Guard Safety
Guard Safety is a Nelson, New Zealand-based workplace health and safety consultancy founded in 2015, specializing in MOSS/HSWA compliance, maritime safety, and training for the commercial fishing industry and broader NZ workplaces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersNelson, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Guard Safety does
Guard Safety is a privately-held New Zealand workplace health, safety and wellbeing consultancy founded in August 2015 by Darren Guard and headquartered at Port Nelson. The firm delivers professional services to commercial fishing operators, maritime businesses, and general New Zealand workplaces, with deep specialization in Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) and Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) compliance. Its portfolio spans nine service lines including HSWA consulting, Safety Management Systems design aligned to ISO 45001 and ISO 31000, prequalification support for Tōtika, SiteWise and IMPAC schemes, director due diligence advisory, training and e-learning, maritime MOSS/HSWA implementation, digital monitoring, and project management.
The company's technology layer is built around an internally hosted Learning Management System that delivers the MarineSAFE video-based training programme, developed in partnership with the NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen under an ACC Workplace Injury Prevention Grant. MarineSAFE uses real fishing footage and assessments targeted at commercial fishing industry risks and is accessible via mobile devices. Additional digital monitoring solutions support compliance requirements, while the firm's content distribution extends to Seafood NZ Magazine features, an Elsevier Journal publication on dehydration in fishing crews, and a MarineSAFE Facebook community.
Guard Safety monetizes entirely through professional services: bespoke consulting engagements, training delivery, and LMS-based content, with pricing structured as quote-based per engagement. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, industry partnerships with regulators (Maritime New Zealand, ACC), community engagement at maritime events such as Blessing of the Fleet, and a referral network anchored by enterprise clients including Sealord Group, Urwin and Company, and Penwarden Holdings. The firm operates as a 1-10 employee micro-consultancy with no external institutional funding identified.
Guard Safety firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Guard Safety
- Legal name
- Guard Safety
- Website
- https://guardsafety.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Guard Safety is a Nelson, New Zealand-based workplace health and safety consultancy founded in 2015, specializing in MOSS/HSWA compliance, maritime safety, and training for the commercial fishing industry and broader NZ workplaces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Guard Safety industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Occupational Health and Safety Consulting
- NAICS
- Investigation and Security Services (5616)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Maritime Safety Management Systems & Training (ISM/ISO 45001, Drills, Competency) (TLAHANAF)
Keywords
Where Guard Safety is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nelson
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Guard Safety business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing Consulting Services: Advisory and consulting services including risk management, safety audits, accident investigation, and safety system design for businesses across New Zealand workplaces, both land and sea-based.
- Training and E-learning: Practical and engaging training programmes, including digitised workplace information, online modules, and LMS-hosted training with traceability and compliance reporting.
- Maritime Compliance Services: Specialist maritime services including MOSS systems, MNZ audit preparation, regulatory liaison, and at-sea assessments for fishing vessels and shore operations.
- Project Management: Coordination of people, budgets and timelines for safety-related projects, backed by government and industry relationships.
- Prequal Support Services: Hands-on support to prepare and submit pre-qualification applications for schemes such as Toetika, SiteWise and IMPAC.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Guard Safety product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Guard Safety provides workplace health, safety and wellbeing consulting, advisory, and training services to New Zealand workplaces across both land-based and maritime industries. Core deliverables include safety management systems design, audits, accident investigation, MOSS/HSWA compliance, MNZ audit preparation, prequalification support, due diligence advisory for directors, and tech-based training delivered through an in-house Learning Management System including the MarineSAFE video-based programme for the commercial fishing sector.
Product overview
Guard Safety is a workplace health, safety and wellbeing consultancy offering advisory services and technology-enabled solutions for New Zealand workplaces, both land and sea-based. The core offering comprises advisory services (Health, Safety and Wellbeing consulting, Safety Management Systems, Prequal Support, Due Diligence for Directors, Maritime Work MOSS/HSWA, Project Management) combined with Training & E-learning delivered via an internal Learning Management System. The company also operates MarineSAFE, a video-based training platform for the commercial fishing industry developed through an ACC grant partnership. Additionally, the Gleam Team Trips initiative provides maritime-themed educational experiences. The portfolio focuses on practical, simple, and compliant safety solutions with particular expertise in the maritime and primary industries sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing Consulting
- Safety Management Systems
- Prequal Support
- Due Diligence for Directors
- Training & E-learning
- Maritime Work MOSS/HSWA
- Digital Monitoring & Technological Solutions
- Project Management
- MarineSAFE
Quantifiable outcome
- Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate reduced from 3.5 to 0.54 in three years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Guard Safety
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Guard Safety technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Guard Safety partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MarineSAFEcoreMarineSAFE initiative provides video-based realistic training with real fishing footage for commercial fishing industry risk management. Guard Safety partnered with NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen and received ACC grant to develop accessible mobile training resources supporting MOSS and HSWA compliance requirements.
