Boosting Health and Safety with ISO 45001: Government Incentives
The New Zealand government offers incentives to encourage businesses to adopt ISO 45001, recognising its benefits in enhancing workplace safety and compliance.
Top Points:
Overview of Government Incentives: ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme.
Financial and Reputational Benefits: Incentives that businesses can gain.
Enhancing Compliance and Safety: The role of ISO 45001 in supporting regulatory requirements.
Understanding ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme
The programme rewards companies that achieve high standards in workplace safety, including those adopting ISO 45001, offering both financial incentives and reputational benefits.
Key Features of the AEP
The Accredited Employer Programme (AEP) enables participating employers to take on the management of their employees' work injury claims, including making coverage decisions, processing claims payments, and providing rehabilitation support. By assuming financial liability for workplace injuries, employers can significantly reduce their ACC levies, leading to substantial cost savings compared to standard ACC arrangements.
Employers can customise their participation in the AEP by choosing between two options:
The Partnership Discount Plan, which covers claims for a fixed period of 1–2 years
The Full Self-Cover Plan, which involves financial liability for claims over a longer period of 2–5 years, offering greater premium discounts.
To participate, employers must demonstrate robust health and safety systems, effective injury prevention measures, and strong claims management processes.
These are evaluated against ACC’s audit standards, which focus on safety practices, injury management, and continuous improvement. The programme is particularly beneficial for businesses paying high ACC levies (e.g., $150,000 or more annually) and requires passing an on-site audit conducted by an ACC-approved auditor.
Employers may also engage third-party administrators (TPAs) to assist in claims management and compliance.
Benefits of the AEP
Participation in the AEP offers several advantages. Employers benefit from financial savings by managing actual injury costs rather than paying higher premiums based on theoretical risks.
Improved rehabilitation outcomes result from direct involvement in the return-to-work process, helping injured employees recover faster and reducing downtime.
Additionally, the programme provides flexibility and control, allowing businesses to tailor injury management processes to their specific needs. Enhanced performance monitoring tools and updated health and safety assessments, such as options for ISO 45001 certification, further support continuous improvement.
Challenges and Obligations
While the AEP offers significant benefits, it also comes with challenges. Managing workplace injury claims requires considerable expertise, time, and resources, which may pose difficulties for some businesses.
Employers must meet stringent compliance requirements, including maintaining robust health and safety systems and passing regular audits.
Furthermore, by assuming financial liability for workplace injuries, employers face potential financial risks if claims are not managed effectively.
The AEP provides an opportunity for eligible businesses to improve injury management and achieve cost savings, but success depends on strong systems, diligent compliance, and effective resource allocation.
Learn about our ISO 45001 certification ready four step process.
The AEP and ISO 45001: Aligning for Enhanced Workplace Safety
The Accredited Employers Programme (AEP) in New Zealand is set to align more closely with ISO 45001, introducing several updates to enhance workplace safety standards and provide greater flexibility for accredited employers.
From April 2025, accredited employers will have the option to use ISO 45001 certification to meet the AEP’s health and safety accreditation requirements. This development is part of a broader effort to modernise health and safety assessments, offering a streamlined and globally recognised framework.
By integrating ISO 45001, the AEP aims to reduce the compliance burden for participating employers, replacing overly complex requirements with a higher-quality, structured approach to health and safety management. The emphasis on ISO 45001 is also expected to drive the adoption of more robust systems among accredited employers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Employers will now have the flexibility to choose between the updated ACC health and safety audit process or ISO 45001 certification, enabling them to select the option that best suits their operational needs. This dual approach aligns the AEP with international standards, reinforcing its commitment to maintaining and advancing health and safety practices.
The inclusion of ISO 45001 as an alternative pathway represents a significant evolution for the AEP, providing accredited employers with modern tools to enhance workplace safety while aligning with global best practices.
Conclusion
The Accredited Employers Programme (AEP) in New Zealand is evolving to enhance workplace safety and efficiency, offering businesses modern, flexible options like ISO 45001 certification from April 2025.
By aligning with international standards, streamlining compliance, and driving higher-quality health and safety systems, the AEP fosters continuous improvement and robust injury management practices.
This alignment not only reduces compliance burdens but also empowers accredited employers with tools to optimise safety culture, operational performance, and global competitiveness.
Discover in our fourth blog post in this series how ISO 45001 is relevant to SME's and ME's, not just enterprise businesses.
