DRAFT Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Submission to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee Health and Safety Reform Bill 11 April 2014 Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Terrace Business Centre, Level 6, Berl House, 108 The Terrace PO Box 10.403, Wellington 6143 Phone: 027 248 9545 email: info@zeroharm.org.nz Julian Hughes, Executive Director Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 1 DRAFT Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................3 Background...........................................................................................................3 Opening comments ................................................................................................4 The Health and Safety Challenge .............................................................................4 Summary of our submission Health and Safety Reform Bill: ...........................................5 Part 1 – Health and Safety at Work ..........................................................................5 Part 2 Health and Safety Duties ...............................................................................6 Part 3 – Consultation, Representation and Participation ..............................................6 Part 4 - Enforcement and other matters ...................................................................7 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................8 Appendix A ..............................................................................................................9 Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 2 DRAFT Introduction The Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum (the Forum) welcomes the opportunity to submit on the Health and Safety Reform Bill. The Forum has 162 corporate members (see Appendix A) who, collectively, are responsible for the safety of a considerable number of workers, and visitors to places of work, at worksites throughout New Zealand. We ask the Committee to note that: Many members anticipate making separate submissions, as well as supporting this submission. The Forum does not purport to represent on this matter those Departments and Crown entities who are included in our membership; recognising that to do so would be inappropriate. The Forum is still gathering and consolidating comments on the Bill, and will make a further submission to the Committee. We recognise the need for swift legislative action, but the time given for submissions on such a substantial Bill that affects every business and worker in New Zealand is simply too short. That said, the opportunity to engage with and influence health and safety law that will impact on all New Zealand workplaces is important. The Royal Commission into the Pike River Pike Mine tragedy and the findings of the Independent Taskforce of Workplace Health and Safety clearly signalled that change is needed. New health and safety law is one way of effecting this change. The Forum has been actively involved in the steps leading up to this select committee. This includes our support for and involvement with the Independent Taskforce, the select committee process for the Health and Safety (Pike River Implementation) Bill and with the initial response to this Bills exposure draft released for comment in November 2013. In making these submissions we note that the Bill is essentially a copy of the Australian Model Law and that the changes to the exposure draft are minor. While we support the intent, scope and broad policy of the Bill, we do have concerns about: The absence of duties and consequences for health and safety representatives; The absence of positive duties for workers; The overly prescriptive nature of Part 3, which has not been adapted to recognise the New Zealand framework, or the recommendations of the Taskforce; The inappropriateness of direct adoption of the Australian model law without consideration for our context and when some Australian States have aksed for amendments to it. Background The Forum is the CEOs and Managing Directors of our members. These leaders are committed to improving workplace health and safety performance in New Zealand. Our vision is for “all leaders to be passionately committed to achieving Zero Harm Workplaces”. The Forum is founded on the belief that business leaders have a direct influence on health and safety performance by what they do, say and measure. Members believe that by Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 3 DRAFT showing strong leadership on safety, working together, sharing ideas and using their influence they can improve New Zealand’s poor workplace health and safety record. Opening comments The Forum supports a change to our core health and safety legislation to address gaps with the existing law and to signal a new start, a new way of thinking and acting on workplace health and safety. We also see some value in aligning our law with the Australian model law but only where that will assist streamlining business practice and to create a larger pool of businesses working within a similar health and safety framework with common principles. Consistency for consistencies sake is not necessary and should be considered and applied coherently in a way that is workable for New Zealand. We have some concerns with the proposed Bill. Some of these have been informed by our understanding of challenges the Australian