New Health and safety laws for teaching and research laboratories - could take effect this year

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says the Government removed regulations in 2017 - without replacing them.

She says it means lab workers are subject to the same requirements as industrial-level operations like petrol refineries.

Universities New Zealand says making the 2000 labs across the country compliant, could cost up to three-billion dollars.

It says most operate on public funding, so that cost would fall on taxpayers.