Source: New Zealand Government
Overwhelming construction industry support for key Health and Safety reforms
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden welcomes a Site Safe survey released today that shows the Government’s health and safety reforms are fixing what matters in the construction industry.
“From the start, I’ve known that delivering on the ACT-National coalition commitment to reform health and safety meant getting out of Wellington and listening to the public. I wanted to understand how the current system works for them and what they want to see in this reform that will make their work safer,” says Ms van Velden.
“I am pleased to see overwhelming support from the construction sector for the reform’s increased focus on guidance and critical risks. Feedback that industry professionals believe this will help improve health and safety outcomes in a high-risk sector shows we have listened to people on the ground to make meaningful changes.”
The results show:
- 95% want clearer guidance to support reform
- 95% back greater use of Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs)
- 85% support a stronger focus on critical risks
- 79% want clearer definitions of roles and responsibilities
- 69% support changes to how enforcement works.
“It is not surprising to see such high levels of support for improving guidance and the use of ACOPs. That is why I have asked WorkSafe to prioritise improving its provision of guidance, including around prequalification, so that businesses understand when and how they need to work together to manage risks.
“I am also introducing changes to health and safety legislation to clarify that if you comply with an ACOP, you have fulfilled your health and safety obligations. Rather than having WorkSafe lead this process exclusively, these changes will allow individuals and groups, such as industry organisations, to initiate work on ACOPs to speed things up and ensure they reflect what will work in practice and what makes sense for those who deal with these risks every day.
“WorkSafe has hit the ground running working with industry to develop an ACOP on clarifying overlapping duties in construction, which I know is an area the sector would like to see prioritised.
“During consultation on health and safety reforms, I prioritised going out across the country and hearing from Kiwis who deal with health and safety rules firsthand about the issues they have with the system, and areas they most want to see improvements. It was from this direct feedback that I’ve chosen where to focus efforts to reform the system.
“The industry is asking for clarity and practicality, and that is what I’m delivering. These reforms will make it easier for workers and employers to prioritise the right actions to protect them from harm and know where their attention should be to keep themselves and their workmates safe,” says Ms van Velden.
NOTE:
- Site Safe is the construction industry’s national health and safety organisation, representing more than 6,000 member businesses and training around 78,000 workers each year.
- Prequalification is a common way construction businesses check if a company or contractor is ready and able to do a construction job safely, before they’re allowed to bid for or start work. Prequalifications are also often used by businesses outside of the construction sector – for example, local councils using them for groundskeeping tenders. However, prequalifications are most prominently used in the construction industry.
- The Site Safe survey and press release can be found here: https://www.sitesafe.org.nz/media/documents/2025_Health_and_Safety_Reforms_Survey_Report_Digital.pdf
