Service

Health and Safety

Summary

Good health and safety is not just a legal obligation, it's also a vital part of running a successful business. We can work with you to create and implement effective health and safety systems, policies, and procedures that will help your people work safely and productively. We can also help navigate the sometimes complex regulatory framework and compliance requirements to ensure you meet their governance and leadership responsibilities, and provide clear and practical advice on how to manage risk.

When things go wrong, we are here to support you in the aftermath of incidents. We can be on the ground helping with crisis management, and regularly assist with post-incident investigations, so you can learn lessons to make your organisation safer and stronger in the future. We can guide you through dealings with WorkSafe New Zealand (and other regulators when relevant), the Police and Coroners during their investigations, protecting your interests.

Our team of specialist health and safety lawyers has extensive experience in working with private companies, public sector agencies, and not for profit groups across a broad range of industries. We know how to handle any situation with professionalism and sensitivity.

Key services

Crisis and incident response

We provide immediate crisis management support following workplace incidents, and can help you deal with the Police, WorkSafe, the media as well as your people and other stakeholders. We can also assist you in dealing with third parties, including unions, principals, contractors, insurers, and the public. We can provide support and advice in dealing with both your internal incident investigations and any relevant third-party investigations by WorkSafe or others. If needed, we can conduct independent investigations too. When circumstances require it, we can represent you in prosecution and coronial inquiries too. We have particular expertise in preparing applications for Enforceable Undertakings, and can help you negotiate and implement them successfully, and demonstrate completion to WorkSafe.

Compliance and risk management

We can help you understand and comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant laws and regulations that apply to your work and workplaces. We can explain what good practice compliance looks like and how to achieve it. We can also advise you on how to allocate and manage health and safety risks in all kinds of contracts, whether you are a principal, contractor, or subcontractor.

Stakeholder engagement

We provide advice and support in managing health and safety issues with stakeholders, such as unions, customers, contractors, and the public. We can help you communicate effectively, resolve disputes, and foster positive relationships. We can also assist you in meeting your consultation and participation obligations with your workers and their representatives.

Training and education

We can provide training to directors, executives, middle management, health and safety representatives, and health and safety committee members to help them understand their roles and give them tools to perform effectively. We can tailor our training to suit your needs and deliver it in a practical and engaging way.

Policy and procedure review

We can review and provide advice on your existing policies and procedures to ensure they are fit for purpose, compliant, and aligned with your business objectives. We can also help you develop new policies and procedures that reflect your specific needs and risks. We make sure your documents are clear, concise, and user-friendly.

Verification and assurance

We complete verification activities to give you comfort that your systems are appropriate and things are working as they should. When needed, this can involve working with specialist health and safety auditors to test how your systems are working in practice. We provide feedback and recommendations for improvement and can give you follow-up support, when needed.

Governance

We regularly support Boards and help them understand how best to meet their governance responsibilities in ways that support organisational goals, while also meeting their personal legal obligations.

Key people

Grant Nicholson

Partner

Catalijne Pille

Senior Lawyer

Special Counsel

Work Highlights

Representing White Island Tours in its defence of charges laid by WorkSafe in relation to the Whakaari/White Island eruption, New Zealand's worst workplace health and safety disaster in the last 15 years.
Representing Independent Traffic Control in its defence of a charge laid by WorkSafe after a traffic fatality in roadworks during the cleanup after catastrophic weather events in New Zealand in early 2023.
Representing Mansons TCLM in its successful defence of a charge laid by WorkSafe after an incident on one of its construction sites in 2021, when a subcontractor's employee was killed.
Advising local authorities on legal compliance, risk mitigation and strategy for a large-scale urban redevelopment projects.
Advising a government agency on risk management in the construction and commissioning of a transformational public infrastructure project.
Advising a tourism operator on strategy, governance and legal compliance/regulatory issues, following notifiable events being considered by WorkSafe, including advising on the operator's preparedness if any future health and safety incidents arise.
Advising businesses affected by asbestos and asbestos containing material, helping them understand how to manage relevant risks and follow correct procedures for the safe removal and disposal of asbestos. This includes advising on engagement with people potentially exposed to the asbestos and how to implement plans for ongoing monitoring of these individuals so that any negative impacts are identified and addressed.
Advising a major agriculture organisation on the management of psychosocial hazards in its complex and time sensitive seasonal operations.