Government Health and Safety Lead NZ

What Government Health and Safety Lead NZ does

The Government Health and Safety Lead (GHSL) is a New Zealand public sector coordination function established in 2017 and hosted by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in Wellington. It provides centralised health and safety guidance, training, and recognition programmes to 50-plus central and local government agencies operating under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA). Its core product surface consists of the Safe-Gov Mobile App for executive governance and compliance tracking, the Health and Safety Representative Learning Pathway, the Officer Development Programme (delivered in partnership with the Institute of Directors), and structured career development programmes including the 2026 Capability Programme and the Early in Careers Health and Safety Certificate. Adjacent offerings include the annual H&S Rep of the Year Awards, the Keeping Our People Safe publication, the Haumaru Tangata Māori Health and Safety Framework, the Tier 2 Leaders Health, Safety and Wellbeing Programme, and topical conferences such as Driving Safely for Work.

GHSL distributes through a non-commercial membership model: all services, training, and resources are provided free of charge to partner public sector agencies, funded by Crown appropriation via MPI and supplemented by event sponsorship (gold/silver/bronze) for the H&S Reps Conference. It markets primarily through its website (healthandsafety.govt.nz), direct agency engagement via [email protected], event-driven channels (conferences, webinars, awards), and partner channels with WorkSafe NZ, the Institute of Directors, the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management, and HSE Global. There is no commercial pricing, no sales motion, and no revenue model beyond Crown funding. The organisation is led by Director Lance Goodall and operates with a headcount of 14 FTEs.

Technology footprint is limited to a content/resource website and a mobile application (Safe-Gov); no APIs, SDKs, or proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Strategic differentiation rests on the statutory coordination mandate, cross-agency network effects among member agencies, and recognised programmes (notably the Officer Development Programme, which won the Governance category at the 2021 Workplace Health and Safety Awards).

Name

Government Health and Safety Lead NZ

Legal name

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

Website

https://healthandsafety.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Government Health and Safety Lead (GHSL) is a New Zealand Crown coordination function, hosted by the Ministry for Primary Industries, that provides free health and safety guidance, training, and digital tools to 50-plus central and local government agencies under the HSWA 2015 framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Health and Safety Advisory

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJANAL

Economic Evaluation & Health Technology Assessment (Public Programs)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Health Program Evaluation & Surveillance

Keywords

• Public sector health and safety
• Government safety guidance
• Workplace safety training
• Health safety advisory
• Occupational health coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Support Services: GHSL operates as a government agency providing free health and safety guidance, training, and resources to public sector member agencies. No commercial revenue is generated; the organization is funded through government appropriation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GHSL is a New Zealand government function that delivers centralised health, safety and wellbeing (HSW) guidance, training programmes, digital tools and recognition events for 50+ public sector agencies. Its core offerings include the Officer Development Programme (delivered with the Institute of Directors), the Health and Safety Representative Learning Pathway, the Safe-Gov Mobile App for executive leaders, and the annual H&S Rep of the Year Awards.

Product overview

The Government Health and Safety Lead (GHSL) is a New Zealand public sector health and safety coordination body that provides a portfolio of advisory services, training programmes, and digital tools. The core offering consists of the Safe-Gov Mobile App for executive governance, the Health and Safety Representative Learning Pathway for practitioner development, and the Officer Development Programme (in partnership with Institute of Directors). Additional offerings include the annual Health and Safety Rep of the Year Awards, the Keeping Our People Safe annual publication, the Haumaru Tangata Maori Health and Safety Framework, career development programmes (2026 Capability Programme, Early in Careers Certificate), the Tier 2 Leaders Health, Safety and Wellbeing Programme, and the Driving Safely for Work Conference 2026. The organisation functions as a centralised resource hub connecting public sector agencies with guidance, training, and recognition programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeGov: Mobile application designed to assist public sector executive leaders, directors and officers with health and safety matters.
• SafeGov App

Products and services

• Safe-Gov Mobile App Mobile application designed to assist public sector executive leaders, directors and officers with health and safety governance and learning/development tracking.
• Officer Development Programme Training programme delivered in partnership with the Institute of Directors (IoD) for senior public sector leaders with officer responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
• Health and Safety Representative Learning Pathway

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institute of Directors (IoD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGHSL has partnered with the Institute of Directors to deliver the Officer Development Programme for public service agency senior leaders with officer responsibilities under HSWA. The programme was launched in 2020 and won the Governance category at the 2021 Workplace Health and Safety Awards.
• WorkSafe NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkSafe NZ is featured as a key partner agency and resource provider for workplace health and safety guidance across the public sector.
• New Zealand Institute of Safety ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver the Health and Safety Rep Knowledge Wheel and Guidebook for Representatives.
• HSE GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSE Global delivers the NEBOSH Internationally Recognised Certificate and webinars such as 'From Good Intentions to Good Controls'.
• Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)coreOthersGHSL is hosted by the Ministry for Primary Industries. MPI provides administrative and operational support for the GHSL function.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Safe Work Australia: Australian government agency coordinating work health and safety policy, statistics, and guidance across jurisdictions. Comparable to GHSL as a national government coordination body for workplace H&S, but operating in a different geography.
• OSHA (US Occupational Safety and Health Administration): US federal agency responsible for workplace safety and health regulation, training, and outreach. Shares with GHSL a government-led role in producing H&S guidance, training materials, and outreach programmes for employers, though at much larger scale and with enforcement powers.
• EU-OSHA (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work): EU agency coordinating occupational safety and health information, campaigns, and research across member states. Analogous to GHSL as a cross-government coordination and resource body for workplace H&S, but at supranational scope.
• Comcare Australia: Australian government agency overseeing workplace safety, rehabilitation, and compensation in commonwealth workplaces — a public-sector-specific H&S coordinator like GHSL, but with regulatory and workers' compensation authority GHSL does not have.
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): Canadian government-funded organization providing occupational H&S information, training, and resources. Comparable to GHSL in being a publicly funded H&S resource and training hub for a national jurisdiction, though covering both public and private sectors.
• Health and Safety Executive (UK): UK regulator for workplace health and safety with extensive guidance, training resources, and public-sector advisory functions. Closest international analog to GHSL in scope (national H&S coordination + advisory/training), but with statutory enforcement authority GHSL lacks.

Direct peers

• New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM): NZ professional body for H&S practitioners and a documented GHSL partner. Closest direct peer in delivering H&S representative training (H&S Rep Knowledge Wheel and Guidebook) and practitioner development within New Zealand.

Others

• Safeguard New Zealand: Industry body that runs the Workplace Health and Safety Awards where GHSL's Officer Development Programme won the 2021 Governance category. Functions as an H&S recognition/advertising platform adjacent to GHSL's awards and publications.
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH): Global professional body for H&S practitioners offering membership, training, and professional development. Comparable to GHSL in delivering practitioner career pathways and H&S training content, though as an independent professional body rather than a government function.

Broad incumbents

• WorkSafe New Zealand: New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator with statutory authority under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. WorkSafe NZ is both a GHSL partner and the broader regulator whose remit overlaps with GHSL's public-sector coordination focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ghsl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Government Health and Safety Lead NZ