The New Zealand government has announced plans to reform its current "complicated" scaffolding safety regulations. The aim is to ease the compliance burden on the construction industry, speed up projects, and cut costs. Labour Minister Brooke van Velden stated that consultations with the construction sector have been launched, with a focus on optimizing scaffolding use standards and pre - approval processes.
The proposed changes include a risk - based approach. Instead of a one - size - fits - all rule, workers will be able to choose safety measures based on the level of risk involved in the task. For example, low - risk jobs like roof gutter repairs might be able to use ladders instead of scaffolding. This move is seen as a step towards alleviating the housing crisis and making the construction industry more competitive in New Zealand.