WorkSafe calls on businesses to prioritise asbestos safety following recent prosecutions

New Zealand’s workplace safety regulator says two recent prosecutions show much needs to be done to reduce asbestos exposure risks.

Asbestos is New Zealand’s leading cause of workplace deaths, accounting for 220 deaths each year.

National Asbestos Awareness Week (November 20-26) aims to raise awareness among tradies and businesses about the risks of asbestos exposure.

“In New Zealand, businesses have a responsibility to manage the risks to their workers associated with asbestos,” says the Head of WorkSafe’s General Inspectorate, Tracey Conlon.

New Zealand workplaces are required to have an asbestos management plan in place, according to WorkSafe.

Read more here.