By EMA Manager of Employment Relations & Safety Paul Jarvie
There’s an iconic flashback scene in the smash-hit TV series The Bear in which the titular character is a trainee chef being taught how to properly truss a roast chicken.
As he struggles to get it right, the head chef (played by real-life culinary legend Thomas Keller) tells him that excellence is built through small improvements every day.
It’s a powerful scene and one I’m reminded of when I think about how business owners and leaders can improve their health and safety.
A strong safety culture is not built overnight by a single policy. No system, no matter how well-designed, will work if the culture does not support it.
Like training to be a top chef, improving health and safety can be a difficult path to travel alone. It often requires skilled guidance and expertise to help businesses move in the right direction.
Sadly, the statistics continue to show that many Kiwi businesses are not getting the help they need, and workers are paying the price.
In the most recent data from WorkSafe New Zealand, from September 2024 to August 2025, there were 37,581 injuries serious enough to result in more than a week off work.
That’s the equivalent of removing more than 720 full-time workers from the workforce for an entire year.
Workplace deaths also show little sign of improvement. In 2024, there were 70 deaths, the highest number since 2019, when the Whakaari / White Island eruption claimed 22 lives.
Beyond acute injuries, the picture becomes even more concerning. WorkSafe estimates suggest 750 to 900 New Zealanders die each year from work-related health causes, including long-term exposure to hazardous conditions.
Since the Health and Safety at Work Act came into force in 2016, approximately 630 workers have died in workplace incidents and an estimated 7,200 more from work-related disease. Combined, that is roughly the population of a town like Gore, lost while simply trying to earn a living.
Moving the dial takes co-ordinated effort, buy-in from the top down, and expert guidance.
A recent conversation with Nick Lubeck, director of biophilic design and indoor greenery company Outside In, reinforced just how much time and commitment building a strong safety culture requires.
His view is simple: if you want to look after your team, and if you want to be in business for the long haul, you have to do health and safety well.
Back in 2014, when he and fellow director Ryan McQuerry started the company and began their expansion, health and safety felt complicated and, at times, overwhelming.
But Nick connected with the EMA, which sent consultant Keith Robinson to identify key areas for improvement. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, they focused on five priority areas each year.
Keith has three decades of experience conducting workplace health and safety audits, developing customised safety manuals, and designing corporate training systems.
He had never awarded a 100% audit score before working with Outside In, but has now issued the top mark to the company for three consecutive years.
From a two-person operation in 2014 to a business employing more than 100 staff and expanding into Sydney and Melbourne this year, Nick says Outside In has always viewed health and safety as a strategic investment.
Alongside the obvious need for compliance and caring for staff, he says strong health and safety has become almost a “permission to play” requirement when working with major international clients across retail, commercial and hospitality sectors.
It goes without saying that no business owner or leader wants harm to come to their workers. More often than not, the issue is not intention, but uncertainty about the right way forward.
Where should businesses focus their efforts? And how do they move beyond compliance into systems and behaviours that genuinely protect people?
In our work with EMA members, we often encounter businesses that are fragmented in their health and safety knowledge, training and tools.
That’s why practical support matters. Our consultants work directly with businesses to turn policy into practice, while our Safety AdviceLine provides real-world guidance on everything from incident response and best practice to legislative interpretation.
We are also closely involved in New Zealand’s rapidly evolving health and safety landscape.
The government introduced the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill in February 2026, signalling the most significant reform since the original Act came into force.
At its core, the reform aims to reduce unnecessary compliance burdens while sharpening focus on the critical risks most likely to cause serious harm or death.
Through our advocacy work, the EMA has been actively engaged MBIE officials throughout the consultation process, ensuring the voice of business is represented.
When the legislation becomes law, we will work directly with members to help them understand the changes and maintain compliance.
Getting everything lined up, from paperwork to PPE, requires a deliberate investment of time, money and effort. Like trussing a roast chicken correctly, attention to detail and consistency are vital.
But health and safety is about more than procedures. It encompasses how people think, how they act, and what they prioritise, especially when no one is watching. Having systems that provide assurance and verification is essential.
We’ve taken numerous companies through our Safety Culture Programme, a structured 12-month journey designed to embed safety into everyday behaviours, decision-making and leadership.
Safety culture is the cement between the bricks of policy and procedure. It holds it all together. Without the cement, the walls become unstable.
Companies such as disability support provider Kaleidocare have used the programme to bring confidence and consistency to their safety culture.
As OutsideIn’s experience shows, building a strong safety culture is rarely about one major change. It comes from sustained investment in the fundamentals.
Ultimately, to reduce harm and build lasting safety capability, businesses need to:
- Access practical tools and guidance
- Develop capability through training
- Strengthen their systems and processes
- Invest in technology where it makes a difference
- Build a culture that protects their people
Because harm reduction is not achieved through a single intervention. Like excellence in the kitchen, safer workplaces are built through small improvements every day.