Beyond the Tick Box: Why Generic Safety Systems Put Your Business at Risk

Across New Zealand, and increasingly here in Taupo, we are seeing the negative effects of “cookie cutter” or “tick and flick” health and safety systems. These are generic, one-size-fits-all packages that claim to offer compliance, but in reality do little to improve safety or meet the intent of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

The problem with these systems is simple: they’re not made for your business. They often come as off-the-shelf folders or templated online portals, loaded with irrelevant documents that are never read, never understood, and certainly never used. Workers are left disengaged. Managers tick boxes to show something exists. But when something goes wrong, these systems fall apart — because they were never designed for the real risks of the actual work being done.

A simple way to test whether your health and safety system is genuinely fit-for-purpose is the “Coca-Cola test”. If you can take your policy, procedure, or safety plan and change the company name to Coca-Cola — and everything still makes sense — you could be in trouble. That’s a clear sign your system is too generic to reflect your risks, your people, or your operations.

In Taupo, we’ve reviewed systems that include emergency plans for chemicals the company doesn’t use, training records signed off with no evidence of delivery, safety manuals referencing the Department of Labour (became Worksafe in 2013) and the old Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (repealed, April 2016). It’s not just poor practice — it undermines the credibility of health and safety and could expose business owners to real legal and financial risk.

These generic systems don’t just fail operationally — they’re also easy to spot by those who know what to look for. Whether it’s experienced health and safety professionals, external auditors, or pre-qualification assessors for tenders, a cookie cutter approach stands out for all the wrong reasons. It weakens your business brand and can limit your ability to win contracts where quality systems are expected.

Even for businesses that aren’t applying for tenders or formal audits, these systems are a poor investment. If your goal is to genuinely keep people safe and engaged, your team needs simple, relevant, and practical systems they can trust and actually use. A generic policy no one reads won’t change behaviour or reduce risk. But a tailored, well-communicated approach will — and it builds a stronger, more connected team culture in the process.

There’s also a serious governance risk. Directors and business owners who rely on dashboards or reports generated from these tick-box systems can be lulled into a false sense of security. If something goes wrong, claiming ignorance won’t protect you — especially if the systems in place were clearly not fit for purpose. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, officers have a duty to exercise due diligence. That includes actively verifying that the systems in use are effective, and that the information they’re receiving reflects what’s really happening on the ground.

At Lakes Safety Services, we take a different approach. We work alongside your team, understand your work, and build systems that are practical, understandable, and specific to your risks. If it’s not relevant, we leave it out. If it matters, we make sure it’s done well.

Good health and safety is not about having the thickest folder — it’s about having the right tools, in the right places, used by people who know why it matters. If you’re ready to move beyond the cookie cutter, get in touch. We’ll help you build something that works.