Many New Zealand businesses still use the terms company induction and site-specific induction interchangeably and that’s where safety gaps start to appear. While both are essential under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), they serve very different purposes. Confusing them can leave your organisation exposed to incidents, regulatory risk and avoidable admin headaches.
Let’s break down the difference using simple language, real-world industry examples and show how good induction processes (supported by the right technology) keep people safer and businesses compliant.
What a Company Induction Actually Covers
Think of the company induction as the big picture introduction to your organisation. It’s account-level and applies to anyone who works for, or with, your business (employees, contractors, and sometimes key visitors).
A strong company induction sets expectations around:
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Your values and culture
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General health & safety policies
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Reporting expectations
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Fitness for work
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Drug and alcohol policies
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Behavioural standards
It tells people how your organisation operates – not how a specific worksite operates.
For example, a construction company’s induction may cover its golden safety rules, the expectation to report near misses in SiteConnect and its policy for working around mobile plant. None of this replaces what workers need to know before stepping onto each individual site.
What a Site-Specific Induction Covers
A site-specific induction zooms right in on the environment where the work will occur. Every site is different, from layout and access ways to critical risks and emergency plans.
A proper site induction includes:
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Hazards and critical risks unique to that site
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Control measures and work rules
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PPE requirements
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Emergency procedures (muster points, alarms, exits)
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Restricted areas and permit zones
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Traffic management
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Site-specific plant and equipment
It gives workers the information they need to stay safe in that specific environment, at that specific time.
Under HSWA, PCBUs must ensure workers are informed about site hazards and controls. This is a core part of the PCBU’s “primary duty of care”. Workers, in turn, must follow reasonable instructions and safety processes including completing the right induction.
Why Both Are Required Under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA)
HSWA places overlapping duties on PCBUs, workers and contractors. That means:
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PCBUs must identify hazards and ensure workers know how to manage them.
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Workers must follow instructions and cooperate with any reasonable policy.
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Businesses that share a site must consult, cooperate and coordinate.
A company induction alone cannot meet HSWA obligations. Knowing an organisation’s values won’t help a worker navigate a confined space, avoid overhead hazards or respond to a site-specific fire alarm.
A site induction alone doesn’t meet HSWA requirements either, because workers still need to understand their base responsibilities, behavioural expectations and organisational policies.
The two are designed to work together.
Common SME Mistakes (That Can Create Big Safety Gaps)
Small and medium-sized businesses often fall into the same traps:
1. Assuming the company induction covers site hazards
It doesn’t. A company policy might require high-vis clothing, but it won’t explain the excavation collapse risks on Site A or the asbestos removal controls on Site B.
2. Inducting only employees – not contractors or visitors
Under HSWA, everyone who enters a site and carries out work must be appropriately inducted. That includes subcontractors, maintenance staff and specialist trades.
3. Relying on outdated paper inductions
Paper inductions are easy to lose, hard to audit and often outdated – especially on busy worksites. If WorkSafe visits, “I think that form is in a folder somewhere” won’t cut it.
Real-World Examples Across Industries
Construction
A builder may complete the company induction when they start employment. But before working on a new housing development, they must be inducted to the specific site, which may include traffic routes, crane exclusion zones and environmental controls.
Trades
An electrician working across multiple client sites needs a new induction every time because every workshop, commercial building or industrial plant carries different risks.
Property Management
Contracted cleaners, maintenance techs and landscapers need site inductions for each building they service. Fire systems, access rules, asbestos registers and emergency plans often vary between properties – even for the same client.
How Good Inductions Reduce Incidents and Regulatory Risk
When done well, the induction process:
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Ensures workers understand the specific hazards they’re exposed to.
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Aligns contractors and PCBUs, reducing confusion and duplicated effort.
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Prevents avoidable incidents from unfamiliar layouts, traffic movements or equipment.
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Creates a verifiable compliance record (essential if WorkSafe investigates).
Poor inductions, on the other hand, are among the most common system failures in WorkSafe enforcement notices.
Where SiteConnect Fits In
SiteConnect simplifies inductions for companies, contractors and multisite operators by ensuring the right induction happens at the right time.
1. Company induction stored in the user’s profile
Workers complete an account-level induction once. It stays attached to their SiteConnect profile – no repeating, no paper and no guesswork.
2. Site-specific induction required at sign-in
When workers arrive on site, SiteConnect automatically prompts them to complete (or renew) the site induction before they can sign in. This ensures compliance without manual chasing.
3. Automatic verification for contractors
Contractors are verified as they sign in, giving PCBU leads confidence that everyone onsite is trained and informed.
Together, these features create a simple but powerful induction hierarchy:
Company → Site → Task
Final Thoughts
Company inductions and site-specific inductions aren’t interchangeable and mixing them up can lead to real safety and compliance risks. With HSWA placing clear duties on PCBUs and workers, organisations must ensure both are completed, up-to-date and easily verifiable.
A modern induction system like SiteConnect makes that easy. By storing company inductions, automating site-specific inductions at sign-in and tracking contractor verification, you reduce administrative burden and build a stronger, safer work environment.
