A school where a boy died in a caving trip has been allowed to resume high risk activities, but WorkSafe has encouraged all schools to understand their health and safety risks.

Karnin Ahorangi Petera, 15, died during a trip to the caves with his year 11 Whangārei Boys High School outdoor education class on May 9.

The caving trip took place during a heavy rain warning. He was swept away in rising floodwater.

After the tragedy, the school voluntarily paused all outdoor education activities.

WorkSafe formalised this by issuing an improvement notice on May 19 and a separate prohibition notice for activities in higher-risk environments, such as in water or from heights.

WorkSafe head of specialist interventions, Dr Catherine Gardner, said on Tuesday the two enforcement notices issued to the school’s Board of Trustees had been lifted.

The school used expert input from Education Outdoors New Zealand to review its outdoor education systems, she said.

Gardner encouraged all schools to reflect on the tragedy and ensure they have confidence in their systems and processes.

“Good health and safety management starts with identifying and understanding what your health and safety risks are.”

The school previously admitted it wasn’t sure what constituted a high risk activity, with a number of grey areas.

Its actions included training all staff in risk management.

The school was visited by WorkSafe two months before the Abbey Caves death after a teacher was seriously injured by unguarded machinery in the school’s workshop.

A student was hospitalised in 2022 and another cut himself on the old school grounds.

While the enforcement notices have been lifted, WorkSafe is continuing with a wider investigation into the fatality, which the school is co-operating with, Gardner said.

“The investigation outcome is not impacted by the lifting of these two notices.”

The school has been approached for comment.