Safety charter celebrates first birthday

One year on from its conception, the Canterbury Rebuild Safety Charter has more than 100 signatures from construction, insurance and government agencies. As construction in the region continues to gain momentum, the charter is continuing to help improve worksite safety

Serious injuries in Christchurch’s construction industry jumped 70% after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. In response, a group of industry bodies came together to form the Canterbury Rebuild Safety Charter.

Thirty-three organisations signed the safety charter in July 2013, committing to work together to rebuild the region safely. One year on, more than 100 signatories representing the construction, insurance and government agencies have committed to the charter’s ten actions (see actions below).

Fletcher Construction chief executive Graham Darlow is the steering group chair of the Safety Charter. He described the increased engagement as “outstanding,” and said the situation in Canterbury presents unique challenges.

“The Safety Charter provides the industry with a coordinated support mechanism to meet its health and safety commitments and is working to lift the bar on health and safety performance overall,” he said.

Year to date, Safety Charter groups have organised self-awareness tools for signatories to measure their performance, drafted guidance on best leadership practice and, in August, will launch an awareness campaign about on-site health and safety.

The latest statistics show a decline in the number of serious harm notifications being reported in Christchurch’s construction industry.

In 2012, MBIE recorded 99 serious harm construction notifications per 10,000 employees in Christchurch. In 2013, the number had dropped to 72.

In 2014, in the period up to February 28, a total of 20 serious harm notifications were reported in Christchurch, compared to a national total of 74.