WorkSafe

A Worksafe win | Jason Eady and Tracey Ayre

Document name

How We Do Duty Holder Reviews

Judges’ comments

This document is a great example of plain language and good information design. It explains a complicated subject in a simple and clear manner that is interesting to read.

The document has good tone and is clear and simple without feeling patronising.

The headings are particularly effective. They are written in a conversational style, and we can skim them and understand the structure of the document in just a few seconds.

This document is very appropriate for the subject matter and audience. Well done!

Media statement

WorkSafe is the primary regulator for work health and safety in Aotearoa. One of our organisational values is kōrero mai, which focuses on meaningful, effective communications. Using plain language is one way our Operational Policy team does this.

The team and I are excited to have won the Best Plain Language Document — Public Sector award because it shows we are on the right track. This award inspires us to keep up the good work.

We are on a journey to improve our policies so they’re easy for everyone to read and understand. It can be tricky to use plain language for such technical topics and our team is working hard to improve their plain language skills. Our policy ‘How We Do Duty Holder Reviews’ is one such example. We have changed our expectations about what policies should look like — now we expect them to be short and simple.

Mike Hargreaves
General Manager Regulatory Effectiveness
WorkSafe