WorkSafe has released a new online tool, Around the Block, to help businesses get started with managing their workplace health and safety risks.

The tool is animated and interactive, taking users on a journey through a typical city block. So far 13 businesses which are often seen on a city block have been included - from cafes and hair salons, to medical centres and petrol stations.

Clickable hotspots within each of the interiors identify some of the health and safety risks in a particular business and provide some information on how to manage them.

WorkSafe says that over time more business types will be added to the block, particularly targeting the small and medium sized businesses that make up around 97% of the New Zealand business landscape.