Choosing the right Health & Safety Professional

If you’re looking for a highly experienced and qualified health and safety professional to support your business, please get in touch with Lakes Safety Services.

Not sure how to choose the right health and safety professional for your business? then the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) has developed a national, online register of workplace health and safety professionals.

Established in 2014, HASANZ is the national umbrella organisation representing all workplace health and safety professions and believes it is critical for businesses to have confidence in the competence of health and safety professionals. Member organisations include:

  • Australian/New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine (ANZSOM)
  • Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of New Zealand (HFESNZ)
  • Maintenance Engineers Society of New Zealand (MESNZ)
  • NZ Institute of Hazardous Substances Management (NZIHSM)
  • New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM)
  • NZ Occupational Health Nurses Association (NZOHNA)
  • NZ Occupational Hygiene Society (NZOHS)
  • New Zealand Safety Council (NZSC)
  • Occupational Therapy New Zealand (OTNZ)
  • Physiotherapy New Zealand (Occupational Health Group)

Otherwise we recommend finding out if workplace health and safety professionals are right for the job by asking these “5 Quick Questions”.

  1. Which professional association do you belong to – can you confirm this?
  2. What qualifications and/or certification do you have?
  3. What relevant skills and experience do you have for this job?
  4. Can you give me examples of similar work you have done recently?
  5. Are you happy for us to contact your clients about your work for them?

Lastly, check the HASANZ register and also the professional grade awarded to them by one of the member organisations above.

For more information, check out our blogs on this topic, here:

https://lakessafety.co.nz/blog/health-and-safety-advisor-for-business/

https://lakessafety.co.nz/blog/how-to-choose-health-and-safety-consultant/ 

https://lakessafety.co.nz/blog/choosing-health-and-safety-expertise/

 

Getting It Right: Choosing the Right Health and Safety Expertise for Your Business

Part 3: Hiring or Contracting? How to Choose the Right Health and Safety Person Whether you’re expanding your internal team or bringing in external support, choosing the right person to lead or advise on health and safety is critical. Poor hiring decisions can cost your organisation time, money, and — most importantly — put people […]

Read More

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 […]

Read More

Choosing Health and Safety Software in Taupo: What Actually Matters

Many Taupo organisations are reviewing their health and safety systems — particularly around training, competency, reporting, and supervision. With multiple software platforms available, it can be difficult to determine what genuinely adds value and what simply adds complexity. Start with Risk and Governance Before selecting any platform, organisations should be clear about their operational risks […]

Read More

Hear It from Our Clients

See the impact we've had on businesses and how we could do the same for you.

Derek provided excellent health & safety consultancy. His advice was practical, thorough, well-delivered, and easy to implement. He helped us identify risks we’d overlooked and suggested cost-effective solutions. Recommend for any business needing H&S guidance.

Murray Beadle
General Manager

BFA Business Advisors and Accountants – Taupo

Highly recommend this health and safety company! They provided top-notch service for our roofing business, ensuring everything was up to standard. Their team was professional, thorough, and easy to work with. We feel confident knowing our safety measures are in excellent hands. Great job.

Laurence
Director

 

Storm Tech Roofing – Hawkes Bay

We are a small yet complex organisation and have been working with Derek for the past year with the goal of creating a robust health and safety system that is maintained through internal ownership and embedded into business as usual. While Derek is knowledgeable, professional, and enthusiastic, his real superpower is working alongside the team to create a system which is tailored and practical, all while growing internal capacity. We would absolutely recommend Derek.

Lake Taupo Hospice

“I got Derek in to update our H&S management system. He was honest and did a great job. Highly recommend.”

Mark Bowsher
Station Manager

Whareroa Station – Waikato

Derek was approachable, experienced, and readily available (at very short notice) for what was required for our H&S work site induction. Highly recommend should your company be in need of a person to tackle H&S matters.

Grace Solomon
Resident Manager

Two Trees Ngā Rākau e Rua – Taupō

Thank you, Derek, for your professional and objective advice. Your insights were incredibly helpful. We also really appreciated your enthusiasm in sharing your social networks and experiences, it was truly inspiring!

Eve Liu

Office Manager

Hauraki Civil Engineering – Rotorua

“Very knowledgeable and willing to put the effort in upfront to understand our situation. Tailored things to fit our business requirements without creating a pile of confusing admin for us”

Spenser Christiansen
Director 

That Dingo Guy – Manawatu

Connect with Lakes Safety Services – Practical Support, Real Results

Health and Safety Expertise That Works for Your Business

With over 25 years of real-world experience, Lakes Safety Services provides practical health and safety consultancy, coaching, and support across Taupō and the Central North Island. We specialise in solutions that fit your people, tasks, and risks — not just checklists. From technical systems and governance advice to contractor management and SafePlus assessments, we help you build safer workplaces with confidence.