Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill
This bill changes the main workplace safety law in New Zealand. It splits businesses into 'small' (fewer than 20 workers) and 'large', with small businesses only having to follow the full safety rules for the most serious dangers — called 'critical risks' — things likely to cause death or serious injury. Larger businesses still have to follow all the rules but must focus most on those serious risks. It also makes it easier to create safety guidelines, and allows following rules in other laws to count as meeting safety requirements.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it, and the parts of the text that show it.
The bill changes who has to follow workplace safety rules and how seriously different risks must be managed, including mental health risks.
small PCBU means a PCBU in whose business or undertaking fewer than 20 workers carry out work in any capacity
A small PCBU is required to comply with the following provisions (critical risk provisions) only in relation to critical risks
In subsection (1)(b), risk, in relation to a hazard, includes harm to mental health that is associated with the hazard
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Education and Workforce Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 17 March 2026.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.