Every year on April 28, the International Labour Organisation marks World Day for Safety and Health at Work which is intended to be a global moment to pause, reflect, and ask ourselves some important questions: are we doing enough to protect our workforce? Are we getting the right advice? Are we building safety systems that actually make work safer – or are we just overcomplicating things?
Last week, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Brooke van Velden, unveiled the first stage of the government’s plan to reform New Zealand’s Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA). The changes aim to “cut red tape” and provide clarity for businesses…but as always, the devil is in the detail.
While simplifying compliance sounds a good thing in theory, those of us working at the coalface of health and safety know there’s a fine line between streamlining and sidelining. So, what exactly is changing and what might it mean for businesses and workers alike?
