Are there specific industry regulations for health and safety checklists in New Zealand?

Health and safety regulations are governed by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in New Zealand. This act serves as a foundation for the management of workplace health and safety, offering a comprehensive framework. Furthermore, specific industry-related regulations take shape in various forms such as codes of practice, guidelines, and standards, tailored to the specific needs and nuances of each sector.

What are the penalties for not meeting health and safety duties in NZ?

Maximum fines depend on the offence and who broke the law. In New Zealand dollars, an organization can face $500,000 for failing to meet a duty, $1.5 million if that exposes someone to a risk of death or serious injury or illness and $3 million for reckless conduct. Self-employed PCBUs and officers face lower fines, plus up to five years in prison for reckless conduct. The penalties section of the HSWA guide has the full table.

Can workers refuse to work if they believe it's unsafe, even if a health and safety checklist is in place?

Yes. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, workers can stop or refuse work if they reasonably believe it exposes them or someone else to a serious risk from immediate or imminent exposure to a hazard. Having a health and safety checklist in place doesn't take that right away.

WorkSafe NZ Accident Investigation Form

Ensure workplace safety and compliance with worksafe new zealand health and safety templates.

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Use this checklist to record details of an incident as part of an investigation relating to Health and Safety in the workplace. Ensure that you cover important information from particulars of the accident, injured personnel, damaged property, and treatment of the accident:

Enter the basic information of the personnel involved
Specify the damages that occurred to both the injured personnel and property (if any)
Describe the verdict of the accident and its root cause
Provide important notes, capture evidence via photo or video attachments to support your findings
Summarize the report and provide any details of treatment (if any) before signing off the document
Export your findings in PDF, Word, or CSV file for proper recordkeeping on the cloud

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Why Mitti digital checklists?

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Article by

Mitti (by SafetyCulture) Content Team

4 min read

21 Oct 2026

What are Health and Safety Checklists from WorkSafe New Zealand?

WorkSafe New Zealand, a government agency dedicated to promoting healthy and safe work environments, provides a valuable resource in the form of health and safety templates. These templates serve as essential tools for businesses and organizations to streamline their efforts in compliance with safety regulations and promote a culture of safety.

They help PCBUs (people conducting a business or undertaking) meet their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. From 1 April 2027, changes to the Act put critical risks first, so clear records of how you find and control serious hazards matter even more.

Importance and Benefits of Using These Checklists?

Organizations usually stick with paper-based checklists when conducting inspections and other health and safety-related tasks. These checklists from WorkSafe NZ can be integrated into a highly customizable digital template that allows users to easily use and edit. Using these checklists for workplace health and safety also offers multitudes of advantages, including:

Effectivity and Convenience of Use – Using a digital checklist makes it easier to stay organized by storing all reports in one place. Your team won’t need to collate and summarize your checklist because it is automatically generated via reports.
Compliance with Regulations – Regulatory bodies set strict guidelines for workplace safety. Using these checklists helps you meet workplace safety rules and avoid fines and penalties. From 1 April 2027, the Act’s changes put critical risks first, so clear records matter even more.
Enhanced Accountability and Response Time – With clear checklists in place, responsibilities for safety measures are easily assigned right after conducting an audit/inspection. Instead of waiting days to assign important actions to your team, you can do it in minutes within the same platform.

How Can Organizations Utilize Digital Templates to Improve Workplace Safety?

These organizations have utilized digital checklists in their daily processes to improve their workplace safety and compliance regulations in New Zealand and other neighboring countries:

Kiwi Rail

Kiwi Rail oversees the management of railway infrastructure spanning the entire length of New Zealand, a formidable task given the country’s rugged terrain. When earthquakes occur and cause extensive damage to both rail and road networks, the Kiwi Rail team truly excels.

National Storage

When COVID-19 struck, National Storage had to implement changes across all levels of its operation to ensure the safe maintenance and operation of its facilities for both staff and customers. To address this, they developed a COVID checklist within a digital platform, all of which aligned with the guidelines issued by WorkSafe New Zealand. This straightforward checklist was designed for swift adoption and implementation, effectively managing the flow of people accessing their self-storage units around the clock.

National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC)

NAFC, which operates as a business unit under AFAC (the National Council for Fire, Emergency Services, and Land Management), plays a crucial role in facilitating a unified national framework for the supply of specialized aerial firefighting resources. They manage the acquisition of a fleet of highly specialized firefighting aircraft, ensuring their readiness for deployment by emergency service and land management agencies in various Australian states and territories.

In the past, inspections were conducted using traditional pen-and-paper methods or static documents. However, the adoption of a digital platform now guarantees that NAFC maintains consistent standards across various states and territories, ultimately resulting in a more reliable firefighting fleet.

Aircraft undergoes assessments prior to being deployed for firefighting purposes, with the operator conducting checks in the spring or early summer, followed by additional compliance assessments by the fire authority. Additionally, ad hoc inspections are carried out when issues arise, and location checks of airbases and helipads are performed to ensure their safety.