Bay Harbour: October 25, 2023

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday October 25 2023 Bay Harbour News
NEWS 3
Poor safety culture at ports – report
What’s on!
THIS WEEK
FRONT ROOM CAFE
Great coffee and views
Mon - Sat 8.30am-1.30pm
FARMERS MARKET
Delicious local food
Saturdays 9am-12 noon
ACTION: Lyttelton Port had taken steps to improve safety
of its port operations before the death of stevedore Don
Grant, TAIC said.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
AN INVESTIGATION into
the deaths of two port workers
within six days of each other
last year has found a haphazard
approach to safety, with poor
regulatory oversight and a lack of
industry-wide standards.
Stevedore Don Grant was
killed during a loading operation
at Lyttelton Port on April 25,
2022 when he was buried under
a load of coal on the deck of the
ETG Aquarius, a bulk carrier.
Less than a week earlier, on
April 19, Ōtara man Atiroa
Tuaiti died while working on a
docked Singaporean container
ship at the Port of Auckland, after
he moved under a suspended
40-foot container and suffered
crush injuries.
At the time, the Maritime
Union, Rail and Maritime
Transport Union, Council of
Trade Unions and the Merchant
Service Guild collectively asked
for an inquiry into the industry.
The Government directed the
Transport Accident Investigation
Commission to investigate the
deaths on April 27, 2022. In its
report, released late last week,
TAIC highlighted several major
safety problems for port workers
requiring urgent attention.
The commission said both
accidents revealed organisational
weaknesses in risk identification
and mitigation strategies,
communication and supervisory
oversight.
Lyttelton Port had taken steps
to improve safety of its port
operations before the accident
occurred, the commission said.
However, it had not yet identified
all the critical risks of the coal
signalman’s role.
Wallace Investments, which
employed the Auckland stevedore,
had recognised suspended
loads as a hazard and provided
training procedures, which included
regularly reminding them
not to position themselves under
a suspended load.
HIKING BOOTS
& SHOES
The commission said the
presence of at-risk behaviour
indicated “a desensitisation” to
workplace hazards and a lack of
effective supervisory oversight.
TAIC accidents chief investigator
Naveen Kozhuppakalam said
the report identified safety issues
for the whole stevedoring sector
in three areas – regulatory activity,
cohesion in the stevedoring
sector, and individual employers’
management of safety.
“The commission wants
regulators Maritime NZ and
WorkSafe to do more to promote
future safety across the sector.
They need to take a ‘just culture’
For men, women
and children
From
$79.95
to $250
approach, provide insight, promote
information sharing and
maturity in risk management,
and encourage continuous learning,”
Kozhuppakalam
said.
Among other recommendations,
the commission
said Maritime
NZ should work with the
stevedoring industry on
training standards and
sharing of information
safety.
“We need to move on
from stevedoring organisations
deciding for themselves how they
will meet safety requirements . . .
“If proper codes aren’t implemented,
accidents will happen.”
Kozhuppakalam said the stevedoring
industry had minimal
proactive gathering and sharing
of safety information and too few
stevedoring companies appreciated
the benefit of a good safety
culture.
The commission wants regulators
Maritime NZ and WorkSafe
to do more to promote future
safety across the sector.
Lyttelton Port Company has
taken a number of safety actions,
which was very heartening,
TAIC chief commissioner Jane
Meares said.
Meares said they had not
received a response from Wallace
HEAT PUMP
TRADE IN SPECIAL
Say Goodbye to Old, Hello to Savings!
HEAT PUMPs froM
$ inc GsT
2449INsTALLED
Trade in price subject to appraisal
2022
Graeme
Sumner
Investments about what safety
actions it has taken since the
accident happened.
Lyttelton Port Company chief
executive Graeme Sumner
said the port agreed with
all the recommendations
in the report and was committed
to implementing
them.
They had also already
taken steps following the
death of Grant, Sumner
said.
“We also welcome the
recommendation relating to
greater regulatory oversight
of the port industry and look forward
to working with Maritime
New Zealand in this regard.
“Our thoughts are with the
family of Don Grant and with
his friends and fellow team
members. This report is a
reminder of the very significant
loss of a much-loved family man,
work colleague and friend.”
Sumner said it was not appropriate
to say more at this stage
while there was a case before the
courts.
In a statement, Maritime
NZ said health and safety
were priorities for the national
maritime regulator.
– RNZ
• Companies fined over
skipper’s death, page 5
2022
Heat Pumps
FOOD TRUCK ALLEY
Sundays 4pm - 8pm
Great Food and Music
3 McCormack's Bay Rd. www.mpcc.org.nz
47c Garlands Road, Woolston
Phone 389 3431
www.thefootwearfactory.co.nz
Heat Pumps
0800 131 812
info@powersmart.co.nz
powersmart.co.nz
T’s & C’s apply
frEE
consultation
from your local
Accredited Heat
Pump Expert
STIHL SHOP
FERRYMEAD
OPEN 7 DAYS
MON - FRI: 8.30AM - 5.30PM
SAT/SUN: 9.00AM - 3.00PM
987 FERRY ROAD, FERRYMEAD
PH: 03 376 4656
WWW.STIHLSHOP.CO.NZ/FERRYMEAD