Health and Safety Policy (NZ)
A health and safety policy is essential — but on its own, it does not tell you whether your business is actually compliant.
Many organisations have a health and safety policy in place, but still feel unsure whether it reflects how work is really done — or whether it would stand up to scrutiny if something went wrong.
A policy is only one part of compliance. What matters is whether it aligns with your workplace risks, systems and day-to-day practices.
Not Sure If Your Policy Is Actually Doing Its Job?
Compliance Compass is our structured compliance diagnostic.
It combines a review of your health and safety documentation — including your policy — with a workplace inspection to show:
Where your policy aligns with real-world practice
Where gaps or misalignment exist
What needs to be prioritised next
What a Health & Safety Policy Is — and Isn’t
A health and safety policy sets out an organisation’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace. In New Zealand, it helps demonstrate leadership intent and provides a foundation for systems, procedures, and worker engagement.
However, a policy on its own does not:
Identify whether controls are effective
Confirm whether legal duties under the HSWA are being met
Reflect how work is actually carried out on site
This is why policies need to be considered alongside risk management, worker practices, and operational controls.
What an Effective Health & Safety Policy Should Cover
An effective policy typically outlines:
Leadership commitment and responsibilities
Worker participation and consultation
Hazard and risk management approach
Incident reporting and investigation principles
Continuous improvement and review
The right content matters — but so does context. Policies must reflect the organisation’s size, risk profile, and how work is actually undertaken. Generic or templated policies often create a false sense of security.
What others have to say ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“They have a fantastic way of communicating and educating without overwhelming you, we achieved a lot in a short space of time."
Kelly Wise ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Entain/TAB
How Policies Are Reviewed in Practice
As part of Compliance Compass, we review health and safety policies alongside other key documents and compare them with what is observed in the workplace.
This ensures policies are not just compliant on paper, but meaningful in practice.
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