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Health and Safety: Is your industry an area of focus for WorkSafe New Zealand?
Forensic Focus
Why is health and safety important?
All organisations have a responsibility to provide a healthy and safe work environment.
It’s important to meet these requirements not just to be compliant with legislation, but to experience benefits such as: improved quality, reliability and decreased long-term costs for work that your organisation performs.
What is WorkSafe New Zealand and what do they do?
WorkSafe New Zealand (“WorkSafe”) is the regulator of workplace health and safety in New Zealand. One of WorkSafe’s functions is to monitor and enforce compliance with health and safety legislation.
WorkSafe has advised that “each year their health and safety inspectors will carry out 12,500 workplace assessments. These are proactive, planned visits and are not usually triggered by a report of serious harm or a health and safety complaint”. Worksafe has further advised that “at least 80% of these workplace assessments will be targeted to industries identified in the Health and Safety National Action Agenda 2010 – 2013 as ‘high risk’”.
WorkSafe’s current areas of focus
Below are WorkSafe’s areas of focus:
- Adventure Activities
- Agriculture
- Asbestos
- Canterbury Rebuild
- Construction & Building
- Energy Safety
- Forestry
- Hazardous Substances
- High Hazards (e.g. mining, petroleum, geothermal sectors)
- Manufacturing
- Work-Related Health
Further information can be found on their website at: http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/
What does this mean for you?
All organisations who have employees are required to provide a safe and healthy workplace. It is important to understand the key risks of your work and the controls that are in place. This requires you to actively manage health and safety.
In February 2016, the first annual CEO health and safety leadership survey was launched. This report provides a snapshot view on how the views of CEO regarding health and safety governance and management.
If you are interested in understanding your current health and safety risks and control, and how you are managing your responsibilities, you may want to start with a health and safety ‘health check’. Monika Wakeman, Deloitte’s Health and Safety lead or Aloysius Teh would be happy to discuss your options with you.