Labour Minister and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges has welcomed proposals for new health and safety regulations, helping people adhere to a new legislative regime when it comes into force next year.
"Regulations remove the guesswork about what is needed to meet duties under the law. This helps avoid unnecessary compliance costs that could arise from doing too much or too little," Mr Bridges said.
The proposals cover five key areas:
• General risk and workplace management
• Worker participation, engagement and representation
• Work involving asbestos
• Work involving hazardous substances; and
• Major hazard facilities.
The regulations will sit under the new Health and Safety at Work Act when it comes into force.
Mr Bridges said the release of the discussion document was a significant next step in delivering on the Government's Working Safer package, which represented the biggest reform of New Zealand's workplace health and safety system in 20 years.
"Working Safer will play a major role in helping us meet our target of reducing New Zealand's workplace injury and death toll by 25 percent by 2020."
The full discussion document is available on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website at www.mbie.govt.nz.