WorkSafe New Zealand


WorkSafe is New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator.
Over 550 staff based across New Zealand who are working to lift New Zealand's health and safety performance and support workers to return home healthy and safe.

WorkSafe's role

As the regulator of the workplace health and safety system, WorkSafe has three key roles:
Regulatory confidence
Harm prevention
System leadership
WorkSafe works collaboratively with businesses, undertakings, workers and their representatives to embed and promote good workplace health and safety practices. Some of WorkSafe's functions include:
These responsibilities are defined in legislation, specifically by the .

Health and safety reforms

WorkSafe is implementing the most significant reforms to workplace health and safety in more than 20 years. These ‘Working Safer’ reforms are the Government's response to the recommendations of the , as articulated in . The social and economic cost of deaths, injuries and ill-health arising from work is estimated at $3.5 billion a year. However, the real toll is paid by the families, friends and co-workers of those who are killed, seriously injured or experience work-related ill-health.
WorkSafe's goal is to transform New Zealand's workplace health and safety performance and includes the Government's target to reduce workplace fatalities and serious injuries by 25% by 2020.

Other health and safety regulators

Other government agencies are also designated to carry out health and safety regulatory functions for certain work. They are:
for ships as workplaces and work aboard ships
for work preparing aircraft for imminent flight and aircraft in operation.

Former names

Occupational Safety and Health was a name used for health and safety functions in the Department of Labour. The name was taken out of use in 2005.