6 August 2020

If you’re a Health and Safety Rep (HSR) you play a big role in managing workplace health and safety across Aotearoa. Alongside Health and Safety Committees (HSCs), you help to enable your team to be directly involved in improving your work environment, and you provide an important link between your colleagues and company leadership.

We know that you’re already a proactive and well-connected person, or else you wouldn’t be here -  so we’ve compiled a few things that will make your life as a ‘Rep’ a little easier:

• Our master page of all things HSR; advice for newbies, your functions and powers, info on training, and much more
• Info on worker representation in general; how it benefits a business and an overview of Health and Safety Committees
• Motivation from the experts; hear from Darren (AirNZ), Daniel (Whittaker’s) and Nicole (WorkSafe) on four short/sharp spotlight videos on HSRs
• What we’re all working to(external link); the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA). Maybe you won’t read the whole thing, but this is great for reference.

WorkSafe – Health and Safety Reps video content

We reckon the video content we recently put together on the role of HSRs is worth a watch.

Presented by Nicole Rosie (former Chief Executive, WorkSafe), Darren Evans (General Manager People Safety & Aviation Medicine, Air New Zealand) and Daniel Charpentier (Logistics Manager, Whittaker’s), these short videos answer some of the frequently asked questions about HSRs. They’re a short and sweet, plain and simple look at common areas of confusion that HSRs might encounter.

Health and Safety Reps(external link)

WorkSafe – ‘Requirements for Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committees’

For an introduction to HSCs as well as HSRs, we recommend checking out our page on the two.

Covering the reasons behind establishing reps and committees within a business, as well as linking to a number of in-depth resources on the topics, this page serves as a solid starting point for anyone unsure of what HSRs or HSCs are.

Requirements for Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committees

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA)

Next up we’ve got the be-all of New Zealand health and safety: the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015.

Certainly the most comprehensive entry in our list, the Act is the undisputed source of truth for everything health and safety. Divided into five key sections, it gets into the nitty gritty, covering everything from key terms and definitions, to tips for getting workers more engaged and represented in the workplace.

At 232 pages, it’s probably more of a reference document than a late night page-turner. Either way, it’s worth getting to know for anyone involved in health and safety.

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015(external link)

Looking for more?

Health & Safety Association NZ (HASANZ)

The Health & Safety Association NZ (HASANZ) is the umbrella organisation representing workplace health and safety professions in New Zealand.

HASANZ is a useful point of contact primarily for full-time health and safety professionals, but there are some helpful resources available for HSRs also. HASANZ prides itself as being a trusted voice in the industry, and is mostly known for their comprehensive register of health and safety professionals(external link). 

Health & Safety Association NZ website(external link)

Still stuck?

The amount of information out there for HSRs can be overwhelming. We understand. If you can’t find the right resources or need a hand with anything, we’re available to help.

You can contact us on social media, or get in touch with us on our contact page. Either way, we’re here to support you with the resources you need as a health and safety rep.