All businesses undertaking recreation and tourism related activities on public conservation land require an independently audited safety plan. The auditor’s certificate must be received by DOC before the activity begins operating.
Definition of 'adventure activity'
First, you must find out if your activity meets the definition of an 'adventure activity'. See information on the WorkSafe New Zealand website:
If you do meet the definition
If you meet the above definition, then you are an 'adventure tourism operator' under the Health and Safe at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations.
This means you must be registered with WorkSafe New Zealand and use a WorkSafe Recognised Safety Auditor to audit your safety plan. Failure to do so may incur a fine of up to $250,000. See the WorkSafe guidance for businesses for a list of recognised providers.
See Support Adventure for more information. This site has been set up by the Tourism Industry Association and Outdoors New Zealand as a source of safety guidance for adventure tourism operators.
If your concession application is approved, you will be required to provide DOC with a copy of the certificate of audit before you commence the activity.
If you do not meet the definition
DOC is responsible for taking all practicable steps to ensure recreation experiences are safe for visitors to public conservation lands and waters. Visitor safety is managed in accordance with legislation, statutory plans, policies and management procedures.
DOC requires that you have a safety plan which has been audited by a provider approved by the grantor. Providers that meet this requirement include JASANZ accredited organisations, a register of which can be found on the JASANZ website.
Reviewing our approach
DOC is reviewing our approach to audited safety plans for non-adventure activities to ensure we meet our obligations and provide confidence that people who visit public conservation land with our concessionaires do so safely.
If you have an active concession, are currently in the process of applying for a new concession or applying for renewal and use a provider that is not JASANZ accredited, it is likely that you will be able to continue with your current provider unless advised otherwise. We will update concessionaires and applicants if we require any changes from you. If you have any questions, contact us to discuss with a permissions advisor.
What you should have in your plan
The full requirements for health and safety in the workplace are set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
As a general guide your safety plan should contain:
- those accountable for safety in your business
- identified hazards
- how information, training and supervision will be provided to employees
- what equipment you will use and how it will be maintained
- procedures for accident/incident reporting and investigation
- a plan for emergencies that may arise while employees are at work
- procedures for applying and updating the plan.
Once the auditor is satisfied that the safety plan is complete they will provide you with a letter or certificate. You are required to provide DOC with a copy of this certificate before you commence the activity. Your concession document contains more detail.
When a safety plan is not required
Evidence of an audited safety plan is not required if your activities are entirely regulated by another agency such as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).
However, if your activity includes more than what is covered by CAA or MNZ, then you will require an audited safety plan for the remaining parts of your activity. For example, landing a helicopter and disembarking is covered by CAA, however any guiding outside the zone of the rotor is managed by DOC and requires a safety plan.
In these instances, we will also require proof of compliance with other agency regulatory requirements.
Why DOC can't audit your safety plan
DOC is a conservation agency, not a safety agency. We do not possess the necessary expertise in safety matters to assess your safety plan.
It is the responsibility of the operator and the industry in which they operate to set their own safety standards for the activities they undertake.