Have you ever wondered how safe your workplace really is?
What does it say about us as a nation if we can’t protect our people on the job?
True or false: the cost of workplace accidents in New Zealand tops $4.4 billion a year.
True or false: we lag behind countries like Australia and the UK in health and safety performance.
True or false: nearly half of us have been touched by a workplace accident—through ourselves, a colleague, a family member, or a friend?
If you guessed “true” to any of these questions, sadly you’re absolutely right. They are all true.
A recent RNZ Article confirms the staggering toll: workplace incidents now cost New Zealand over $4.4 billion annually. The human consequences are even worse. Consider this:
“Almost 50% of New Zealanders have been affected by a workplace accident, involving either themselves, a colleague, family or friends”
Behind these numbers lie real stories of trauma, recovery, and grief. Every injury reverberates far beyond the site of the incident, through families, communities, and the mental health of those who live through it.
But the data gets darker when we go deeper: New Zealand’s workplace fatality rate is around 60% higher than Australia’s, and more than five times greater than the UK’s. That means Kiwi workers are significantly more likely to be killed on the job than their peers across the ditch or in Europe.
So, what’s driving this? Far too often, we remain reactive—responding only after accidents occur. That must change.
We can’t rely on hope. Proactive, purpose-built safety infrastructure is critical. While no product can prevent every incident, we’re determined to do our part, outfitting worksites with equipment designed to reduce risk, safeguard people, and bolster compliance.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about numbers on a spreadsheet or costs on a ledger - it’s about lives. Every worker deserves to go home safe.
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See the full RNZ article here.
