Driving safety success on major construction projects

As Dunedin Hospital’s outpatient building opens, the project is also celebrating a major safety achievement: no serious injuries, supported by a new approach from WorkSafe New Zealand.

Construction began in June 2022 and the building was officially opened last week, with the first patients expected through the doors in October.

WorkSafe inspectors used a new health and safety model, first developed by the regulator’s mining inspectors, to improve safety outcomes on the build.

Reducing harm in construction is a priority for WorkSafe. The sector accounts for around 15% of work-related fatalities and serious injuries and experiences some of the highest rates of acute and chronic harm.

Under the new model instead of sporadic site visits, inspectors worked closely with project teams through regular, consistent engagement. This approach has contributed to there being no major incidents on the build.

WorkSafe Dunedin area manager James Gourley introduced the model to the construction of the outpatient building after seeing its impact on the City Rail Link project in Auckland.

“It starts with early engagement at all levels, right from the boardroom to the frontline,” he says. “Traditionally, inspectors visit sites sporadically, often sending different personnel each time. This makes it hard to build rapport and address issues early.”

James Gourley and his team worked closely with contractor Southbase to embed monthly site visits by the same pair of inspectors. They also held regular senior leadership meetings with Health New Zealand, the project management and its health and safety advisors. The effect was noticeable.

“Toolbox safety talks are normally pretty quiet, but at the one I attended, the workers were speaking up,” he says. “They were passionate about it; the guys were really chiming in.”

Inspector Rob Bryson notes some compliance notices were issued at the start of the project, but that helped set expectations early.