Model law is now experiencing and the differences between Australian and New Zealand workplaces. Others relate to provisions in the Model law that seem to have no sound basis. We see little point repeating them in our law. Also, there are some areas where the Bill has not been adjusted to reflect the recommendations of the Taskforce. It is regrettable that the effort from so many parties, reflecting extensive consultation, into such a broad ranging and thorough review is not being carried through to the legislation. The Health and Safety Challenge Good health and safety law is a good foundation to set out society’s expectations, provide minimum standards and outline who is responsible for ensuring workers go home safely each day. Good law is essential, but on its own it is not enough. Safe, healthy and productive workplaces do not occur by chance or because the law says it should happen. They require many things working well together. Creating and maintaining a safe workplace is one of the toughest leadership challenges. The interactions between people, their workplaces, their work tasks and their workmates and their leaders are complex and difficult to control. It is therefore a mistake to think that health and safety law alone will correct the unacceptable level of workplace injury and harm in New Zealand. In our submission to the Taskforce in 2013 we identified a set of principles we believe should underpin the new legislation: 1. All people have the right to work and to be productive without suffering injury or ill health (rights). 2. The best people to manage risks are the people who create them (commitment). 3. Standards should ensure safe work without negatively impacting on innovation, creativity and business performance (balanced standards). 4. All people involved in work have a responsibility to ensure their own safety and the safety of others (personal responsibility). 5. All workplaces must play their part. Failure of one has an impact on others (collective responsibility). 6. All people harmed by their work should have access to support and rehabilitation (security). Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 4 DRAFT The Bill reflects many of these principles, including the concepts of a right to harm-free work and a commitment that those who create risk should be responsible for managing it. There are, however, two areas where these principles are not reflected in the draft: Balance standards: The level of prescription, particularly in Part 3, will severely limit innovative approaches to gaining worker engagement in health and safety. It is likely that the prescriptive nature of the Bill will be further exacerbated by new regulations. Personal responsibility: The Bill's main purpose (clause 3) is "to provide for a balanced framework" including by "ensuring appropriate scrutiny and review of actions taken by persons performing functions or exercising powers under the Act" (clause 3(1)(f). This however is not reflected in the detail of the Bill. All players in the system should have a duty; this is reflected by the introduction of a positive duty for officers but does not go far enough. If we want to effect a true change in culture this positive duty should apply to everyone in the system, including workers and health and safety representatives. The qualifier in all circumstances should be the same, ie what is reasonably practicable. This will require an assessment of whether it is reasonable for an Officer, a Worker or a health and safety representative to have taken action in any given circumstance. It is tempting to look at that with hindsight, and assess what was done. However, a true health and safety regime should be focussed on what is (or is not) being done. The emphasis should be on encouraging safety so incidents do not happen. Of course, defaulters need to be sanctioned, but the unduly heavy emphasis in the Bill on criminalisation (fines and offences) is misplaced and is out of keeping with creating a positive cultural change. Summary of our submission Health and Safety Reform Bill: Part 1 – Health and Safety at Work We broadly support Part 1. However, we have some recommendations: The term “risk” is critical and should attract a more formal definition. Officer is included in the general interpretation section and does not have a definition under the Key Terms section of the Bill. Is this intended? The definition of Officer is an important one: the definition should be clearer to ensure it is easily identifiable who is/is not an officer. It should be clarified that in almost all circumstances the term “Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking” (PCBU) refers to an entity and is almost never an individual – PCBU should be a consistent term used throughout the Bill. The Bill needs to address sites where there are multiple PCBUs in operation in more detail than clause 26 currently provides. A cleared definition of “worker” is needed, especially when considered in conjunction with an definition of “officer”, it is possible to interpret the current definitions were a worker could also be an officer. Is this intended? We see little reason for exempting volunteer associations from the definition of a PCBU (clause 13(2)) while including volunteers in the definition of a worker (clause 14(a)) who may carry out work in any capacity for another PCBU and have duties under clause 41: why do the Associations have an exemption from the primary duty of care (clause 30), particularly where they are responsible for managing the safety of others (e.g. organising and managing cycle races). Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 5 DRAFT We are concerned that the Minister can delegate approval of codes of practice to the regulator responsible for drafting the code. That is not the case under the Australian model, and removes an important check in the process. Part 2 Health and Safety Duties In general we support Part 2, but we have some recommendations: We agree with the introduction of a positive duty for Officers, but think a positive duty should also be introduced for “workers” and the duties of “workers” in clause 40 should be defined in a more positive, consistent manner. For example, this clause should adopt "reasonably practicable" as a measure ((a) and (c)) and workers should have a duty "to comply" in clause 40(d) not just to co-operate. We are concerned with how overlapping duties for PBCUs will be treated. The current approach is very broad and does not set up any legal framework to help PCBUs understand how they can fulfil their duty. We support the approach to increased fines from the current level, especially for serious breaches. We believe placing limits on fines may be counter-productive – especially for very large businesses. We are concerned that the introduction of fines for breaches of various sections of the Bill could drive a strict compliance culture rather than one focused on managing risk. It could also increase disputes, defended hearings and is likely to be very difficult to enforce. We believe a “duty to others” is an important concept, but should be qualified to avoid unintended consequences. If a “duty to others” remains unqualified there is a risk the law may become the last port of call for people seeking redress. For example do medical professional have a duty under the bill towards the patients they treat, do corrections staff have a duty under the bill to prisoners, do emergency service personal have a duty under the bill towards people they are seeking to assist? Part 3 – Consultation, Representation and Participation We have significant concerns with Part 3. In general we support: a greater emphasis on worker engagement, participation and involvement in workplace health and safety. the ability to engage workers in a range of different ways to ensure they are involved in workplace safety leadership, in decision making processes, in review and development of processes and policies and in engaging others. the role of agreed structures such as committees and defined roles such as workplace health and safety representatives as a part of this process, but not the only way to achieve effective engagement. We do not support: the very prescriptive nature of the Bill in this area and the concept that a prescribed series of committees and elected representatives is the only way to engage workers in health and safety. the likelihood that this approach will be ineffective and will limit innovation and create bureaucracy that will do little to reduce risk. the proposed role in the Bill for elected representatives to consult with workers – this is the role of management (with support, if agreed, from elected representatives). Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 6 DRAFT the fact health and safety representatives have no duties (clause 83) and that they have an immunity from liability (clause 84). It is proposed health and safety representatives will have a number of functions and powers; there should be duties as well (similar to clause 12, schedule 2 for health and safety representatives in the mining sector). the proposed approach could potentially be counter-productive, could create barriers to innovative approaches to engagement and could add significant costs without any evidence of the benefits. the concept of “workgroups”, the functions and powers of health and safety committees and representatives and the assumption that the model of committees and representatives is the only way to have meaningful engagement with your workforce. the requirements for participation across multiple PCBUs is also unclear and appears unworkable as currently drafted. while we support the right to cease unsafe work we remain concerned that without access to quick, effective remedies to ensure work can be resumed when it is safe to do so could lead to unnecessarily loss of production, especially if these powers are used inappropriately, for example when they relate predominantly to wider employment issues or disputes. the additional compliance and procedural requirements being imposed under Subpart 6 and 7 are not consistent with existing procedures under the Employment Relations Act 2000 or the effective problem solving procedures in place under that Act, which could be adopted for workers and PCBUs. We believe that an amendment allowing PCBUs and workers to agree on alternative arrangements that meet the expectations of Part 3 is required. What is prescribed might be an option for some situations but should not be imposed on everyone. One size will never fit all comfortably. Part 4 - Enforcement and other matters We have very few concerns with Part 4 apart from: The reversal of the burden of proof (eg in clause 118(3)). The set up and access to independent review and appeal process. The timeframe for WorkSafe to bring a prosecution (extended to at least 2 years). We are concerned that extending