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Health and safety law changes impact businesses July 2015
![]() Changes to health and safety (H&S) laws are a step closer, with a select committee reporting its recommendations back to Parliament.
The aim of the law is to reduce the number of New Zealanders killed or hurt at work. In New Zealand on average 73 people die on the job each year and one in ten is harmed. These numbers are significantly higher than in countries like Australia and the UK, and must come down. But this doesn't mean your business will necessarily face a lot of new compliance costs. For many small businesses, little will change – especially if you already take a considered approach about how to keep those in your workplace safe and healthy. So ahead of the law change, it's a good opportunity to review and, if needed, revise how you manage any critical risks – those that could cause illness or injury serious enough to keep someone off work. The new law says you need to take reasonably practical steps to manage these risks. How you do this will depend on: - how seriously someone could get hurt (paper cuts are not serious injuries!)
The ACC website has tips for small businesses on workplace health and safety, as well as safety information tailored for different industries. www.acc.co.nz/preventing-injuries/at-work/health-and-safety-in-the-workplace/PI00078
Information Courtesy of: www.business.govt.nz
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