- NZ Federation of Commercial FishermencoreStrategic partnership for MarineSAFE project to develop online video-based training programmes with assessments for the commercial fishing industry. NZ Federation received ACC Workplace Injury Prevention Grant with Guard Safety providing the training content and Learning Management System platform. First phase resources are free across the seafood sector.
- Gleam Team Charitable TrustminorMaritime community education initiative connecting coastal communities with maritime heritage and blue economy awareness. Guard Safety involved as key sponsor and supporter of maritime community trips on the historic Gleam vessel.
- ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation)coreACC provides Workplace Injury Prevention Grants to support health and safety improvement projects. Guard Safety received grant through MarineSAFE partnership with NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen. ACC has also announced $22 million injury prevention scheme with subsidies for small and medium businesses for training, equipment and advisory services.
- Maritime New ZealandcoreRegulatory body for maritime safety in New Zealand. Guard Safety has extensive working relationship supporting clients with MOSS compliance, MNZ audit preparation, and regulatory liaison. Company team members have prior experience working with or for Maritime New Zealand.
- MaxSafeminorListed as working partner in health and safety ecosystem. Collaboration in maritime and workplace safety solutions.
- VS Health and Safety SolutionsminorListed as working partner in health and safety ecosystem. Collaboration in providing comprehensive safety solutions.
- OptimiseminorListed as working partner in health and safety ecosystem. Collaboration in delivering integrated safety management solutions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Guard Safety competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- DNV: International classification society and maritime advisory providing safety management, audit, and certification services to shipping and offshore operators that compete for the same enterprise maritime accounts
- Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification firm with a substantial marine and offshore division delivering classification, safety audits, and compliance services that overlap with Guard Safety's maritime safety and MOSS offerings
- Lloyd's Register: Global maritime classification and advisory firm providing safety assessment, regulatory compliance, and training services directly adjacent to Guard Safety's maritime safety consulting work
- RINA: Multinational classification and certification society delivering safety, quality, and environmental advisory services including maritime training and certification comparable to Guard Safety's MOSS-related offering
Others
- ISN (ISNetworld): International contractor and supplier qualification platform used by major operators to evaluate safety management systems, comparable to the prequal support services Guard Safety delivers
- Avetta: Global contractor prequalification and supply chain compliance platform analogous to the Tōtika, SiteWise, and IMPAC prequal schemes that Guard Safety helps clients qualify for
Emerging players
- SafetyCulture: Australian-headquartered digital safety and operations platform providing mobile inspections, training, and compliance tooling that overlaps with the LMS and digital training capabilities in Guard Safety's MarineSAFE offering
Direct peers
- Site Safe New Zealand: Established NZ workplace safety organisation providing advisory, training, and prequalification services overlapping with Guard Safety's H&S consulting and Tōtika/SiteWise/IMPAC prequal support offering
- VS Health and Safety Solutions: NZ health and safety consultancy also identified as a Guard Safety working partner offering similar workplace H&S services and solutions
- MaxSafe: New Zealand workplace health and safety consultancy listed by Guard Safety as a working partner, delivering comparable H&S advisory and solutions across domestic clients
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Guard Safety social profiles
Digital presenceGuard Safety financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Guard Safety leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Guard Safety funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Guard Safety M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Guard Safety
What does Guard Safety do?
Guard Safety provides workplace health, safety and wellbeing consulting, advisory, and training services to New Zealand workplaces across both land-based and maritime industries. Core deliverables include safety management systems design, audits, accident investigation, MOSS/HSWA compliance, MNZ audit preparation, prequalification support, due diligence advisory for directors, and tech-based training delivered through an in-house Learning Management System including the MarineSAFE video-based programme for the commercial fishing sector.
Is Guard Safety a public or private company?
Guard Safety is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Guard Safety founded?
Guard Safety was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Guard Safety based?
Guard Safety is headquartered in Nelson, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Guard Safety make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Health, Safety and Wellbeing Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training and E-learning, maritime Compliance Services, project Management and prequal Support Services.
Who are Guard Safety's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd's Register and RINA. Others are ISN (ISNetworld) and Avetta. SafetyCulture is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Site Safe New Zealand, VS Health and Safety Solutions and MaxSafe.
Does Guard Safety have an API?
No public API is recorded for Guard Safety.
What industry is Guard Safety in?
Guard Safety's product category is Occupational Health and Safety Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHANAF, Maritime Safety Management Systems & Training (ISM/ISO 45001, Drills, Competency). Its NAICS code is 5616 and its SIC code is 8700.