Some staff working on Christchurch's new cycleways are not allowed to cycle during work hours because of safety concerns.

Both Beca and Aurecon said they encouraged employees to cycle to and from work, but staff working on the projects have been unable to ride to their cycleway meetings.

The policies were due, in part, to the new Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), which came into effect last year. Created in the wake of the Pike River mine disaster, the law imposes greater responsibility on senior managers to manage health and safety risks to their employees. It requires managing safety risks as much as reasonably practicable.

Beca is involved in the Papanui Parallel and Quarryman's Trail. Aurecon is working on the Uni-Cycle and Rapanui-Shag rock cycleways.

Neither of the companies' respective policies were Christchurch-specific.

For Aurecon, that meant "selecting the safest mode of travel for our employees," a spokeswoman said.

"Aurecon requires its staff to use cars, public transport, or being a pedestrian as the modes of travel to our project sites and client meetings," she said.

Beca would not confirm what its policy was, but it is understood to be similar.

"Beca encourages safe cycling for our people for commuting purposes and provides facilities such as purpose-built cycle parking and showers for our cyclists," South Island regional manager Craig Price said.

"Regarding travel for business purposes, we have internal policies to keep our people safe."

When asked whether the policies included restrictions on cycling during work hours, he would not say, but said "Beca have no issues regarding the HSWA".

It was highly unlikely a company would be prosecuted for an employee's cycling accident, said Helen Mason, health and safety adviser at the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce.

"There's nothing in the legislation that says you can't bike during work hours... there would not be prosecutions because someone was killed while riding a bike for work purposes. That would be crazy," she said.

Such a policy would be more effective as a way to keep ACC levies down.

"If they chose to ride their bike during a break, that's not a problem. But if it happened on work business, it would be classed as work related and there could be an injury claim."

Since the law came into effect last year, some companies have chosen to exercise extreme caution.

The developers of Pegasus, a master-planned township in North Canterbury, banned residents from a bridge after someone slipped on ice, fearing responsibility under the law.

A bowling club in Christchurch took down its coat racks for fear of impaling someone. A school banned children from climbing trees, which Workplace Relations and Safety minister Michael Woodhouse said was the result of people "peddling fear".

Worksafe said it had not taken any actions relating to cycling accidents at work.

A manager's responsibility for a cycling employee would be no different than if they were driving a car, a spokesperson said.

"In the case of cycling during work hours, this could be ensuring staff are competent and have the appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) such as helmet and high-visibility gear.

"This is the same duty which would apply to workers who drive vehicles during work hours."

Christchurch has the highest cycling rate of New Zealand's major cities. Authorities have committed to making cycling safer by building 13 new cycleways, many of which are separated from traffic.

Cycling deaths nationwide are at their lowest point in 25 years.

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