The Health & Safety Reform Bill has been passed through Parliament and will come into effect as the Health and Safety at Work Act on 4th April 2016. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has a very good summary of the final form of the legislation that was the subject of much controversy and numerous changes as it progressed through the final stages in Parliament. The information includes Questions & Answers on the changes from the third reading of the Bill. [wpfilebase tag=file id=3918 tpl=nzccssfile /]

 

Further details about the changes the legislation brings and its implementation are available through the Worksafe New Zealand website.

 

How Churches and Social Services are Affected

The new legislation has considerable implications for the work of social services as well as the wider church and community organisations.

The InterChurch Bureau (ICB) is a combined churches’ working party and it has tasked a working group with looking at the new laws and how they will affect the work of churches in all the various activities they are involved with including social services.

The ICB has sent a memo out to advise churches about the work they are involved with, which includes engaging expert consultants to provide advice and to run workshops for the church community in the lead up to the implementation of the new laws. You can read and download the InterChurch Bureau memo on health and safety changes by clicking on the icon below. [wpfilebase tag=file id=3917 tpl=nzccssfile /]