1 July 2026

The passing of the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill today will mean retailers have greater clarity around their health and safety obligations moving forward, Retail NZ Chief Executive, Carolyn Young, says. 

“Retailers take the health and safety of their staff and customers seriously,” Carolyn Young says. “However, some employers have found the current Act difficult to understand and, as a result, there has been an inconsistent approach to how businesses understand their duties and how they go about meeting their obligations,” Ms Young says. 

This Bill, introduced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, makes several changes that will provide retailers with greater certainty and remove some of the administrative burden for small employers. 

“Small businesses make up the majority of the retail sector in Aotearoa New Zealand, so streamlining compliance and ensuring their focus is on managing critical risks will relieve some of the pressure being felt by SMEs operating in a low-hazard environments,” Ms Young says. 

“We did raise concerns in our submission to select committee around the lack of clarity in the definition of the term ‘critical risk’. We’re pleased to see the definition is now more explicit, and we hope that with further industry-specific guidance, retailers will be able to easily ensure they’re meeting their health and safety obligations.” 

The Bill also allows for tailored, industry-specific guidance and support through the updating and strengthening of Approved Codes of Practices (ACOPs). Retail NZ is eager for a retail-specific ACOP to ensure there is guidance for employers to consider retail-specific hazards, including those psychosocial risks relating to crime, aggression, and violence which have become more common in stores post Covid. 

“We see this Bill as a step forward in providing small retailers a more focused, practical, and proportionate health and safety system,” Ms Young says. 

For further information or to set up an interview please contact Carolyn Young on 021 449 452

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