Businesses are being encouraged to be proactive about workplace heath and safety as a new ACC scheme means discounted levies for those that have good records.

As of April 1, changes will be made to ACC levies which mean a good track record means a discounted rate and a bad one means an inflated rate will be charged.

Safe workplaces are the aim of the new ACC levy scheme.

ACC is implementing an ‘experience rating' which also helps self-employed people with good claims histories.

At the moment, businesses are charged ACC levies in line with their specific industries, but the changes will alter that.

ACC insurance and prevention services general manager Dr Keith McLea says anything businesses do now to improve safety practices will influence ACC levies they pay later.

He says the aim of the experience rating and no claims discounts programmes is to encourage businesses to be proactive.

'Experience rating is all about encouraging better workplace safety and getting people safely back to work after an accidental work injury,” says Keith.

'That's good for businesses, it's good for ACC, and most importantly of all, it's good for employees.”

General manager of Mount Maunganui-based Page Macrae Engineering, Mike Lehan, feels it will be a good thing for the region.

'It'll be a lot fairer, those that don't do well will be punished, those that do well will be rewarded,” says Mike.

'I think we'll be on the winning side – we're expecting our ACC levies will drop.”

Mike says the team at Page Macrae Engineering is already conscious of its health and safety standards, but the change in ACC levies would help.

'It has actually given us some more incentive to do better.”

A spokeswoman from Mount Maunganui based fertiliser manufacturer Balance Agri-nutrients says the business was happy with the new scheme.

'With the priority we place on workplace safety and the high rankings we have achieved with ACC safety audits, we would expect the changes to have a positive impact for our company.”

There is no change for businesses or self-employed people generating between one and 70 weekly compensation days paid. A loading of 10 per cent will be applied for businesses that generated more than 70 weekly compensation days paid or any fatal injury claim.

Most employers and self-employed people will receive invoices for levies calculated under the new system from June.