WELLINGTON, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A 15 million-U.S. dollar investment by Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) into workplace injury prevention grants and subsidies will help make it easier for New Zealand businesses to keep their workplaces healthy and safe, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said here on Thursday.
As a New Zealand Crown entity responsible for administering the country's universal no-fault accidental injury scheme, ACC provides financial compensation and support to citizens, residents, and temporary visitors who have suffered personal injuries.
"ACC will invest 22 million NZ dollars over five years into an incentive program to help businesses reduce workplace injury," Lees-Galloway said in a statement.
The subsidies are designed to support small and medium-sized businesses to invest in training, equipment or advisory services that will have a direct impact on the health and safety of workplaces, he said.
"This is particularly important for smaller businesses which haven't previously been able to access this type of support because the barriers have been too high," the minister said.
In 2017, ACC claims for work related injuries reached more than 230,000, with severe workplace injuries in the sectors of agriculture, construction, forestry, manufacturing, healthcare and social assistance, statistics show.
Compared to international standards, New Zealand has a higher rate of injuries and fatalities in the workplace, Lees-Galloway added.
