News updates for health and safety

31 March 2016

WorkSafe releases new guidance

Practical guide for school leaders now available

Guide for early learning organisations coming soon

January 2016

Preparing for 4 April 2016 – Full set of health and safety factsheets now available

November 2015

Schools, kura, early childhood education (ECE) services, kōhanga reo and playgroups can now find a whole set of factsheets that provide information on the key components of a health and safety system. These include updated factsheets on Leadership and Worker Participation.

Each factsheet covers a specific topic:

• Leadership
• Worker Participation
• Health and Safety Practice Framework Resources
• Risk Identification, Assessment and Management
• Workplace Management
• Equipment
• Injury and Illness Management
• Injury and Illness Support and Rehabilitation
• Health and Wellbeing Programmes
• Professional Development
• Monitoring, Reporting and Assurance

The factsheets have been reviewed by WorkSafe New Zealand and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Other support for education providers

You can also find a presentation and speaking notes with information on the new legislation for schools and kura. Principals may like to use the presentation when talking about the legislation with their boards, staff and the community. A version for the early learning sector will be available later this month.

There is now a questions and answers log to address education provider questions about the new legislation. If you have a question that isn’t already answered in the Q&A log, please email us at healthandsafety.info@education.govt.nz

Other resources, for example templates for schools that demonstrate best practice policies and procedures, will be available in early February 2016.

School boards of trustees will receive a letter from the Ministry with key information about the new legislation in the coming weeks.

What education providers should do to get ready for 4 April 2016

There are a number of things your school, kura, ECE service, kōhanga reo or playgroup can do now to prepare for when the new legislation comes into effect:

• familiarise yourself with the key requirements of the legislation
• review your health and safety policies and practices
• identify health and safety risks in your workplace (a workplace includes any place where a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work) and take all practicable steps to prevent these from causing harm
• make health and safety part of your workplace culture

• visit our dedicated health and safety webspace www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/specific-initiatives/health-and-safety/ for guidance and updates

Update on health and safety regulations

A series of regulations are being developed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The Ministry of Education is working with MBIE to ensure they understand the needs of our sector.

Regulations include:

• General risk and workplace management
• Major Hazard Facilities
• Asbestos
• Engagement, worker participation and representation (available shortly for public consultation)

WorkSafe NZ (the regulator) is developing guidance that will start to become available in early 2016. You can visit www.business.govt.nz/worksafe for additional information.

Read here for the final version of the new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

The Health and Safety Reform Bill has been passed by Parliament

28 August 2015

The Health and Safety Reform Bill has been passed and will come into effect on 4 April 2016. The new Act will be called the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Shortly we will be providing the sector with a presentation that can be used with their boards, staff and the community. The presentation and speaking notes will provide clarity around the legislative changes. We will also be writing to all Boards with key information about the new legislation.

If your school or ECE organisation has quality health and safety practices in place now, it is likely little will need to change in practical terms.

Things you can do now to prepare:

• Familiarise yourself with the key concepts of the legislation
• Review your health and safety policies and practices
• Identify health and safety risks in your school/ECE service and take steps to prevent these from causing harm
• Make health and safety part of your workplace culture

When can we expect the regulations that relate to our sector to be developed?

A series of regulations are being developed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The Ministry will be working with MBIE to ensure they understand the needs of our sector. Formal guidance from WorkSafe (the regulator) will start to become available in early 2016. We will continue to work alongside your representative bodies through the Sector Reference group and directly with NZSTA to provide you information on an ongoing basis.

Regulations include:

• General risk and workplace management
• Major Hazard Facilities
• Asbestos
• Engagement, worker participation and representation (available shortly for public consultation)

Read here for the final version of the new Bill .

Please note: Until the new Act comes into effect in April 2016, the current Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 remains in force.

We encourage you to visit the Worksafe New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment websites for additional information.

Proposed legislative changes

1 July 2015

The proposed legislation is now back before Parliament. The Select Committee have released their report . The Government also intends to further clarify some provisions in the Bill to provide certainty for businesses, particularly small businesses, about what they will be required to do to meet their duties. You can find a full summary of the changes here .

The amendments take coverage of volunteers back to what it is under the current law which distinguishes between casual volunteers and volunteer workers. For more details read here

MBIE have released a Q and A document . We will be using this material to ensure the information we provide you is accurate.

Over the coming months, we will continue to add resources and update the health and safety system with guidance and information to ensure it accurately reflects the requirements of the proposed legislation. This will help you prepare for the proposed changes, which are likely to come in to effect towards the end of the year.

We encourage you to visit the Worksafe New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment websites for additional information.

Helping you get ready

We are working with your representatives on the School Sector Reference Group and the Early Childhood Advisory Committee to ensure a shared understanding of what the proposed legislation will mean for schools and early childhood education services.

We are developing factsheets for each component and releasing these monthly. These will be downloadable and give an overview of what the legislation requires. New factsheets will be announced through the Ministry Bulletin for School Leaders | He Pitopito Kōrero and Hē Panui Kōhungahunga – the Early Learning Bulletin