Glass And Hard Plastic Risk Assessment Template for New Zealand

A Glass And Hard Plastic Risk Assessment is a mandatory safety evaluation document that helps you identify, assess, and manage workplace hazards associated with glass and hard plastic materials. Under New Zealand's comprehensive workplace safety framework, you must conduct these assessments to protect workers from potential injuries including cuts, lacerations, eye injuries from fragments, and impact-related harm.

When do you need this document?

You need this assessment whenever your workplace involves glass or hard plastic materials that could pose safety risks. This includes manufacturing facilities that process glass or hard plastics, retail environments with glass displays or plastic components, construction sites using glazing materials, laboratories handling glass equipment, and warehouses storing these materials. The assessment is also required when installing new glass partitions, updating safety protocols, investigating incidents involving glass or plastic injuries, or preparing for WorkSafe NZ inspections. Additionally, you must update your assessment when introducing new equipment, changing work processes, or following any workplace incidents involving these materials.

Key legal considerations

Your assessment must comprehensively identify all glass and hard plastic hazards in your workplace, including sharp edges, breakage risks, storage hazards, and handling procedures. You need to evaluate existing control measures such as safety glazing, personal protective equipment requirements, training protocols, and emergency response procedures. The document should detail risk ratings using systematic methodology, specify who is responsible for implementing controls, and establish clear review schedules. Critical clauses include hazard identification matrices, control measure effectiveness ratings, incident reporting procedures, and compliance monitoring systems. You must ensure your assessment addresses both immediate physical risks and long-term exposure concerns, particularly regarding proper waste disposal and recycling procedures under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.

Legal requirements in New Zealand

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, you have a primary duty of care to eliminate or minimise risks so far as reasonably practicable. The Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 specify detailed requirements for risk assessment methodology, control measure implementation, and worker consultation processes. Your assessment must comply with AS/NZS 2208:1996 standards for safety glazing materials where applicable. You must involve worker representatives in the assessment process, provide appropriate training on identified risks, and maintain detailed records of all safety measures. WorkSafe NZ expects regular reviews of your assessment, typically annually or following significant workplace changes. The assessment must be accessible to all relevant personnel and form part of your broader workplace health and safety management system. Failure to conduct proper assessments can result in prosecution under the Act, with penalties including substantial fines and potential imprisonment for serious breaches.