Safer Workplaces Consultation Document

Our workplace health and safety record is poor Every year in New Zealand: over 100 people die from workplace accidents between 700 and 1,000 more die from work-related diseases around 190,000 people make a claim to ACC after being harmed at work This costs the country around $3.5 billion per year

Other countries are doing better

What can we do to improve this? Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety – set up in June 2012 to review the health and safety system The Taskforce’s job is to: make an assessment of how the current system is performing make practical recommendations aimed at reducing the rate of serious work-related injury and fatality by at least 25% by 2020

What are the issues? The consultation document highlights what the Taskforce sees as some of the key issues in the health and safety system:

Who gets hurt, killed or suffers from ill- health or disease as a result of work Why are some groups more at risk than others? Regulatory framework How can we better incorporate international best practice? Regulators’ roles and responsibilities How to ensure effective regulatory practice? New Zealand’s changing workforce and work arrangements How can we manage the implications of the changing world of work?

Worker participation and engagement How can worker participation contribute more to improving health and safety? Leadership and governance How can leadership drive safer workplaces? Capacity and capability of the workplace health and safety system How can we strengthen the capability of the health and safety system?

Incentives How can incentives be better used to improve health and safety? Influencing health and safety outcomes beyond one’s own workplace How can people influence positive health and safety practices beyond their own workplaces? Major hazards How should we approach health and safety in major hazard industries?

Health and hazardous substances How can we improve occupational health outcomes? Small to medium-sized enterprises What are the particular challenges for SMEs? Measurement and data What can we do to get a better picture of what is happening? Our national culture and societal expectations What role does national culture play in workplace health and safety?

Consultation open Public input is now being sought to help the Taskforce with the review Your views are needed on how well the current system is doing, and what improvements are needed

How to make a submission Consultation document, including full submission template, is available at: or you can request a hard copy from On-line questionnaire also available at: Early submissions are appreciated, but at the latest, you must get submissions in by 5pm on Friday 16 November 2012