The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) sets out what businesses need to do to keep people healthy and safe at work. It also establishes key work health and safety principles and rights. Today, amendments to the Act received Royal Assent and became law with the changes coming into effect on 1 April 2027.

This safety alert covers the importance of carrying out risk assessments and identifying instability risks before assembling structural steel beams on the ground.

The Government has passed the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill which is now awaiting formal sign-off by the Governor-General.

WorkSafe acknowledges the independent research by Associate Professor Dr Terri-Ann Berry at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) into airborne asbestos fibres from affected coloured sand products.

WorkSafe New Zealand is turning its attention to food product manufacturing, with a nationwide programme of proactive safety visits over the next three months.

Read about our new technical bulletin on when to notify us about safety-critical element failures or damage, a reminder for territorial authorities, guidance from the IChemE Safety Centre, and a story highlighting the risk of overlooking simple fixes.

WorkSafe New Zealand has provided practical safety guidance to hundreds of wood manufacturing businesses, as part of a significant proactive focus on one of the country's most dangerous sectors.

This technical bulletin helps operators of major hazard facilities and petroleum installations understand when they must notify WorkSafe about damage to or failure of a safety-critical element (SCE).

Fresh insights show harm from farm vehicles remains a stubborn problem – and it’s exactly why WorkSafe will be focussed on it at Fieldays this week.

This information is for businesses that were inspected by former compliance certifier John Hickey and his company, Accreditation Limited.

A safety push across sheep, beef and dairy farms has revealed significant gaps in hazardous substances management – and clear, practical ways to fix them, thanks to WorkSafe New Zealand.

WorkSafe New Zealand is renewing its call for businesses to act on machine safety, as a court case concludes over the preventable death of a Gisborne worker.

This safety alert covers the importance of using safe methods when changing tractor tyres.

Awareness and management of arc flash risks nationwide are set to improve, thanks to a new legally binding agreement between WorkSafe New Zealand and Citywide Electrical Limited.

WorkSafe New Zealand is reminding property owners, and those carrying out building work, that inspectors' notices are legally binding - and ignoring them puts safety at risk.

Read about our public consultation on three draft approved codes of practice, updated asbestos guidance, and new hazardous substances modules for agriculture.

Two more businesses have been held to account for the forestry road failures that killed Coromandel truck driver Greg Stevens, as his widow issues an emotional plea for worker safety.

WorkSafe New Zealand is hailing the construction safety record on Christchurch's new Te Kaha stadium, ahead of its first major event this weekend.

WorkSafe New Zealand is seeking feedback on and input into draft content for an approved code of practice (ACOP) for residential construction.

WorkSafe New Zealand is seeking feedback on and input into draft content for two approved codes of practice (ACOP) for agriculture.

WorkSafe New Zealand has published an updated suite of guidance to help businesses and workers safely manage and work with asbestos.

Free online learning to help agricultural businesses and workers safely use and manage hazardous substances at work.

WorkSafe New Zealand has uncovered forged diesel‑tank certificates in use and is urging businesses to verify that their documentation is the real deal, in order to keep safe.

This safety alert covers the importance of having communication devices on hand when doing work alone.

This safety alert is a reminder to manage the risks around light utility vehicles on the job.

An independent review has confirmed WorkSafe’s Energy Safety team gave technically sound and justified advice on last year’s regulatory amendments on electrical wiring.

Read about an independent review into WorkSafe advice, amendment of relevant standard applying to washing machines, and updates on the Electricity and Gas High-Risk Database.

A Gisborne sawmill failed to manage known risks on its site, seriously injuring two workers within weeks of each other - and has now been penalised in court.

As fuel prices rise, WorkSafe New Zealand is reminding businesses that petrol is extremely hazardous, and improper petrol storage puts workers, property and the public at serious risk.

WorkSafe New Zealand is cautioning small businesses to plan high‑risk, ad-hoc work, after a man was crushed to death while moving heavy machinery on the job.

A routine incident at New Zealand’s deepest gold mine has given WorkSafe inspectors rare, real-world proof that years of joint safety training are paying off.

Read about our reflections on 15 years since Pike River, MHF forum and geothermal workshop held last year, natural disaster response learnings, and safety case statistics update.

WorkSafe has issued a report card showing the horticulture industry could do better when it comes to managing hazardous substances and machinery safety, particularly around power take-off (PTO) shafts on tractors.

A worker's life-changing injuries at a commercial bakery have exposed fundamental safety failures that WorkSafe says are far too common across New Zealand workplaces.

WorkSafe New Zealand has now officially begun an investigation into work health and safety at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park in the lead up to the landslide on January 22.

A gas explosion that burned a forklift driver offers a stark lesson for businesses across all industries, WorkSafe New Zealand says, following a court decision in the case.

WorkSafe extends its sincere condolences to the whānau and friends of the six people missing in the landslide at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park on 22 January 2026.

With clean up and rescue efforts underway in storm-damaged parts of the country, WorkSafe is urging workers to be aware of the risks associated with the aftermath of extreme weather events.