The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), and associated regulations (2018), is New Zealand’s workplace health and safety law. The Act is designed to ensure everyone has a role to play in health and safety. It sets out the responsibilities, and focuses on managing work risk. It requires those who create the risk to manage the risk.
Businesses need to engage with their workers and enable them to actively participate in health and safety. Engineering works which are identified as being ‘hazardous works’ under these regulations must be notified to WorkSafe – for example, deep trenching and when road grades are over 20% gradient.
Health and safety is a huge topic. This Manual will not replicate the health and safety requirements found elsewhere for forest engineering activities, in particular the Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Forest Operations (ACOP) or within individual forest company’s health and safety manuals
ACOP provides practical guidance to those engaged in forestry associated work on how to meet their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and its associated regulations. Refer to the WorkSafe website (worksafe.govt.nz) for information on health and safety obligations, and to download a copy of the ACOP.
Another excellent source of information is Safetree, a sector-led organisation that provides health and safety information for the plantation forest industry. It supports a safe, sustainable and professional forestry sector in partnership with workers, industry and government. Refer to safetree.nz.