
"I expect this will significantly help businesses to understand their responsibilities and give clarity about the actions they should take to protect their workers," says Ms van Velden.
"This new focus will makeWorkSafe a more consistent and helpful agency, so that businesses can get the support they need to keep workers safe, without wasting resources on external consultants or excessive paperwork compliance.
"I'm looking forward to hearing feedback, particularly around whether these changes are clear and workable, once the Bill opens for submissions at select committee.
"Today is a win for practical, common-sense changes that will set businesses up for success in keeping people safe," says Ms van Velden.
Note to Editors:
Other changes include:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/milestone-health-and-safety-bill%E2%80%AFpasses-first-reading
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