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Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Health and safety duties - Duties of PCBUs

41: Duty of PCBU who imports plant, substances, or structures

You could also call this:

“Importers must ensure safety of work-related machines, chemicals, and structures”

If you bring things like machines, chemicals, or buildings into New Zealand for work, you have some important jobs to do. You need to make sure these things are safe for people to use at work.

You must try your best to make sure the machines, chemicals, or buildings won’t hurt anyone who uses them, handles them, stores them, or builds them at work. This includes people who might clean or fix these things, or even people who are just nearby.

You also need to do some homework. You should test these things or get someone else to test them to make sure they’re safe.

When you give these machines, chemicals, or buildings to someone, you need to tell them important stuff. You should explain what they’re meant to be used for, what you found out from testing them, and how to use them safely.

If someone asks you for more information about how to use these things safely at work, you should try your best to give them the latest facts.

Remember, your job is to keep people safe when they use the things you bring into the country for work.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM5976905.

Topics:
Work and jobs > Worker rights
Work and jobs > Workplace safety
Business > Industry rules
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40: Duty of PCBU who manufactures plant, substances, or structures, or

“Manufacturers must ensure workplace products are safe for users”

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42: Duty of PCBU who supplies plant, substances, or structures, or

“Businesses must ensure safety of supplied workplace equipment and materials”

Part 2 Health and safety duties
Duties of PCBUs

41Duty of PCBU who imports plant, substances, or structures

  1. This section applies to a PCBU (an importer) who conducts a business or undertaking that imports—

  2. plant that is to be used, or that could reasonably be expected to be used, as or at a workplace; or
    1. a substance that is to be used, or that could reasonably be expected to be used, at a workplace; or
      1. a structure that is to be used, or that could reasonably be expected to be used, as or at a workplace.

        1. The importer must, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure that the plant, substance, or structure is without risks to the health and safety of persons—

        2. who, at a workplace, use the plant, substance, or structure for a purpose for which it was designed or manufactured; or
          1. who handle the substance at a workplace; or
            1. who store the plant or substance at a workplace; or
              1. who construct the structure at a workplace; or
                1. who carry out any reasonably foreseeable activity (such as inspection, cleaning, maintenance, or repair) at a workplace in relation to—
                  1. the assembly or use of the plant for a purpose for which it was designed or manufactured, or the proper storage, decommissioning, dismantling, or disposal of the plant; or
                    1. the use of the substance for a purpose for which it was designed or manufactured, or the proper handling, storage, or disposal of the substance; or
                      1. the assembly or use of the structure for a purpose for which it was designed or manufactured, or the proper demolition or disposal of the structure; or
                      2. who are at or in the vicinity of a workplace and who are exposed to the plant, substance, or structure at the workplace or whose health or safety may be affected by a use or an activity referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e).

                        1. The importer must—

                        2. carry out, or arrange the carrying out of, any calculation, analysis, testing, or examination that may be necessary for the performance of the duty imposed by subsection (2); or
                          1. ensure that the calculation, analysis, testing, or examination has been carried out.

                            1. The importer must give to each person to whom the importer provides the plant, substance, or structure adequate information concerning—

                            2. each purpose for which the plant, substance, or structure was designed or manufactured; and
                              1. the results of any calculation, analysis, testing, or examination referred to in subsection (3), including, in relation to a substance, any hazardous properties of the substance identified by testing; and
                                1. any conditions necessary to ensure that the plant, substance, or structure is without risks to health and safety when used for a purpose for which it was designed or manufactured or when carrying out any activity referred to in subsection (2)(a) to (e).

                                  1. The importer must, on request, make reasonable efforts to give current relevant information on the matters referred to in subsection (4) to a person who carries out, or is to carry out, any of the activities referred to in subsection (2)(a) to (e).

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