New Zealand’s level of work-related harm is still high by international standards. Some population groups are at greater risk of harm, such as Māori, Pasifika, migrants, older workers, and youth. Some businesses and sectors face challenges in managing their health and safety risks well, including small businesses and higher risk sectors. Fatalities from work-related health risks are up to 10 times higher than fatalities from injuries. We need to do better.

The strategy:

• Sets a clear direction for New Zealand, providing a shared vision for where we want to get to, and what we need to do to get there.
• Identifies the common capability gaps and opportunities, through a set of goals and priorities that help us focus our efforts
• Supports better coordination, by providing visibility of the different roles we have and a framework to talk to each other about how we’re working towards better health and safety
• Improves measurement, through the work to build a better picture of New Zealand’s overall health and safety.

The core of the strategy is the vision, goals and priorities. Together these make up the framework for action.