Required certification · New Zealand
WorkSafe New Zealand
NZ's work health and safety regulator: HSWA duties apply to every trade business
Market position
WorkSafe New Zealand is a Crown agency and, in its own words, New Zealand's primary work health and safety regulator under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA); it also administers the Gas Act 1992 and Electricity Act 1992. HSWA duties apply by law to every PCBU, including self-employed tradies, and WorkSafe enforces them through workplace assessments, formal warnings, enforceable undertakings and prosecutions. Construction is one of its listed priority industries.
New Zealand-specific note
Trade businesses must give WorkSafe 24 hours' notice of particularly hazardous work, such as construction or scaffolding with a risk of falling 5 metres or more, or trenches over 1.5 metres deep that are deeper than they are wide. HSWA amendments take effect on 1 April 2027, bringing in small and large PCBU categories and a focus on critical risks; WorkSafe published its first guidance on them in September 2026.
Pros
- + Guidance and tools on WorkSafe's site, including new guides for the 2027 changes
- + Online notification of hazardous work and incidents
- + Public registers to check asbestos licence holders and gas practitioners
- + Meeting HSWA duties reduces the risk of enforcement action
Cons
- − Duties apply by law; there is no opt-out
- − 24 hours' notice needed before particularly hazardous work
- − Law changes on 1 April 2027 mean reviewing how you manage critical risks
- − Compliance is a baseline, not a badge to market
Typical New Zealand pricing
No registration or membership fee: HSWA duties apply to every PCBU by law. Some work needs a separate WorkSafe licence or permit, such as asbestos removal
Why this matters for New Zealand trades
Only EWRB-registered and licensed workers can carry out or supervise prescribed electrical work, with the practising licence renewed every 2 years; the PGDB registers and licenses plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers and prosecutes unauthorised work; and Restricted Building Work on homes must be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. WorkSafe enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and says amendments take effect on 1 April 2027. The payroll tools listed here file payday information with Inland Revenue, and some act as PAYE intermediaries that pay PAYE to Inland Revenue for you. Master Builders and Master Plumbers membership is voluntary and does not replace licensing.
New Zealand trades vendor selection is shaped by registration and licensing (the EWRB for electrical workers, the PGDB for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, and the LBP scheme for Restricted Building Work on homes), payday filing with Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver deductions, Holidays Act leave calculations, 15% GST, and health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Frequently asked
Is WorkSafe New Zealand a good fit for New Zealand trades?
WorkSafe New Zealand is a Crown agency and, in its own words, New Zealand's primary work health and safety regulator under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA); it also administers the Gas Act 1992 and Electricity Act 1992. HSWA duties apply by law to every PCBU, including self-employed tradies, and WorkSafe enforces them through workplace assessments, formal warnings, enforceable undertakings and prosecutions. Construction is one of its listed priority industries. Trade businesses must give WorkSafe 24 hours' notice of particularly hazardous work, such as construction or scaffolding with a risk of falling 5 metres or more, or trenches over 1.5 metres deep that are deeper than they are wide. HSWA amendments take effect on 1 April 2027, bringing in small and large PCBU categories and a focus on critical risks; WorkSafe published its first guidance on them in September 2026.
What does WorkSafe New Zealand cost in New Zealand?
No registration or membership fee: HSWA duties apply to every PCBU by law. Some work needs a separate WorkSafe licence or permit, such as asbestos removal. Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current New Zealand pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Other New Zealand vendors
EWRB (Electrical Workers Registration Board)
Required certification
PGDB (Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board)
Required certification
LBP (Licensed Building Practitioners)
Required certification
Registered Master Builders Association
Required certification
Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ
Required certification
Fergus
Software