A Northland health and safety expert says at least half of all businesses in the region are not prepared for new laws that aim to improve New Zealand's poor record of workplace injuries and fatalities by holding companies responsible.
The Health and Safety Reform Bill was passed in late July and is going through its remaining stages in Parliament before it becomes law.
Under the new legislation, managers, owners, trusts, directors and any governing bodies will face substantial fines or imprisonment if they fail to proactively manage workplace health and safety risk.
Companies are not obliged to have a health and safety representative or health and safety committee but if one worker requests an elected representative(s), one must be elected. Small businesses with fewer than 20 workers in low-risk sectors are excluded from that requirement, however.
Another change states that health and safety representatives will have a training entitlement of two days' paid leave a year, with existing reps having to carry out training to continue in their roles.