New Zealand’s health and safety regulatory framework was overhauled in 2015 with the introduction of the new Health and Safety at Work Act.

This legislation came into effect on 4 April 2016 and brought about an increased focus on health and safety, director and senior officer liability, significant increases in fines/ sentencing and greater worker engagement.

All of these reforms were intended to change the blasé, “can do” attitude that proliferates all industries and sectors in New Zealand. 

Under this new regime, employers and company director’s alike need to be familiar with their company’s business practice and regulatory changes to ensure compliance.  This also includes being proactive with potential cases that involve harassment, bullying and work related stress.

These incidents can be historical in nature, brought about essentially by poor management and if not addressed, they can snowball into time-consuming, costly disruptions for employers. Not to mention the commercial and reputational damage that follows.

Here at Foley Legal we can guide you through this complex and sometimes daunting process.

Our approach to most problems is a practical one where we sit down and work with you to bridge the gap between health and safety law and your business practices.

We achieve this by:

• Advising you on the impact of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and associated regulations and the various codes of practice.
• Mapping out and drafting your workplace policies and strategies.
• maximizing worker representation and engagement.   
• Providing you with clear advice in relation to accidents and investigations undertaken by WorkSafe.
• Assisting you with communications with WorkSafe.
• Attending interviews carried out by WorkSafe.
• Defending prosecutions and enforcement actions taken by WorkSafe.