The Trasformation of New Zealand's Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Legislation and Administration From 1981 to 1992: A Case of Reactionary Politics

Abstract

From 1981 to 1992 New Zealand's occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation and administration has undergone a significant transformation. At the beginning of the period the situation can be described as a system of "Government Management", by 1990 a system of "Tripartite Management" had been partially introduced, in 1992 a new system of "Employer Hazard Management" had replaced existing arrangements. How did this transformation occur, why did it occur, and how does it compare with overseas examples? The transformation represents a case of reactionary politics. At the social level, change was a reaction to fears in the community about the dangers associated with the advent in New Zealand of large complex industrial plants, and the introduction of new chemicals. At the institutional level of organised actors, change was the result of reaction against perceived inadequacies in the existing legislative and administrative arrangements, and responses to positions adopted by competing actors. At the individual level change came about as organisations responded to the initiatives of certain individuals. By 1992, the colonial reliance upon overseas policy examples had been replaced with policy initiatives that reflected the level of knowledge amongst government officials, and the dominant forms of OSH management practiced by large New Zealand companies.