Do I Need a Hazard Register in New Zealand?

Short answer: New Zealand law doesn't use the words "you must keep a hazard register" — but it does require you to identify hazards, manage the risks they create, and keep records that show you did. For almost every small organisation, a hazard register is the simplest, most defensible way to meet that.

What the law actually says

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), a PCBU — a "person conducting a business or undertaking", which is most likely you — must ensure the health and safety of workers and others "so far as is reasonably practicable". In practice that means you have to:

• identify the hazards that could cause harm;
• assess the risk each one presents;
• eliminate or minimise that risk using the hierarchy of controls; and
• review your controls so they stay effective.

The Act talks about managing risk, not about the register itself. But if WorkSafe New Zealand ever asks how you're managing a risk, "it's all in our head" is a hard answer to defend. A register is the record.

Who needs one

If people can be hurt by what your organisation does — machinery, vehicles, chemicals, working at height, crowds at an event, even slips and trips in an office — you have hazards to manage, and a register is the sensible home for them. That includes small businesses, clubs, churches and not-for-profits. Size doesn't remove the duty; it just means you probably have fewer hazards to track.

What a good hazard register contains

For each hazard, record:

• What it is and where it applies (which site or activity);
• The risk — how likely harm is, and how serious;
• The controls in place, using the hierarchy (eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineering, admin, PPE);
• Who's responsible for keeping the control working; and
• When it's next due for review.

Spreadsheet or software?

A spreadsheet is a fine place to start, but it rarely stays alive — no reminders when a review is due, no clear owner, no history of what changed, and no easy way for the people on the floor to add what they see. A living hazard register keeps all of that connected and current, and lets workers report a new hazard from their phone.

The practical takeaway

You don't need a register because a form says so — you need it because the duty to manage risk is real, and a register is how you do it and prove it. Start simple, keep it current, and make sure the few risks that could seriously hurt someone are the ones getting attention.

See how SteadyOn's hazard register keeps risks, controls, owners and reviews in one place — or start a free trial.