The Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa report said this country kills twice as many workers as Australia and four times as many as Britain, on a per capita basis.
The number of work-related deaths has not substantially reduced since 2010.
Victoria University of Wellington workplace health and safety lecturer Dr Chris Peace told The Front Page the cost of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities was $5.4 billion in 2024 and has trended higher over the past decade.
“In the OECD, the Netherlands is No 1 in terms of not killing workers. The UK is around No 4 and we’re No 25.
“Because of ACC, employers don’t have to worry about being sued by workers if they are injured or, at worst, killed at work. But that means the no-fault liability side opens up employers to not having to worry so much about workplace health and safety,” he said.
Peace suggests an increase in fines and, in turn, culpability.
“I was back in the UK when the British changed fines to unlimited, if it went into the Crown Court, a bit like sending the case to the High Court in New Zealand.
“That put shockwaves through the British industry. And yes, there have been multimillion-pound fines in Britain, but it’s pushed businesses to think seriously.
“Also, make sure we have the right fines and penalties in place, including a charge of corporate manslaughter,” he said.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- New Zealand’s poor record of workplace health and safety
- The current regulatory system
- Safety improvements
- How directors can be held more accountable
- Avoiding costs and death.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
