Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015

Rautaki mō te Haumaru me te Hauora o te Wāhi Mahi mō Aotearoa ki te 2015

Snapshot of Progress 2007/08

Highlights for year three of the strategy in action

The Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015 was launched in July 2005. The Strategy aims to lift New Zealand’s workplace health and safety performance, to enhance the productivity of New Zealand businesses and to reduce New Zealand’s work toll.

The Strategy provides a framework for action to:

  • raise awareness about workplace health and safety
  • co-ordinate and prioritise workplace health and safety activities across stakeholders
  • improve the infrastructure that supports workplace health and safety.

This snapshot of progress highlights the achievements during 2007/08. The Action Reporting Template in Appendix 1 gives more detail about the activities undertaken in year three of the Strategy.

During the 2007/08 year, many initiatives were undertaken within each of the Strategy’s three outcome areas:

  1. Government Leadership and Practices
  2. Preventive Workplace Cultures
  3. Industry Leadership and Community Engagement.

This year, the particular highlights have included:

  • a policy and legislative programme to improve the health and safety legislative framework
  • agency activity to ensure government procurement better supports workplace health and safety
  • community-based initiatives to address health and safety issues for youth and Pacific workers
  • the “Grim Harvest” advertising campaign to highlight the increased risk of agricultural fatalities during summer and autumn
  • a knowledge base of commissioned research and case studies to highlight and support positive safety cultures
  • industry strategies, guidelines and programmes to improve business performance in health and safety.

The work in these areas is outlined in this report under each outcome area, and more detail is given in Appendix 1.

Workplace Health and Safety Council

The Workplace Health and Safety Council advises the Government on workplace health and safety matters. The Council provides leadership and co-ordination, and advice on relevant legislation, standards and policies. In particular, Council members focus on the best ways to make progress with the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015.

The Council’s tripartite membership means it is well placed to build consensus among the groups involved. The seven-member group includes government, employer and employee perspectives on workplace health and safety.

The Council has met seven times since May 2007. It has engaged with a variety of agencies to gain an overview of health and safety activities and issues in New Zealand. This engagement with agencies informs its advice to Government and, in turn, allows the Council to act as a conduit to a wider stakeholder audience.

Over the next 12 months, the Council will continue this engagement and focus on how health and safety practices, systems, standards and information flows are best improved. It will also be involved in the review of the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy.

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