WorkSafe trials new safety scheme

Construction one of several sectors targeted by the Safety Star Rating Scheme

A pilot safety scheme, which aims to help businesses meet health and safety standards, was jointly launched in November by WorkSafe New Zealand, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and ACC.

It includes approximately 100 businesses across the construction, manufacturing, public administration, warehousing and distribution, postal and transport sectors.

The proposed Safety Star Rating Scheme (SSRS) is designed and tested for medium-to-large businesses (ten or more employees), which account for nearly 80% of all employees in New Zealand and 68% of all ACC work-related accident claims.

Statistics New Zealand’s 2015 Business Demography showed that more than 92,000 workers in the construction industry are employed by medium-to-large businesses.

The main purpose of the SSRS is to give businesses an opportunity to obtain an independent, qualified assessment and assurance that they are meeting good health and safety practices by measuring them against a set of standards.

The standards focus on risk awareness, management, leadership, workforce engagement, as well as participation and were developed in consultation with health and safety professionals, businesses and workers’ representatives.

The scheme’s main point of difference from existing tools is that it is not a documented management system or procedure. It aims to ‘work with’ businesses rather than audit them and is proposed to be an ongoing educative tool, providing tailored health and safety guidance.

The pilot assessment process is split into two parts: an online self-assessment, and a ‘deep slice’ onsite assessment that looks at how businesses manage risk, from senior management through to frontline staff.

The process is expected to identify the strengths and weaknesses in businesses’ health and safety policies, as well as provide guidance and advice on how to improve performance.

Results from the pilot will help finalise scheme design options and recommendations before ministers make a final decision about whether to implement the proposed scheme.