How to notify us over the holiday period.
Notifications
If someone has been seriously injured, become seriously ill, or died as a result of work – phone us on 0800 030 040 straight away. We have staff available to respond to these 24/7.
If you’re not sure what a notifiable event is, including your obligation to hold a scene, visit What events need to be notified?
Notifications made through our online form won't be monitored between 12pm on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and 8.30am on Monday 6 January 2025.
If you’re not sure if you need to notify us, use our online notification system and we’ll respond to you after 6 January 2025.
Health and safety concerns
If you have a health and safety concern that isn’t urgent, use our online form and we’ll respond to you after 6 January 2025.
Raise a health or safety concern
General enquiries
General enquiries made by phone or email after 12pm on Tuesday 24 December will be responded to from Monday 6 January 2025. This does not apply to notifications made by phone on 0800 030 040.
We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday.
The international occupational health and safety management systems standard (OHSMS) identically adopted in New Zealand and Australia as AS/NZS ISO 45001, provides businesses with another option to reassure customers and stakeholders of their commitment to health and safety.
However, businesses need to remember that legislation rather than standards determine the protections they are required to provide their workers and other people affected by their work.
AS/NZS ISO 45001 does not specifically reflect all the obligations and duties set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA). This means adopting the standard does not necessarily mean a business is complying with the law.
Businesses do not have to use or comply with AS/NZS ISO 45001. Its use is voluntary.
WorkSafe New Zealand produces a range of guidance to assist businesses and workers to understand their rights and obligations under HSWA, including:
- a quick guide to identifying, assessing and managing work risks [PDF, 404 KB]
- guidelines for Worker Engagement, Participation and Representation [PDF, 1.1 MB]
- SafePlus
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) requires a business implementing a formal health and safety management system to engage with its workers about it before doing so.
Businesses need to remember it is a legal requirement to have workers involved in health and safety, regardless of its size, level of risk or the type of work they do.
A formal OHSMS such as AS/NZS ISO 45001 can support organisations to improve their health and safety performance by establishing clear objectives, and systematically identifying, controlling and reviewing risks.
Managing health and safety is not just about having a health and safety management system. Systems are only effective if the business has a positive health and safety culture and workers and representatives are involved and can effectively participate in health and safety conversations.
Conformance with a formal management system standard does not equal compliance with the law. Focusing too much on the system paperwork can mean less attention on actually managing the work risks.
Five quick facts about New Zealand, Australian, joint AS/NZ, and ISO standards
NZ, AS/NZS, and ISO standards are documents that contain guidance and establish specifications for goods, services and systems.
Standards are developed by domestic and international standards bodies, regulators and industry bodies. Requirements in international standards are not specific to New Zealand.
Standards are not laws and are only mandatory if legislation states that they are. The language and terminology in standards can also differ from legislation.
Businesses may choose to implement New Zealand standards, Australian and New Zealand standards and international standards depending on their business activities.
Businesses implementing standards should do so with reference to and an understanding of the New Zealand legislative framework.
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