the limitation periods from 6 months to 2 years (and possibly longer) may have undesirable effect of delaying remedial action in case it is seen as an admission of guilt. We agree that fines have to be appropriate and meaningful, and in some cases increases may be justified. However: they must be reasonable. We note that Western Australia has not adopted the heavy Model Law penalties because they see them as unreasonably punitive; and the Bill should not depart from ordinary Sentencing Act principles. In particular, the provision (s169(2)(f)) that suggests a fine should be increased just because a defendant is wealthy is wrong in principle and an unjustified departure from usual sentencing rules in the general law. Review: Given the substantial change the Bill introduces we believe a review should be built in to legislation to commence a review of progress in 2 years’ time, and have it completed and reported to Parliament by the Minister within the next year. Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 7 DRAFT Conclusion While the Forum supports the objectives of the Bill and believes that it will help to change our workplace health and safety culture, we have serious concerns about the practicality and appropriateness of many of the provisions, especially Part 3. Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 8 DRAFT Appendix A Members of the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum – as at 31 March 2014 Name Role Business Peter Dudson Chief Executive Officer AB Equipment Limited Alan Clarke Managing Director Abano Healthcare Group Scott Pickering Chief Executive Officer Accident Compensation Corporation Mark Cameron Managing Director Action Engineering Ltd Mike Davies Managing Director Adecco NZ John Bridgman Managing Director NZ AECOM Christopher Luxon Chief Executive Officer Air New Zealand Ed Sims Chief Executive Officer Airways New Zealand Mark Hopwood Chief Executive Arrow International Group Ltd Adrian Littlewood Chief Executive Officer Auckland International Airport Mary-Anne Macleod Chief Executive Bay of Plenty Regional Council David Carter Executive Director Beca Group Mark Hamilton Chief Executive Bell Tea and Coffee Company Craig Cotton Chief Executive Officer Better Drinks Company Matt Elliott Managing Director BP New Zealand Holdings Joanne Denley Director Bridgestone New Zealand Mike Toxopeus Managing Director Bridon New Zealand Ltd David McGregor Chief Executive Officer Brightwater Group Dean Camplin Chief Executive C3 Limited Shige Takatori Managing Director Cableprice New Zealand Roger Sutten Chief Executive Officer Canterbury earthquake Recovery Authority Tony Gorton Managing Director Cardinal Logistics Dr Jon Ryder Chief Executive Carter Holt Harvey Pulp, Paper & Packaging Blair O’Keeffe Chief Executive Officer CentrePort Limited Andre Gargiulo Country Manager New Zealand Cerebos Greggs Limited Mike O'Brien Country Manager CHEP New Zealand Malcolm Johns Chief Executive Christchurch International Airport Ltd Onno Mulder Chief Executive Officer City Care Barry O’Connell Managing Director Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) Ltd Alister Morison Chief Executive Officer Cold Storage Nelson Limited Glenn Corbett Managing Director Compass Group Jono Brent Chief Executive Connettics Dennis Barnes Chief Executive Officer Contact Energy Grady Cameron Chief Executive Officer DELTA Lou Sanson Director General Department of Conservation–Te Papa Atawhai Shane Dufaur Chief Executive Officer Dominion Salt Cos Bruyn Chief Executive Officer Downer EDI Works Scott Brownlee Chief Executive Officer DTL New Zealand Stephanie Grieve Partner Duncan Cotterill Heather Stewart GM Organisation Development Earthquake Commission Matt Todd Group Chief Executive Eastland Group Grant Mirfin Managing Director ECL Group Judi Burgess Chief Executive Officer EcoCentral Limited Dean Addie CEO EIS Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) 9 DRAFT Name Role Business Gavan Jackson Managing Director Electrix Ltd Steve Fuller Chief Executive Officer Enable Services Gary Saunders Managing Director Envirowaste Thomas Song Managing Director Ernslaw One Tom Barratt Managing Director Evonik-Degussa Peroxide Ltd Daniel Flinn HR Director Express Couriers Richard Ellis Managing Director Fitzroy Engineering Group Ltd Graham Darlow Fletcher Building Nicole Rosie Chief Executive Construction Group Director Health and Safety Steve Anderson Chief Executive Foodstuffs (New Zealand) Ltd Barry Raymond Chief Executive Freightlines LTD Nick Miller Managing Director Fulton Hogan Chris Birkett Managing Director, Oceania Region Chief Executive General Cable Gilbarco (NZ) Mike McWilliams Director Sales & Marketing ANZ/General Manager NZ Chief Executive Karl Smith Group Chief Executive Officer Gough Group Scott O’Donnell Managing Director H W Richardson Group Limited Alan Pearson Chief Executive Halls Group Barry Harris Chief Executive Officer Hamilton City Council Bill McCallum General Manager Hancock Forest Management Ltd Glen Cornelius Managing Director Harrison Grierson Paul Ainsworth General Manager Hikurangi Forest Farms Ltd Mike Foureur Managing Director Hirepool Jeremy Smith Managing Director Holcim New Zealand Onur Yilmaz General Manager Huhtamaki Henderson Limited Adrian Hynds Managing Director Hynds Pipe Systems Ltd Paul Kennedy Chief Executive Officer Impac Services Ltd Don Stock Independent member of Steering Group Director, Bell Tea and Coffee Company