Mike Cosman

Mike is a highly experienced risk and safety management specialist who has worked in this field for over 45 years as a regulator, manager, policy maker and consultant in the UK and for the past 20 years in New Zealand. He was a member of the Government Taskforce set up after the Pike River Mine disaster that helped shape the current legislative framework and the Independent Forestry Safety Review.

Mike firmly believes that tone from the top is as important in setting the strategic direction for health and safety as for any other critical area of business risk.  With the increasing focus on 'decent work' as an objective across many aspects of the workforce and the lead being shown by investors, Government and ethical consumers in the ESG agenda, the opportunity exists to use health and safety as a showcase of an effective risk management system - as well as meeting ethical, legal and other obligations.

As well as working with many public and private sector clients, he has been the external advisor to ten boards and health and safety governance committees.  He currently Chairs the board of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the health and safety governance committees of Ministry for Primary Industries, Department of Conservation, HEB Construction Ltd, Southern Cross Hospitals and PACT Packaging NZ.

Mike is called upon as an expert witness in several different jurisdictions including the District, Employment and Coroners Court, ERA, EPA and in civil matters.

Mike is keen to ensure there is clarity and alignment around interpretation of the Due Diligence Duties on officers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and has recently been part of the Better Governance project funded by WorkSafe NZ and involving the IoD, Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum and HASANZ GM Safety Forum. He is also WorkSafe’s Iwi Māori Health and Safety Governance Advisor working with a group of land trusts in Te Tairawhiti.