What you need to know about health and safety

A safe and healthy work environment is essential. Not only will it help avoid tragic and costly accidents, but good health and safety practices encourage staff retention. It also positively contributes to improved productivity, efficiency and profit.

To help you understand your rights and responsibilities the  Department of Labour have produced a handy guide called What you need to know about health and safety. 

Who should read this?

• Employers who employ adults, young workers and young people under 15 years of age
• Employers who engage the services of contractors, subcontractors, volunteers, and persons receiving on-the-job training

Why is it important?

• To ensure a safe and healthy work environment, and avoid tragic and costly accidents.
• All employers have duties under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees at work, and other people in the workplace.
• Good health and safety management practices encourage higher staff retention and increased productivity and efficiency

What you need to do

The key steps associated with health and safety management are outlined below:

• know your legal responsibilities
• make a commitment to health and safety in the workplace
• plan how you will implement a safe working environment
• identify, assess and manage hazards
• provide information, training and supervision for employees
• report, record and investigate incidents, injuries and illnesses
• involve employees in the process to improve health and safety
• plan and be ready for emergencies
• include contractors and subcontractors in your hazard management processes
• help employees return to normal work after injury

The guide provides a checklist of the key tasks involved with each step. It provides a description of your key legal duties as an employer, together with other good practices for managing health and safety in smaller workplaces.

You can read the What you need to know about health and safety guide on the Department of Labour website or it can be downloaded in PDF [877kb] format.

Further information is available on: www.osh.dol.govt.nz or by contacting the Department of Labour on 0800 20 90 20.

More detailed health and safety information is also available on the  Accident Compensation Corporation ( ACC) website.