Puneet Varma (Editor)

WorkSafe New Zealand

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Formed
  
16 December 2013

Employees
  
550

Jurisdiction
  
New Zealand

Preceding agencies
  
MBIE Department of Labour

Headquarters
  
Wellington, New Zealand

Minister responsible
  
Michael Woodhouse, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

WorkSafe New Zealand is New Zealand's workplace health and safety regulator.

WorkSafe NZ took over workplace health and safety roles previously assigned to the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The establishment of a stand-alone regulatory agency for workplace health and safety was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy and the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety in 2013. Worksafe was established to;

  • provide guidance on workplace health and safety
  • set standards and develop codes of practice under HSE legislation
  • monitor and enforce compliance with HSE legislation
  • promote education and training on workplace HSE
  • collect, analyse and publish workplace HSE statistics.

    • The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is responsible for workplace health and safety strategy, policy, legislation and regulations.

    Functions

    Worksafe undertakes the following functions to improve the health and safety of New Zealand workplaces.

  • workplace and other assessments - inspections at workplaces and electrical suppliers to monitor and enforce compliance with the law
  • workplace notifications - receive and respond to notifications of prescribed work and of serious harm incidents
  • high hazards - ensure high standards of process safety in industries with potential for major accidents (such as mining, oil & gas, petrochemical, geothermal and others)
  • investigations - determine causes of harm in the workplace and assess what action is needed or where a compliance action is required
  • guidance - production of a wide range of standards, guidelines, codes of practice and other information
  • energy safety - regulate electrical and gas safety in homes and workplaces
  • HSNO functions - on behalf of EPA, administer test certifiers, controlled substance licences, plant approvals and HSNO codes of practice

    • References

    WorkSafe New Zealand Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA