WorkSafe New Zealand has launched a free online self-assessment tool, designed to get actionable insight from workers about key areas of health and safety.

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Iain Lees-Galloway, said the new SafePlus tool would make it easier for small to medium sized Kiwi businesses to improve their workplace health and safety.

“This tool will help businesses to engage with workers, contractors, suppliers, operational managers and executives, through involving them all in the assessment process.”

It works by asking people from all parts of the business how strongly they agree or disagree with statements about health and safety leadership, worker engagement and risk management.

From those anonymous responses, the tool:

• provides a collective, self-assessed, performance view
• delivers action-focused improvement recommendations
• directs businesses to good-practice guidance and resources, to help them take action

WorkSafe NZ say businesses that trialed the SafePlus tool in August found it “easy to use, quick to set up, and useful.”

The new tool is the third part of the SafePlus Toolkit. Website guidance and information for all types of business and the onsite assessment and advisory service for medium to larger businesses were both launched last year.