New Zealand workplaces urged to do more to protect people from asbestos

New Zealand Workplaces Urged to Do More to Protect People From Asbestos

Three New Zealand organisations are calling on employers and tradies to strengthen safety measures that keep employees and members of the public safe from asbestos. Asbestos is still New Zealand's number one workplace killer, and coordinated industry action remains critical to reducing this ongoing risk.

WorkSafe, the New Zealand Demolition & Asbestos Association (NZDAA) and the Faculty of Asbestos Management of Australia and New Zealand (FAMANZ) have joined forces to encourage businesses across every industry to manage asbestos risk more effectively.

Why Asbestos Remains a Critical Safety Concern

WorkSafe Chief Executive Phil Parkes said, "It's our number one work-related killer, with around 220 people dying each year from a preventable asbestos-related disease."

"What we're seeing today is the legacy of past exposure to asbestos, often while at work. But action must continue to prevent future illness and death through proper asbestos handling and management."

What This Means for Employers and the Industry

Past exposure continues to affect worker health decades later, which is why ongoing vigilance matters so much for today's construction, demolition and manufacturing sectors. Businesses operating in high-risk industry sectors need practical systems to identify, manage and reduce asbestos-related risk before harm occurs.

Key actions organisations across the industry should prioritise include:

• Identifying asbestos-containing materials before starting any renovation or demolition work
• Ensuring safety protocols align with current WorkSafe guidance
• Reviewing workplace health and safety documentation regularly to reflect evolving best practice
• Engaging licensed professionals for higher-risk asbestos work

For guidance tailored to specific sectors, see our resources on Hospitality HSWA for New Zealand workplaces and the broader HSW Manual for New Zealand businesses.

Continued Collaboration Across the Sector

This joint effort reflects a growing recognition that protecting people from asbestos requires collaboration across the entire industry, not just isolated compliance measures. Every industry touched by legacy building materials, from healthcare facilities to office administration environments, carries some level of exposure risk that demands attention.

Employers seeking further detail on updated requirements can review how WorkSafe releases updated asbestos guidelines for New Zealand workplaces, while those managing office-based teams may find our Office/Administration HSWA for New Zealand resource useful for building safety-first workplace practices.

A Shared Responsibility to Protect Health and Safety

Working safely around asbestos is not solely a legal obligation, it is a shared responsibility that protects health outcomes for workers, tradies and the wider public alike. As FAMANZ and NZDAA continue working alongside WorkSafe, businesses of every size are encouraged to review their own practices and close any gaps that place people at risk.

Related reading on similar initiatives protecting communities from exposure includes how a new online course aims to protect the public from asbestos exposure, plus insight into how a new online course aims to protect NSW workers from asbestos exposure.

For further guidance on compliance obligations, businesses can consult our Frequently Asked Questions for New Zealand page. Read the full story here.