From Auckland to Wellington: WorkSafe Reveals Health and Safety Reports of Accident, Unsafe Work and Near Misses for CPB Contractors, the City Multisport Facility Builder
CPB Contractors health and safety scorecard is a long one. In this article, The Wigram catalogues reports of accidents, near misses and unsafe practices stretching from Auckland to Wellington.
WorkSafe has disclosed a long list of health and safety concerns regarding CPB Contractors, the company tasked with completing Parakiore, the city’s Multi-sport Facility.
Parakiore
The list includes reports relating to CPB work in South Auckland, in Tauranga and on State Highway 2 in the direction of the Bay of Plenty, in the Waikato, and a spate of reports of incidents and near misses in Wellington, Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt.
In July 2023, too, a worker reported fearing for his life.
“Violence at work I don't feel safe at work or home. I feel work has swept it under the table and the threats have continued” (Te Awamutu Zone, July 2023)
“Worker slipped, falling backward hitting their head. Causing a loss of consciousness approx.10 secs and a 70mm laceration to the back of the head.” (December 2021, Porirua)
“Power tool injury, glove got caught, glove has come off and has severed 2 fingers.” (Te Awamutu Zone, July 2021)
“Caller was driving and material from construction work happening on Takanini Bridge has landed a hit the roof of the callers car and back windscreen.” (South Auckland, 2018)
“Working in a trench about 1.2m deep and side collapsed onto his leg. Confirmed leg is broken.” (Tauranga, October 2022)
“A fork has fallen off a loader and has gone through the patients foot.” ( Tauranga, January 2022)
“Injured person fell from height of 1.8m, landed upright on their feet.” (Porirua, July 2020)
“Energy Safety Concern, Cable struck while digging.” (Porirua, February 2020)
“Operating a backhoe at the foot of a large cut, a rock rolled down the face, went through the cab window, worker possibly has a broken arm.” (Porirua, October 2018)
Last month Rau Paenga Limited, the Crown agency responsible for Parakiore, enforced its construction contract with CPB in the High Court, after it had sought an early exit.
Parakiore
WorkSafe revealed 22 health and safety reports on its books, while Rau Paenga disclosed 155 incidents.
A further 28 reports originate from the North Island projects.
The Wigram corresponded with CIMIC, the company that owns CPB and provided it with the Worksafe data sheet and Rau Paenga correspondence. “Keeping people safe is our absolute priority and a core value for CPB Contractors,” responded CPB. Nobody from CPB would front for an interview.
South Auckland
Overhead Cycling Bridge on the Auckland Southern Motorway (Waka Kotahi)
May 2021 - “Concern about non-compliant scaffolding seen driving by.”
Dec 2018 - “Caller was driving and material from construction work happening on Takanini Bridge has landed a hit the roof of the callers car and back windscreen.”
March 2018 - “Piece of timber was located on a live traffic lane on the road. The piece of timber was a component of temporary work bracing located on the underside of the bridge deck to protect live traffic from demolition debris. No reports of injury or damage.”
Tauranga
Bayfair Shopping Centre, Tauranga (Tomlik)
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