Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is the principal piece of legislation defining the statutory obligations of New Zealand business in relation to the safety and welfare of their employees. It shifts the focus from previous legislation which was principally about monitoring and recording incidents related to health and safety to a system where risks are identified and managed before they are able to affect the lives employees, customers and the general public.^[1]

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
New Zealand Parliament
Enacted by	New Zealand House of Representatives
Royal assent	4 September 2015
Commenced	5 September 2015 (part) 4 April 2016 (remainder)
Legislative history
Bill title	Health and Safety Reform Bill
Introduced	10 March 2014
Committee responsible	Transport and Industrial Relations Committee
First reading	13 March 2014
Voting summary	121 voted for None voted against
Second reading	30 July 2015
Voting summary	63 voted for 56 voted against 2 absent
Third reading	27 August 2015
Voting summary	63 voted for 58 voted against
Status: In force

A number of regulations have subsequently been created to implement the provisions of the act including Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017.

The principal focus of responsibility and action throughout the legislation is the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) rather than the corporate business entity.