A $22 million investment by ACC into workplace injury prevention grants and subsidies will help make it easier for Kiwi businesses to keep their workplaces healthy and safe, says ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.
“ACC will invest $22 million over five years into an incentive programme to help businesses reduce workplace injury,” says Iain Lees-Galloway.
“The subsidies are designed to support small and medium-sized businesses to invest in training, equipment or advisory services that will have a direct impact on the health and safety of workplaces.
“This is particularly important for smaller businesses which haven’t previously been able to access this type of support because the barriers have been too high.
“The Government is determined to ensure that all New Zealanders can return home to their friends and whanau in the same health as when they began their day at work.
“The Government is serious about improving health and safety in Kiwi workplaces. Late 2018 I announced the Health and Safety at Work Strategy to drive sustainable and system-wide improvements in workplace health and safety, and Worksafe currently invest around $15 million in similar workplace incentives.
“ACC supports the Government’s strategy through its injury prevention investments, injury management and rehabilitation services and levy products.
“While New Zealand workplaces have made progress since Pike River, it’s clear we have some way to go to achieve real, sustainable change. The ACC grants and subsidies will be important tools for achieving our aim to be among world leaders for workplace health and safety,” says Iain Lees-Galloway.
Notes for editors:
- In 2017 ACC claims for work related injuries totalled 231,651. Five sectors currently represent over half (52%) of all severe workplace injuries, namely agriculture, construction, forestry, manufacturing, healthcare and social assistance.
- Compared to international standards, New Zealand has a higher rate of injuries and fatalities in the workplace.
- The programme will include two types of assistance:
- Workplace injury prevention grants: These grants provide funding for organisations to help solve workplace health and safety problems that affect multiple businesses in an industry or supply chain.
- Workplace injury prevention subsidies: Injury prevention subsidies are available to help small to medium businesses access services and other supports that are known to improve workplace health and safety.
- There are three types of subsidies:
- workforce capability development (e.g. training courses)
- professional health and safety consulting advice, and
- capital investment that has health and safety outcomes (e.g. people moving equipment).
- ACC has previously provided injury prevention grants to organisations on a one-off basis.
- This investment is in addition to the $15 million per annum investment in WorkSafe NZ to support their injury prevention programmes.
- For grants, the first funding round will open in February 2019 with a subsequent round likely to be in September 2019.
- For subsidies, three rounds of offerings (sector-specific) are planned in 2019. The first round will start in February with other subsidy offerings likely to be in June and September 2019.
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