Health and safety

What is health and safety at work?

E tū is a leader in the struggle to improve health and safety for workers.

Many of our members work in high-hazard environments, such as manufacturing, mining, food processing, and construction, and require close monitoring of health and safety concerns.

Health and safety also includes issues such as workplace bullying, violent behaviour, or workstation ergonomics.

How can we improve health and safety?

Worker leadership, shared responsibility, and a positive workplace culture are important.

This means:

  • Workers participating in creating health and safety practices
  • Ongoing evaluation
  • Open and transparent communication between workers, unions, and management

E tū health and safety leadership programme

Ngā Puna Whai Oranga is E tū’s new worker-led health and safety training programme for Māori, Pasefika, and migrant workers.

It’s all about supporting E tū health and safety leaders to create better health and safety practices that bring workers, unions, and management together.

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Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

In 2016, big changes to health and safety legislation came into effect.

This included:

  • New responsibilities for workers and employers
  • Stronger requirements for worker participation and representation
  • Increased penalties for breaches of duty