Health, safety & workplace risks
Identify the risks created by your work, put effective controls into practice, involve workers and keep checking that the controls work. This page separates the law in force now from the HSWA changes commencing 1 April 2027.
What applies now?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), a PCBU must, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure the health and safety of its workers and ensure other people are not put at risk by work carried out as part of the business. Current section 36 includes the work environment, plant and structures, systems of work, safe use and storage of plant and substances, facilities, training/instruction/supervision and monitoring where applicable.
The Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 add requirements that can apply to general workplaces. The exact controls depend on the work and risks present; a low-risk office should not copy a high-risk site's controls merely to create paperwork.
HSWA also currently requires worker engagement on health and safety matters that directly affect workers and practices that give workers reasonable opportunities to participate in improving health and safety.
Manager focus
Manager check
- Have we identified risks from the work we actually do rather than relying on a generic checklist?
- Are controls in place in practice and appropriate to the level and nature of risk?
- Do workers receive information, training, instruction or supervision appropriate to their work?
- Do workers have a practical way to raise health and safety concerns and contribute to decisions affecting them?
- Are incidents, near misses, worker feedback and changes in work used to review controls?
- Have we checked whether specific HSWA regulations or another industry law applies to any part of our operation?
From 1 April 2027 — prepare, but do not treat this as current law yet
The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026 changes how HSWA applies from 1 April 2027. WorkSafe's new guidance says a small PCBU is generally one with fewer than 20 workers, subject to rules for fluctuating workforces and specified exceptions. Small PCBUs' main HSWA duties will be limited to managing critical risks, although they may choose to manage other risks. Large PCBUs will continue to manage all risks while prioritising critical risks.
WorkSafe defines critical risk for the amended framework by reference to risks likely to result in death, a notifiable injury, illness or incident, specified occupational disease, or risks managed by HSWA regulations. Businesses should use WorkSafe's current transition guidance and reassess their status and risk approach before the commencement date.
NZ Standards
AS/NZS ISO 45001 can be used voluntarily as a framework for an occupational health and safety management system. WorkSafe notes that standards are not themselves New Zealand law unless legislation makes them mandatory, and conformity with a management-system standard does not by itself establish legal compliance. NZQC therefore treats ISO 45001 as an optional management framework, not a certification requirement for general businesses.
NZQC provides practical educational information. It is not legal advice and does not certify that a provider is compliant. Check the official source and the requirements that apply to your service, contracts and scope.