Directors and board members carry an officer duty for health and safety, but governance is not management. This guide helps a board understand that duty in plain terms, ask management the right questions, and read the risk picture with confidence, without drowning in operational detail. It is the companion to our guide for CEOs and senior leaders.
Who is this guide for?
It is for company directors, board members and trustees of New Zealand organisations who carry an officer duty and want to govern health and safety risk well.
It focuses on the governance role: setting expectations, testing assurance, and knowing the difference between governing risk and managing it, so the board adds value without stepping into operations.
What the guide covers
Governing risk, not managing it
The board’s role, made practical. Tap each card to see what it covers.
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A short governance guide
Plain-language lessons with a brief reflective activity, built for busy directors.
- The governance dutyThe officer duty for directors
- Governing versus managingWhere the board adds value
- The right questionsWhat to ask management
- Reading assuranceReal assurance versus a comforting report
- Setting expectationsHolding the organisation to account
The board’s role
Governance is not management, but the duty is still yours.
A board that asks the right questions and tests assurance well lifts the whole organisation’s approach to risk, without stepping into the day-to-day.
Kept current, new for 2026: the guide reflects the 2026 changes to the Health and Safety at Work Act. This is general guidance for professional development. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from your own advisers.
Govern health and safety risk well
Enrol online self-paced
Short, plain-language and built for directors. Leave able to ask better questions and test assurance with confidence. Pairs with the guide for CEOs and senior leaders.
Governance focused · short and self-paced · includes the 2026 HSWA reform
Common questions
Who is this guide for?
Company directors, board members and trustees of New Zealand organisations who carry an officer duty for health and safety.
How is it different from the leaders’ guide?
This one is angled to governance: the questions a board should ask and how to test assurance. The companion guide is for CEOs and senior leaders who lead the work day to day.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general guidance to help boards govern well and ask better questions. It is not legal advice.
How long does it take?
It is short and self-paced, designed to fit around a director’s schedule.