Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says changes to hazardous substances regulations coming into effect today will provide regulatory relief and ensure laboratory safety requirements better reflect the realities of working in labs.

“I’m making practical changes to health and safety regulations that will maintain safety in laboratories while reducing unnecessary compliance costs,” says Ms van Velden.

“In 2017, laboratories became subject to the same regulatory requirements as industrial operations that use hazardous substances. These requirements are nonsensical for laboratory environments, which are smaller scale and typically use a wider range of substances in lesser quantities.

“Scientists told me that complying with these requirements would in some cases make their laboratories less safe. For example, laboratories with self-reactive substances are required to be on the ground floor of buildings. But locating laboratories on upper levels makes more sense from a safety perspective because otherwise, ground floor exits would be blocked by the fire, preventing evacuation. These rules don’t apply well to the laboratory environment.

“They also told me that the costs of meeting the 2017 regulatory requirements would have been substantial. Universities New Zealand and the Independent Research Association of New Zealand estimated it was likely to cost between $1.5 billion to $3 billion, as laboratories across the country would have to be renovated.

“I am pleased that scientists and those who work with hazardous substances everyday worked with the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment to achieve changes that will save laboratories from having to make their workers less safe or spend in the billions to comply. Laboratories can now choose to meet their obligations through a risk management plan tailored to the risks of flammable and oxidising substances in their lab, giving them greater flexibility while maintaining strong safety standards.”

The changes introduce a dedicated compliance pathway for research, testing and teaching laboratories under the Hazardous Substances Regulations, recognising that these facilities operate differently from industrial operations like pesticide or cleaning product manufacturers.

An Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) will be developed with industry to provide clear guidance for laboratories on how to meet the requirements.

“These changes will support science, research and innovation while maintaining strong health and safety protections,” says Ms van Velden.