RECENT NEWS

If you've been following the upcoming changes to New Zealand's health and safety legislation, you've probably started seeing the term critical risk more often. From 1 April 2027, critical risks will take on greater significance under the Health and Safety at Work Act. All PCBUs will need to identify and prioritise their critical risks, although what that means in practice will differ depending on whether your organisation is considered a small or large PCBU. So, what actu

Recent News Request a Consultation New ACOP for Health & Safety Responsibilities on Residential Construction Sites Construction often sees numerous workers and businesses working on the same site, so there’s a large need for thorough risk management and clear coordination. Who is responsible for what when several businesses share a residential construction site? WorkSafe’s new Approved Code of Practice clarifies how health and safety duties apply, particularly when responsibi

When something isn't working in your health and safety system, starting again can seem like the cleanest solution. Perhaps your documents are dated, processes aren't being followed as intended, or your business looks quite different from when the system was originally developed. But before you start rebuilding everything, it's worth taking a closer look at what you already have. Sometimes the foundations of your health and safety systems are perfectly workable. A few area

Most people don't wake up one morning and decide they need a health and safety consultant. More often, there's a question sitting in the back of their mind. Perhaps a client has asked for documentation you're not entirely confident about. Maybe you've recently experienced an incident and want to know if anything needs to change. Or perhaps you've inherited a system and aren't sure whether it's still fit for purpose. These situations are common, particularly for small and medi

Imagine a new worker is starting with your business today. You've handed them the paperwork, shown them around, introduced them to the team, and pointed them towards your health and safety documents. Now imagine you have to leave for the rest of the day... Would they know how to work safely? Would they know what risks exist in the workplace? Would they know who to ask if they were unsure? Would they know how to report a hazard, incident, or near miss? The answers to those que

Recent News Request a Consultation New ACOPs for Agriculture WorkSafe has released two new Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) for the agriculture sector, with both coming into effect on 1 April 2027 alongside the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026. What is an ACOP? An Approved Code of Practice sets out one recognised way of meeting health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. While ACOPs are not mandatory, they carry more weight than genera

A lot of workplace health and safety conversations focus on obvious hazards. We talk about moving machinery, working at height, hazardous substances, vehicles, noise, and other risks that are easy to see. Those hazards deserve attention, but they are often not the things that catch experienced workers off guard. Sometimes the biggest risk is familiarity. When you've performed the same task hundreds of times, it's natural to become comfortable with it. You know the process, un

If you've spent any time reading WorkSafe guidance or following recent health and safety updates, you've probably come across the term Approved Code of Practice, or ACOP. For many businesses, that's where the understanding stops. It's easy to assume an ACOP is just another piece of guidance sitting somewhere between legislation and best practice. But ACOPs occupy a unique position within New Zealand's health and safety framework, which means understanding them can help you ma

If someone asked to see your health and safety policy tomorrow, would you be confident it's still relevant? Most businesses have one. It's often one of the first documents created when developing a health and safety system. The problem is that once it's written, it can easily be forgotten. Your business changes. New workers join the team. Contractors come and go. Equipment is replaced. Services expand. Risks evolve. Meanwhile, the policy sitting in the folder may still descri