Understand what these significant Work Health and Safety Act reforms and what they will mean for you in practice, including likely new areas of legal risk. Timed to follow the release of the Select Committee report on the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill, you will cut through the controversy and gain clear, practical guidance on what the proposed reforms will really mean for your, or your clients’, organisation. Understand how the reforms will affect small, low‑risk businesses, introduce “safe harbour” protections and clarify long‑standing grey areas around officer due diligence. You will gain an understanding of where obligations may be narrowed, where risks may shift and how to respond confidently to the new legal landscape so that you can adapt early, manage exposure and make informed decisions.
Thursday, 25 June 2026
Learning Objectives:
- Interpret the proposed Health and Safety at Work Act reforms by understanding the key amendments emerging from the Select Committee process.
- Apply the reforms in practice by identifying where obligations may be narrowed, where new or shifting legal risks may arise, and how to respond proactively to manage compliance, reduce exposure and make informed decisions for your organisation or clients.
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
1.00pm to 2.00pm New Health and Safety at Work Act Reform
Significant health and safety reform is underway, and has attracted some strong criticism, but what will it mean for your or your clients' businesses and officers? This session is scheduled to follow the release of the Select Committee report on the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill and you will walk away with an understanding of the most significant proposals as amended through the Select Committee process, including:
- Confining the duties of small "low risk" businesses to "critical risks", potentially affecting 97% of businesses
- Introducing "safe harbours" for PCBUs if compliant with Approved Codes of Practice
- Amendments to the duties relating to recreational access to land
- Removing overlap between the Health and Safety at Work Act and other legislation
- Clarifying and limiting the due diligence duties for officers
Presented by Emma Peterson, Partner, Russell McVeagh and Mark Campbell, Special Counsel, Russell McVeagh
Presenters
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Emma Peterson, Partner, Russell McVeagh
Emma specialises in health and safety and employment law. She advises on all aspects of health and safety including on obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act and in relation to investigations and prosecutions following an accident. She advises some of New Zealand’s largest corporates health and safety compliance matters.
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Mark Campbell, Special Counsel, Russell McVeagh
Mark is an experienced advisor and litigator, with a speciality in health and safety issues. Mark works with clients at all stages of health and safety issues, from advising on duties and compliance through to supporting clients in investigations, duty-holder interviews, prosecutions, and coronial processes.
