WorkSafe, New Zealand’s primary work health and safety regulator, has unveiled a refreshed strategy designed to address high-risk sectors and activities with greater focus and efficiency. This marks a significant shift in WorkSafe’s approach, following a period of self-reflection and recognition that spreading resources too thin had diluted its effectiveness.
THE THREE PILLARS OF CHANGE
WorkSafe’s new approach is underpinned by three key components:
- A Simple and Clear Strategy: This defines WorkSafe’s role within the wider health and safety system, where it will focus its efforts, and how it will measure its impact.
- A Functional Model: This outlines the core functions WorkSafe must excel in: understanding risk and harm, designing initiatives, delivering activities, and measuring impact.
- Priority Plans: These bring the strategy to life, setting out initiatives, resource allocation, and expected outcomes.
Together, these provide a comprehensive framework for how WorkSafe will deliver its mandate to influence businesses and workers to ensure work is healthy and safe.
STRATEGY FOCUSING ON ACUTE, CHRONIC, AND CATASTROPHIC HARM
Guided by evidence, WorkSafe will prioritise addressing three key types of harm:
- Acute harm: Serious injury, illness, or death from a single event (e.g. a fall from height, a falling or moving object, an electrical or chemical hazard);
- Chronic harm: Long-term harm caused by repeated exposure to risks (e.g. asbestos, dust, fumes);
- Catastrophic harm: Large-scale events affecting multiple people.
This focused approach replaces a broader strategy that previously included addressing various other risks, such as workplace psychosocial issues. While these remain critical, WorkSafe will rely on partners such as ACC to address these areas, enabling WorkSafe to focus on the most serious and high-risk issues.
FUNCTIONAL MODEL ENSURING EVIDENCE DRIVES DECISION MAKING
WorkSafe’s functional model ensures evidence guides its actions:
- Understanding Risk and Harm: Collecting and analysing data to identify the greatest risks and inequities.
- Designing Initiatives: Developing targeted activities for maximum impact.
- Delivering Activities: Engaging, enforcing, and permitting in alignment with strategic priorities.
- Measuring Impact: Evaluating initiatives to refine focus and demonstrate value.
This continuous improvement cycle allows WorkSafe to adapt its approach as risks evolve.
PRIORITY PLANS FOR CERTAIN SECTORS AND ACTIVITIES
WorkSafe’s priority plans set out how it will focus the delivery of enforcement, engagement and permitting activities on businesses and workers in certain sectors and carrying out certain activities. It has identified manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and construction as high-risk sectors, along with specific high-risk activities like mining, adventure tourism, and hazardous substance management.
- Manufacturing: This sector has the highest total number of injuries and significant exposure to toxic substances. WorkSafe will focus on improving basic safety measures, such as machine safety and worker training, particularly in subsectors with the greatest risks.
- Agriculture: Although it represents just 6% of employment, agriculture accounts for 25% of acute work-related fatalities and serious injuries. WorkSafe’s plan targets high-risk practices in dairy, sheep, and beef farming to build a stronger health and safety culture.
- Construction: With some of the highest rates of acute and chronic harm, the sector faces challenges like toxic dust exposure and constantly changing risks. WorkSafe will influence safer practices and encourage leadership from large businesses.
- Forestry: Forestry’s fatality rate is 20 times higher than the average for all sectors. WorkSafe aims to reduce harm by promoting safe tree felling practices and working closely with forest owners, managers, and workers.
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
WorkSafe acknowledges it cannot improve workplace safety outcomes alone. It will work with industry bodies, government agencies, iwi, unions, and other partners to amplify its reach and refine its plans.
LOOKING AHEAD
WorkSafe’s refreshed strategy, functional model, and priority plans collectively mark a new chapter in workplace health and safety in New Zealand. By targeting acute, chronic, and catastrophic harm in high-risk sectors and activities, WorkSafe aims to deliver better, more equitable safety outcomes for workers across the country.
The changes reflect a commitment to focus on where WorkSafe can have the greatest impact, ensuring it remains an effective and sustainable regulator that meets the needs of New Zealand’s workforce.