Discussion Paper on the Review of the Health & Safety in Employment Act 1992

Latest Legislation

Health and Safety in the Workplace

The Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill is about to go before Parliament and HRINZ will be making a submission. This page will guide you through the various documents available in respect of Health and Safety in the workplace. These documents will assist members in contributing their submission to HRINZ on this Bill.

• This link will access the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. 
• This link will access the HRINZ submission on the Discussion Paper on the Review of the HSE Act This sets out the questions that the Discussion Paper posed and the Institute's response.
• This link will access you to the recent article in HR News Call for submissions - Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill

Following the Review of the Health and Safety in Employment Act earlier this year, the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill is now before Parliament and HRINZ, again, intends to make a submission upon the Bill. This will give an opportunity for members to have their say and respond to the Bill and, as oft said in this publication, a further opportunity to make HRINZ an institution that government will take notice of.

The Government Bill and an explanatory note can be viewed at http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz/HSE-Amend.pdf There is also an Information Package which can be viewed at http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz/HSE-Amend-package.pdf

Key issues in the Bill are that there are proposals to rationalise the various legislative provisions relating to sea and rail transport. There is also likely to be more employee participation in workplace health and safety issues. Of particular note, there is an amended section 19 proposing greater employee participation in health and safety. Higher fines are proposed for offences and infringement notices are also proposed in respect of breach of health and safety law. The Bill also proposes to widen the term 'harm' to include mental harm caused by work-related stress.

There has been anticipation of the cost issue related to the proposals. This has been addressed by the proposal to set up a Test Panel to advise on minimising the cost of the new proposals.

There are issues in the Bill that require addressing. HR practitioners are in the best position to make comment on those issues.

The Institute encourages to members to send their views on the Bill to Peter Marshall - Manager - Research and Development at National Office.

At this stage we anticipate that the Bill will be introduced to Parliament shortly and once this has happened it will go to select committee and the select committee will then call for public submissions. We do not know when the closing date for submissions will be until the select committee has a called for submissions.