Beyond Compliance: Māori H&S

Health and safety is more than just compliance - it’s about protecting people, uplifting communities, and sustaining long-term success. For Māori-owned and operated businesses, the journey toward a strong health and safety culture must honour both legal requirements and tikanga Māori values.

At Te Ara Hiranga, we believe that safety isn’t just a regulation - it’s a kaupapa. And when we align best practice health and safety systems with whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and kotahitanga, we not only reduce harm - we create thriving workplaces and proud communities.

Why This Matters Now

Māori-led businesses are growing rapidly across Aotearoa - from construction and infrastructure to environmental services and energy. Many of these businesses work in high-risk sectors, where the stakes are high and expectations are rising.

However, traditional health and safety systems are often not designed with Māori business realities in mind. Compliance checklists don’t always reflect the ways Māori teams operate, make decisions, or uphold collective responsibility. This can lead to systems that are either underused - or undervalued.

A Kaupapa Māori Approach to Safety

At Te Ara Hiranga, we bring over 30 years of national H&S expertise, grounded in cultural competence and Māori leadership. Our approach is tailored for Māori businesses and iwi organisations seeking to:

• Align their safety systems with kaupapa Māori values
• Achieve Tōtika certification and win larger contracts
• Protect whānau and improve workforce wellbeing
• Build trust across hapū, boards, and external clients

We don’t just write policies. We build capability - in people, in process, and in purpose.

How We Do It

Whakarongo - Listen and Understand

We start by listening. Every engagement begins with a hui to understand your kaupapa, current systems, challenges and aspirations. Our assessments respect the mana of your team and the tikanga of your organisation.

Whakawhanake - Build and Develop

Next, we co-design H&S systems that are both legally compliant and culturally resonant. From tailored manuals to training sessions in te reo Māori, we ensure safety doesn’t feel like a foreign concept - it becomes part of your identity.

Whakapakari - Strengthen and Sustain

We don’t disappear after the paperwork is done. We stay engaged, offering ongoing assurance, mentoring and post-engagement training to embed a culture of excellence - not just compliance.

A Legacy of Impact

We’ve helped Māori businesses across the motu achieve success, including full prequalification through Tōtika-recognised schemes like SiteWise, Safe365, and Qualify365. Many of our clients now deliver major contracts across roading, energy, and urban development - backed by credible safety systems and confident kaimahi.

Why Safety is a Taonga

Health and safety is ultimately about protecting life - a taonga. When workers feel safe, respected and valued, they give more. They show up fully. They take pride in the mahi. And when businesses demonstrate a strong safety culture, they uplift not just their teams - but their whānau, their hapori, and the generations that follow.

Ready to Begin Your Journey?

Whether you’re a small whānau-owned business or a growing Māori enterprise, we’re here to help you build safety systems that are robust, relevant and rangatira-led.

Talk to Aaron Tait-Jones - Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Arawa - today [email protected]