New Zealand’s first national, online register of verified workplace health and safety professionals opened for business this week. The HASANZ Register of Workplace Health and Safety Professionals (HASANZ Register) was officially launched in Wellington by WorkSafe New Zealand Chief Executive Nicole Rosie.

The HASANZ Register provides a one-stop-shop for businesses to find reliable, quality health and safety advice and services.

“The HASANZ Register is a great first point of reference for businesses seeking quality, reliable and professional health and safety advice and services,” said Nicole Rosie. “There are robust and verifiable processes underpinning the Register which means those on the Register will have verified competency – something we think is very important for improving the quality and professionalism of health and safety advice in New Zealand.”

The Register was developed by the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ), the umbrella organisation for New Zealand’s workplace health and safety professions, with funding from ACC and WorkSafe. The Register grew from a recommendation made in the Report of the Workplace Health and Safety Taskforce, resulting from the Pike River mine tragedy.

“We’ve made it free for businesses to use the HASANZ Register because better access to good health and safety advice will help reduce the risk of serious harm in New Zealand workplaces,” said HASANZ Executive Director Philip Aldridge.

“The HASANZ Register works like a matching service between businesses and different types of health and safety professionals, connecting them with a list of experts who can advise on solutions to their health and safety problems – everything from asbestos to worker fatigue.

“Businesses can have confidence in the competence of workplace health and safety professionals listed on the HASANZ Register,” said Aldridge. “To earn their place on the Register, health and safety professionals must belong to a HASANZ Member association and meet stringent registration standards covering qualifications, experience, CPD, good character, a code of conduct and insurance. This also gives businesses access to a recognised complaints procedure and disciplinary process.”

Like Licensed Building Practitioners or licensed real estate agents, only the person, not the firm they work for can be HASANZ Registered as it is the individual who must demonstrate they meet the required registration standard for their profession.

“This is about lifting professional standards, said Philip Aldridge.” Over time, we expect businesses will demand quality-assured health and safety professionals and the HASANZ Register will give them an increasingly broad range to choose from.”

Media release from the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand