Pre Task Risk Assessment Template for New Zealand

A Pre Task Risk Assessment (PTRA) is your essential workplace safety tool for identifying and managing risks before any work activity begins. Under New Zealand law, you must complete this document to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and demonstrate due diligence in protecting worker safety and health.

When do you need this document?

You need a PTRA before starting any work activity that could pose risks to workers, contractors, or the public. This includes construction tasks, maintenance work, equipment operations, working at height, confined space entry, electrical work, and handling hazardous substances. High-risk industries like construction, manufacturing, and mining require PTRAs for virtually all activities. You also need this document when work conditions change, new hazards emerge, or incidents occur that require reassessment of existing controls.

Key legal considerations

Your PTRA must demonstrate systematic hazard identification and risk assessment using recognised methodologies. The document should include a comprehensive risk matrix showing likelihood and consequence ratings, initial risk levels before controls, and residual risk levels after implementing control measures. You must ensure all team members are competent and properly trained for their roles, with qualifications clearly documented. The assessment requires genuine worker participation and consultation with health and safety representatives. Emergency procedures and communication protocols must be clearly defined, including evacuation routes and emergency contact details. You should also document review and approval processes, ensuring the PTRA is signed off by authorised personnel before work commences.

Legal requirements in New Zealand

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, you have a primary duty of care to ensure worker safety so far as is reasonably practicable. The Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 specifically require systematic risk assessment and hazard management procedures. You must comply with worker engagement requirements under the Health and Safety at Work (Worker Engagement, Participation, and Representation) Regulations 2016, ensuring meaningful consultation in risk assessment processes. If your work involves hazardous substances, you must also consider requirements under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. The Employment Relations Act 2000 reinforces your obligations to maintain safe working conditions. Your PTRA must be readily accessible to all workers and regulators, kept as a permanent record, and regularly reviewed to ensure ongoing effectiveness of control measures.