Service Safety Standards

Service Safety Standards are regulations made under section 35 of the Fair Trading Act 1986. The purpose of these regulations is to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to any person. 

Currently there are no Service Safety Standards under the Fair Trading Act.

Introducing a service safety standard

Before recommending that a service safety standard be introduced the Minister of Consumer Affairs must:

• consult with such persons or representatives of such persons as the Minister considers will be substantially affected by the proposed product safety standard
• provide those persons with an opportunity to comment, and
• consider such comment.

A service safety standard may cover:

• the maintenance, repair, treatment, processing, installation, assembly, cleaning, or alteration of goods
• the construction, maintenance, repair, cleaning or alteration of any building, or other fixture on land
• the development of land, and
• the transportation of goods.

Enforcement of standards

Once put into place as regulations, Service Safety Standards are enforced by the Commerce Commission. Complaints about services that are subject to a service safety standard should be referred to the relevant Commission office.

It is an offence under the Fair Trading Act 1986 to supply, or offer to supply, or advertise to supply any services that do not comply with the requirements set out in the Service Safety Standard. The Courts may impose fines of up to $60,000 for any one individual, or up to $200,000 for a company.