Independent Director Independent member Inghams Enterprises (NZ) Pty Limited Mahendra de Alwis Group Executive - General Manager NZ Managing Director Greg Dickson Managing Director ISO Limited Jim Quinn Chief Executive Kiwi Rail Andrew Chalmers Executive Director KiwiForestry Steven Carden Chief Executive LandCorp Anthony Leighs Managing Director Leighs Construction Limited Andrew Stevens General Manager Leightons Contractors New Zealand Albert de Geest Chief Executive Officer Liquigas Ltd Peter Davie Chief Executive Lyttelton Port of Christchurch Gerry Lynch General Manager Mars Marcel Manders Chief Executive MB Century Roger McRae Managing Director McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd Mark Binns Chief Executive Meridian Energy Albert Brantley Harry Stilin George Adams Chris Ellis Adrian Revell Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) Fonterra Co-operative Group Genesis Energy GNS Science Independent Member Intertek - NZ and Pacific 10 DRAFT Name Role Business Vanessa James Methanex New Zealand David Smol Senior VP, Global Marketing and Logistics & New Zealand Chief Executive Andrew Caseley Managing Director MWH NZ Ltd Rick Herd Managing Director Naylor Love Lee Babe Chief Executive Nelmac Lees Seymour Managing Director Nelson Forests Ltd Veronique Cremades Chief Executive Officer Nestlé New Zealand Ltd Murray Willocks Chief Executive Officer New Zealand Agriseeds Ltd Deane Manley Managing Director New Zealand Crane Group Limited Lieutenant General T.J. Keating, MNZM Paul Baxter Chief of Defence Force New Zealand Defence Force New Zealand Fire Service Currently vacant Chief Executive / National Commander Chief Executive John Morgan Chief Executive Officer NIWA Peter McCarty General Manager Norske Skog Tasman Mark Gatland Chief Executive Northpower Jim Magee Chief Executive Nurse Maude Zane Fulljames Chief Executive Officer NZ Bus Terry Stack General Manager NZ Oil Services Limited Tim Searle National Manager NZ Safety Chris Bush NZ Country Manager NZEC Management Ltd Tony Cummins Chief Executive Officer NZL Group Ltd Geoff Dangerfield Chief executive NZTA James Fletcher Managing Director OCS Ltd Jonathan Marshall General Manager O-I New Zealand Peter Zeilinger Managing Director OMV New Zealand David Prentice Chief Executive Opus International Consultants Matt Cawte General Manager (acting) Orica NZ Ltd Max Murray Manager Production Upstream Origin Energy New Zealand William McCook Chief Executive OSPRI New Zealand Philip Orchard Chief Executive PAE (New Zealand) Limited Peter Clark Chief Executive Officer PF Olsen Mark Dewdney Chief Executive Officer PGG Wrightson Peter Landon-Lane Chief Executive Plant and Food Research Martin Byrne Chief Executive Port Nelson Garth Cowie Chief Executive Port of Napier Geoff Plunket Chief Executive Port Otago Roy Weaver Chief Executive Port Taranaki Limited Tony Gibson Chief Executive Officer Ports of Auckland Nigel Barbour Chief Executive Officer Powerco Limited Dave Chambers Managing Director Progressive Enterprises Greg Campbell Chief Executive Officer Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-op Paul Nicholls Managing Director Rayonier New Zealand Ltd John Gilbert Managing Director Rebain International (NZ) Paul McNoe Chief Executive Officer Red Bus Ltd Sjoerd Post Chief Executive Officer Refining NZ Bryan Mould General Manager Rendertech Limited Russel Creedy Chief Executive Officer Restaurant Brands New Zealand Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) Ministry, Business, Innovation and Employment Ngai Tahu Tourism Limited 11 DRAFT Name Role Business Peter Hart Managing Director SGS New Zealand Ltd Rob Jager Chairman Shell Companies in New Zealand Paul Ravlich Chief Executive Officer Siemens New Zealand Keith Cooper Chief Executive Officer Silver Fern Farms Peter Rose Chief Executitve Southern Response Mark O'Connor Chief Executive SouthPort Mark Franklin Chief Executive Officer Stevenson Group Limited Julian Cook Chief Executive Officer Summerset Group Holdings Limited Graeme Martin General Manager Super Air Bryce Howard Chief Executive Officer Tasti Products Ltd Charlie Taylor Chief Executive Officer Taylors Contracting Co Ltd Paul Auret General Manager Technip Oceania Pty Ltd Craig Smith Chief Executive TELARC Jacob Bonisch Executive General Manager Tenix Mark Taylor Vice President NZ Operations Tenon Manufacturing Ltd Chris Hilson CEO The NZDDA Ltd Mark Powell Chief Executive The Warehouse Limited Haydn Davies Country Manager Thomson Reuters Jon Young Chief Executive Todd Corporation Limited John Brockies Transfield Services Alastair Hulbert Executive Director - New Zealand Chief Executive Ken Sutherland Group Chief Executive Unison Networks Rick Ede Chief Executive Unitec Institute of Technology Simon MacKenzie Chief Executive Officer Vector Ian Cathcart General Manager Veolia Water Mark Ford Chief Executive Watercare Services Limited Dr Julian Elder Chief Executive WEL Networks Ltd Kevin Lavery Chief Executive Wellington City Council Graham Wells Managing Director Wells Group Limited Chris Whitaker Managing Director Whitaker Civil Engineering Ltd Ian J. Cummings General Manager Wiri Oil Services Limited (WOSL) Gordon McDonald Chief Executive WorkSafe NZ Pat Hills Chief Executive Officer Worley Parsons Mike Bennetts Chief Executive Officer Z Energy Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum Health and Safety Reform Bill Submission v3 (DRAFT) Turners and Growers 12