Grace period over for new health and safety legislation

Almost one year since the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) came into effect, WorkSafe New Zealand is happy with the improvements many businesses have made, but there is a clear message for those who haven’t acted. Grace period over for new Health and Safety legislation.

WorkSafe’s spokesperson told SaferMe “Nearly one year in, it’s impressive to see the positive progress kiwi businesses have taken to understand their requirements and duties under HSWA.”

WorkSafe has no plans to change its enforcement approach. However, after almost one year in force, she said the expectation of compliance with the regulations was clear: “It’s fair to say we now do expect that businesses should understand what the requirements are and have taken action, if required.”

Clint Van Marrewijk, managing director of SaferMe, urged businesses who hadn’t yet taken action not to wait: “If there was a ‘grace period’ for this new law, it’s effectively now over.”

Van Marrewijk said the SaferMe mission is to keep workers safe and make that process pain-free and affordable.

“SaferMe eliminates paper forms, allows hazard and H&S reporting from your mobile, and it’s based around engagement of employees who can all use the app. Team engagement and participation around H&S is a key aspect of the new law.

Every day the SaferMe team meets smaller businesses who still need to improve their H&S processes, and provides an affordable option for this group.

“Price should not be a reason for small businesses not to have good tools to manage H&S / hazards – so we offer SaferMe from $30 per month for small teams. Add in the time savings from eliminating paper reports and it’s exceptional value,” Clint Van Marrewijk said.

WorkSafe’s spokesperson said anyone wanting more information about the HSWA can find it at https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/worksafe.