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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Health and safety duties - Key principles relating to duties

30: Management of risks

You could also call this:

“How to handle workplace health and safety risks”

When you have a duty under this law, you need to do two main things about health and safety risks. First, you should try to get rid of these risks completely if it’s possible to do so. If you can’t get rid of the risks entirely, you should try to make them as small as possible.

You only have to do these things if you have the power to control or influence the situation where the risks are. This means you’re responsible for managing risks in areas where you have some say or control.

Remember, you should always do what’s reasonably possible to keep people safe and healthy at work. This law wants you to think about safety and do your best to prevent harm.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6544135.

Topics:
Work and jobs > Workplace safety
Work and jobs > Worker rights
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Part 2 Health and safety duties
Key principles relating to duties

30Management of risks

  1. A duty imposed on a person by or under this Act requires the person—

  2. to eliminate risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable; and
    1. if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

      1. A person must comply with subsection (1) to the extent to which the person has, or would reasonably be expected to have, the ability to influence and control the matter to which the risks relate.

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