NZTA award recognises health and safety commitment at QRS

Senior Quality Roading and Services staff have paid credit to fellow Hawkes Bay civil construction company McNatty Construction this month after it received a New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) monthly award.

QRS was the recipient of the NZTA Safe Roads contractor monthly health and safety excellence award in recognition of its contractor health and safety process management while working on road safety improvements to State Highway 2.

QRS health and safety officer Paul Eaglesome says the company was very fortunate to have subcontracted McNatty Construction during the project.

“Like McNatty Construction, QRS has a robust health and safety culture and both companies strive to achieve the highest levels of safety for staff, the public, and the environment at any worksite.”

QRS project Engineer Breneke Steyl says the leadership shown by Dave McNatty and QRS representatives involved with the project were contributing factors to the award.

“When any contractor takes on a project located on a highway there are several risks facing workers.”

“Some of the most obvious dangers include worker safety from passing vehicles, as well as protecting passing drivers from construction machinery, debris and other dangerous construction activities.”

“Both our companies were committed to a health and safety plan that staff wanted to follow. The award singled out communication, consultation and collaboration as paramount ingredients for ensuring everyone’s safety.”

QRS Nigel Pollock says inductions, health and safety plans, training and competency registers, and detailed contract agreements form the basis for the relationship.

He says the award is indicative of QRS’s journey over the past few years with regard to its health and safety processes.

“QRS’s commitment to health and safety is based on the right of staff and contractors to be safe in our workplaces and to experience zero harm.”

Mr Pollock says it’s not just words on paper “we ensure compliance with all legislation, standards, codes of practice and best industry practice. We align ourselves to the highest standard of occupational health safety management system available, a standard known as IS0 45001: 2018; and to the New Zealand standards in the ACC Workplace Safety Management Practices programme.”

“Not content to stop there we have a structured health and safety programme which is continually assessed so that it evolves with experience and the company.”

Image caption: The NZTA health and safety excellence award was received on behalf of QRS by project engineer Breneke Steyl alongside McNatty Construction’s managing director Dave McNatty and site supervisor Sean Gates. NZTA’s Joseph Rosendaal presented the award last month in recognition of the health and safety processes during the Safe Roads safety upgrades for State Highway 2, Wairoa to Bay View. 

8 November 2019

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